DDE Instructor 25-30 Questions_DDE Answers.docx

1.Please clarify CLIN 0001 in relation to PWS 5.2.2.

Should offerors price this line item based on one instructor supporting two seminar groups, or is the expectation to provide one instructor per seminar group?

The pricing of the X001 CLINS are for the services of all items in the PWS that don’t have a CLIN of their own- and is to include the price of all items inclusive.

2.Is CLIN 0002 to be priced as a flat rate per instructor, or per seminar group?

Also, is it expected that the instructor under CLIN 0001 will fulfill CLIN 0002, or may this be a separate individual?

3. Should CLIN 0003 be priced per instructor or per seminar group?

Is the Government expecting continuity with the CLIN 0001 instructor, or is separate staffing acceptable?

See question 2.

4.Does the Regional Studies Course Developer under CLIN 0004 need to meet the same qualifications as the primary instructor (e.g., military education, JPME II), or may this be a subject matter expert with curriculum development experience?

The person must meet the qualifications.

5. Please confirm the role of Faculty Instructors as described in PWS 5.2.2 and 5.2.5–5.2.6. Is the position best described as instructional facilitation and assessment support during the online portion, with traditional in-person teaching responsibilities during the two-week resident course?

Please review PWS 5.2 to understand the specific tasks.

6. The Instructions to Offerors reference the submission of “a single individual or a team of up to two.” Should offerors submit only one instructor per proposal for evaluation under CLIN 0001, or may proposals include multiple proposed instructors to fulfill the requirement?

A vendor may submit as many quotes as they can come up with- but please have them on separate emails. It helps us keep the paperwork straight.

7. If a vendor proposes more than one instructor using a “team” approach, and more than two personnel are being proposed, does each pairing (team configuration) require submission as a fully separate quote—complete with Volumes 1 through 3—even if information such as past performance remains identical?

8. Can the Government please clarify the anticipated number of hours per instructor for the full academic year? This includes instructional preparation, mentoring, forum engagement, grading/evaluation, virtual sessions, ect?

FYS has approximately 1,550 hours per year (1,800 to include options).

SYS is approximately 1,100 hours per year (1,600 to include options).

9. Based on the PWS, it appears that Faculty Instructors support curriculum delivery through evaluation, forum leadership, and participation in Faculty Instructor Guidance sessions. Could the Government clarify whether this is primarily a teaching position, a mentorship/guidance role, or a combination of both?

A combination of both with priority given to teaching.

10. Are First Year Studies Faculty Instructors expected to continue with the same cohort of students into Year Two of the DEP program? Or is their involvement limited to the Second Resident Course only, without support during the second-year curriculum?

First year instructors stay first year instructors. The only crossing is the ‘all-hands’ approach to the Resident Courses where everyone helps, regardless of year.

11. Will the Government consider vendors for all six positions, or will only select candidates be awarded? In a team proposal, if one proposed candidate is determined to be noncompliant or technically unacceptable, will this impact the standing of the other proposed team members?

The Government will award as many contracts as necessary- so if a single contractor manages to get BOTH of the second-year contracts (there are only two, the 6 was a misprint), then there will be one award.

12. May the same candidates proposed under the First Year Studies solicitation also be submitted for the Second Year Studies Faculty Instructor requirement, if interested and qualified? Are there any restrictions or expectations regarding dual consideration?

It is common to have candidates submitted for both. However, it is the choice of the Government as to which contract they will get if selected for both.

13. Will instructors have access to instructional technology support (e.g., LMS troubleshooting, digital platform access assistance), or are they expected to be fully self-sufficient in the use of Government-furnished educational systems?

Access to platform support will be available- the Government is unable to support if the issue is with the computer.

14. Does the 35-page limit apply to the entire quote, including the cover letter and resumes? Or are resumes and/or the cover letter considered separate from the total page count?

Resumes and other proofs are not considered part of the maximum.

15. Could the Government please confirm the name(s) of the current incumbent(s) performing these services for the First Year Studies and/or Second Year Studies faculty support?

The incumbents are intending on re-applying, and therefore the information is considered proprietary information.

16. Will all the DDE instructors be required to be at Carlisle July for the events/staff rides etc and if so what days? Will USAWC provide lodging and housing for the instructor or is that on the contractor? What about a travel CLIN?

Yes, the personnel will be required to be in Carlisle for July for the Resident Course-and all travel expenses are on the Contractor. There is no travel CLIN.

17. Does this contract cover first or second years or both?

W91QF025Q1004 is for First Year Instructors. W91QF025Q1005 is for Second Year Instructors- with exception to the FRC and SRC crossover.

18. Do contractors attend both FRC and SRC?

Yes. It’s all hands-on deck.

19. Is SRC now in June and FRC in July? And orientation now all remote? My only apply to first year FIs In the Summer of 2025, SRC is in July and FRC is in June. Beginning Summer of 2026, SRC is in June and FRC is in July. Orientation is remote.

20. Does FRC now include a trip to D.C.? And 2d year FIs attend as well?

There is (usually) a trip to DC as a part of FRC. All attending/working FRC go- transportation to and from DC is provided by the Government.

21. Are contractors now the guides for the Gettysburg staff ride (for SRC)?

Some are, others are Military or Civilian.

22. Can contractors borrow course-related books?

Yes. Contractors will receive loaned books from the library.

23. Paragraph 1.1, line 2, Services states, “… provide up to 6 Faculty Instructors and Evaluators for a Distance Education Program (DEP) ….” Are six positions up for bid in FYS this year, or just one per the combined synopsis for W91QF025Q1004?

This was a misprint. It’s just one.

24. Paragraph 1.24.4, Information Assurance (IA) Training. The other three listed training requirements provide a website at which to receive the training. This training does not list where to get the training or where to register for required ATCTS. What are the websites to receive IA Training and register for ATCTS to complete Deliverable 6?

This is a hazard of the system being in transition; ATCTS no longer exists. This one will have to be negotiated at award- Command has not yet issued new language for this section yet but won’t allow us to alter this area in any way.

25. Paragraph 1.24.7, OPSEC Training states, “all “ON-SITE” contractor employees shall complete the following training courses.” Paragraph 1.5.5, Place of Performance states, “The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at the USAWC, Carlisle Barracks, PA and another [sic] location[s] from which the contractor can perform all aspects of this Contract.” Furthermore, Paragraph 1.5.5.1, Telework Capabilities states, “… all services are remote ….” How is paragraph 1.24.7 applicable to this RFQ?

Unfortunately, the two weeks that the DDE instructors are on-site is enough for them to qualify- this one was already sent for clarification.

FIRST YEAR

26. Paragraph 5.2.1, Orientation. How many students is an instructor responsible for during the Orientation Program?

Zero. The only requirement they have is to conduct one, one-hour Teams call during Orientation for their 20-person seminar starting in Foundations and verify the student has Blackboard access and updated bio.

a. How much time per student does the government anticipate it will take to complete the tasks assigned?

For Orientation, they should spend approximately one hour for the Teams session and enough time to contact students by bulk email and verify access and bio updates (this is in preparation for Foundations. Students attending Orientation are optional.

b. Will the LMS remain Blackboard, as indicated here, for the duration of this contract or will another system be used? This is controlled at a higher command level- the USAWC has no control over this item. A 5-year contract was awarded to Blackboard in late Sept 2023- that is as much as we know.

c. If another system will be used, what training is provided for the new system, and how much of the contract training time is available for any conversion? Contractors will receive the same training offered to the Government employees should this occur.

27. Paragraph 5.2.2.1.1, Foundations.

a. This paragraph is confusing. Is the review of the biography the only duty during the Foundations course, or is this review in addition to the other written and forum evaluations expected of all the core courses?

No. The review of the bio is during Orientation (for students who optionally took it). Starting in Foundations and in all Core Course, the instructor is required to evaluate assigned exercises in the form of journals, forums, and essays.

b. Are there any specific duties different in the Foundations course than in other core courses? If so, what are they?

No. Same as other core courses.

28. Paragraph 5.2.4.4, Forum and Journals, refers to paragraph 5.4.2. There does not appear to be a paragraph 5.4.2. To what information is this referring?

This should have been 5.2.4.

29. Paragraph 5.2.4.6, Journals. How many 250-word or less journals are expected to be assigned in each core course?

Core course forums can take on many forms, and thus, require different levels of Contractor engagement at different times, varying in length and intensity. Running forums are generally active for several weeks but only require students to provide one initial post and two response posts per week. Exercise or project forums are high intensity for ten to fifteen days requiring daily interaction by students. However, the aggregation of all core course forums and exercise requirements should not exceed 300 cumulative hours

30. Paragraph 5.2.2.6, Teams Sessions. Per the last line, if a contractor has two seminars, does that then require four Teams sessions for each of the five core courses, based on one written evaluation session and one forum evaluation session for each of the seminars per course?

Yes

31. Paragraph 5.2.3, Comprehensive Exam. How many questions are asked during the exam, what is the word count for each answer, and how much time does FYS anticipate it will take to evaluate each examination?

Comprehensive exams vary in number of essays and length. Estimate a total grading time of 2 hours per student.

32. Paragraph 5.2.4.1, Forums. How many of the five core courses will require a forum, and how many forums in each course?

Every core course will have at least one forum. The number of forums per course vary by course director. They can change year to year.

33. Paragraph 5.2.4.1, Forums.

a. How many of the five core courses will require a forum?

Every core course will have at least one forum. The number of forums per course vary by course director. They can change year to year.

b. How many forums in each course?

Every core course will have at least one forum. The number of forums per course vary by course director. They can change year to year.

c. What is the government’s expectation for the duration of each forum?

Each forum has a different intensity and length. However, the aggregation of all core course forums and exercise requirements should not exceed 300 cumulative hours.

34. Paragraph 5.2.5, First Resident Course and Paragraph 5.2.6, Second Resident Course. state there will be 18 students per seminar, but paragraph 5.2.2 states the seminar size is 20. Which is correct, or why the difference?

Seminars start the first year with 20 students. Based on natural attrition, seminar size is 18 or less starting in FRC and continuing into second year.

35. Paragraph 5.2.3.3, Formative Assessment. How many of the five core courses will require a formative assessment, and how many assessments in each course?

Each core course has a different number of formative assessment that vary from year to year but will not exceed one per course. However, the aggregation of all core course forums and exercise requirements should not exceed 300 cumulative hours.

36. Page 30, Attachment 1, Subfactor 1, Military. For both FYS and SYS concerning key personnel qualifications Subfactor 1, Military Education, would a potential DDE instructor who is a U.S. citizen with a PhD from the United Kingdom’s Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC), which runs colonels and brigadier programs for the entire British military establishment that are the equivalent of the U.S. senior service colleges, be considered as having met this requirement?

Yes

37. When making changes to the PWS or other bidding documents, would the Contracting Office please use Microsoft Word Track Changes when changing the masters? ALWAYS

SECOND YEAR

38. Paragraph 1.2, Background. The SYS PWS states there are four FYS nonresident core courses, while the FYS PWS 1.2 states that there are five FYS nonresident core courses. Which is correct?

FYS has five nonresident core courses, but they do not apply to the SYS contracts.

39. Paragraph 5.2.2.3, Formative Assessment. How many of the four core courses will require a formative assessment, and how many assessments in each course?

Each core course has a different number of formative assessment that vary from year to year but will not exceed one per course.

a. Para 5.2.3.1 Forums. How many of the five core courses will require a forum? There are only four nonresident core courses in SYS. The number of forums vary based upon size of course overall. However, the aggregation of all core course forums and exercise requirements should not exceed 260 cumulative hours.

b. How many forums in each course? The number of forums vary based upon size of course overall. However, the aggregation of all core course forums and exercise requirements should not exceed 260 cumulative hours.

c. What is the government’s expectation for the duration of each forum? Each forum has a different intensity and length. However, the aggregation of all core course forums and exercise requirements should not exceed 260 cumulative hours.

40. Paragraph 5.2.3.6, Journals. How many 250-word or less journals are expected to be assigned in each core course? Journals are designed to assist the student to process course material through reading, reflecting, and writing. When assigned, students will complete a 250-word (+/- 10%) journal through the LMS answering a prompt identified by the Course Director. This number may vary from course to course and year to year.

41. Between Paragraphs 5.2.3.6 and 5.2.4.7 the numbering sequence changes within the section. How should bidders refer to 5.2.4.7 to 5.2.4.11, given there is a follow-on section 5.2.4.X?

Refer to these numbers as is since there is no duplication.

42. Paragraph 5.2.7, Strategy Research Requirement. Is this a CLIN which contractors must bid but is optional to the government, or is this a contractor optional CLIN? This a CLIN which contractors must bid but is optional to the government

a. Will an instructor or instructor team only be responsible for up to three SRRs?

Regardless if a team or a single, the position is responsible for up to three SRRs.

43. Quote Template, QNTY. A comparison of the Quote Template documents for FYS and SYS is confusing. The FYS Quote Template shows a quantity of 1 for all CLINs except x005. An interpretation of this format is that each bidder, up to 6, will submit a completed Quote Template document. On the other hand, the SYS Quote Template shows a quantity of 2 for CLINs x001, x002, x003, and x006. Does this imply that a bidder must be able to fulfill the requirements for two contracts? Updated CLIN structures attached with Amendments. SYS allows for a vendor to win both positions-some vendors have different pricing if they do. This spreadsheet allows them the opportunity to provide it. This information is not viewed by the source selection board until after selection to ensure that pricing information does not interfere with selection choices- the best candidates will be chosen, no preference will be given to a vendor that can provide both positions.

44. When making changes to the PWS or other bidding documents, would the Contracting Office please use Microsoft Word Track Changes when changing the masters? ALWAYS