Inactive

Request for Information (RFI) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this RFI in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e). The Veterans Benefit Administration’s (VBA)... Request for Information (RFI) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this RFI in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e). The Veterans Benefit Administration’s (VBA) Veteran Readiness and Employment Service (VR&E) business line is soliciting information and compiling market research for the potential procurement of a managed service that provides online aptitude and interest assessments. Background VR&E Service is pursuant to Title 38 USC Chapters 18, 31, 35 and 36, to provide all services and assistance necessary to enable eligible Veterans with service-connected disabilities to obtain and maintain suitable employment and, if not employable, achieve independence in daily living to the maximum extent feasible. VR&E Service currently provides an available Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) online assessment product. This product allows a Veteran, member of the Armed Forces or eligible dependent to assess whether they are academically ready to engage in postsecondary education and training opportunities or whether the member would need remedial preparation prior to initiating such opportunities. Currently, VR&E delivers assessments through contracted service. The current assessment (CareerScope) and delivery method meets the requirements; however, VR&E would like to seek other available aptitude and interest testing assessments that will thoroughly assess a Veteran’s aptitude, interests, abilities, temperament, personality and current level of psychological functioning. In order to meet these requirements, VBA ensures the following through the VR&E business line: Online assessment instruments which will measure a program participant’s aptitudes and interests through a standardized norm-based assessment tool. Assessment results are automatically scored, analyzed and provided to the participant and VA personnel in a comprehensive report that can be accessed online and printed. A distinct online national portal with 56 Regional Office (RO) sub-portals to assign, support and manage aptitude and interest testing of participants eligible for Chapter 31 benefits and services. This RFI is to determine what other career and interest aptitude assessments are available to meet these requirements. “Veterans choose VA for easy access, greater choices and clear information to make informed decisions” is identified in the VA Strategic Plan 2018 – 2024 as one of the agency’s strategic goals. VR&E Service is dedicated to modernization efforts and meeting the goals of the Strategic Plan. VR&E Service is looking to provide career and interest assessment options within one easily accessible online portal. Examples of career and interest assessments should be, but are not limited to; Myers-Briggs, The MAPP, Pymetrics, MyPlan, StrengthsQuest, Career Strengths, COPS, CAPS and COPES, etc. The competition in today’s job market requires our program participants to exercise every option VR&E can provide. Market volatility and changing economic landscapes require an agile approach to vocational rehabilitation and employment. The preparation by VR&E infinitely improves the program participants chance for success. Scope The scope of work is divided into three main components: the assessment, assessment scoring and reporting and the online portal. Each component is critical to the success of the proposed solution. The requirements for each component are established below. Assessment Instruments: The assessment instruments must assess the participant’s aptitudes and career interests through a standardized norm-based assessment. This assessment must measure the participant’s interests in vocational categories as well as measure the participant’s aptitudes in categories of expressed interest. The total length of time needed to complete the assessment must not exceed 90 minutes. Capability must include the ability for the assessment to be administered un-timed for participants requiring additional time based on disabilities or other extenuating factors. However, the basic non-accommodated assessment must be able to be completed within a 90- minute timeframe. The assessment must be 508 compliant for accessibility, meet industry standards for ease of access, and have the ability to be administered in multiple languages, including English and Spanish. The assessment must be automatically scored and easy to administer. The proposed assessment instruments must be derived from evidence-based research, whereby the results and methodology are recognized and accepted within established industry practices. The proposed assessment instruments must be written at a reading and comprehension level commensurate with the general population of the United States. The proposed assessments must measure the participant’s interests and aptitude for success in each career cluster and assess the participant’s aptitude for success in an academic environment. Assessment Scores and Reports: At the completion of the assessment, a report must be made available online and in a printable format, which will outline scores and the results of the completed assessment. If the participant completes more than one assessment, a combined report in addition to the individual reports must be generated. Each report must be generated in two distinct parts; one readily available to the participant and another report available to the counselor. The participant report must be easily understood and interpreted by the assessed participant, without the assistance of a counselor. The results must be presented in such a way that the individual will understand their current academic aptitude and career fields of interest. The report available to VA personnel must provide a summary of the scores achieved by the participant and presented in such a way which will allow a trained professional to provide greater insight and guidance on the participant’s results. The counselor report is intended to provide a professional with tools necessary to assist a participant in achieving a greater understanding of their results and how those results are applicable in both an academic and vocational context. The report should also address the participant’s aptitude for success in completing the requisite course(s) and level of study required to enter each of the identified career clusters. The detailed participant report must outline their level of career interest and propensity for success based on an intersection of their current education and educational aptitude. The report must also outline the career fields with the highest level of expressed interest based on the completed assessment(s). Outlined career fields must be presented as career clusters and associated back to relevant and updated occupational databases, to include Occupational Information Network (O*NET), Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes, and other relevant occupational databases. The report must also contain job codes and titles for the top occupations within each interested career cluster. The participant report must detail the participant’s current educational level and include an assessment of the participant’s current abilities in reading, math, and writing. The report must also address the participant’s aptitude for future success in an academic environment. Additionally, the report must intersect the evaluation of identified interests with assessed aptitudes to provide a holistic picture of the participant’s interests and propensity for gaining and maintaining suitable employment within the interested career cluster. These results must be provided in a way that is easily understandable and presents a clear direction of the level(s) of additional education and mastery within career clusters that demonstrate the highest levels of interest and aptitude. The report must include references to traditional career fields and occupations as well as emerging and technical fields, such as those related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). These fields must be included in the assessment instrument to assess the participant’s interest level and ability to succeed within emerging industry fields. The report should further detail or provide reference to current job forecasts and industry health for the identified career clusters. This will enable the participant to make more informed decisions regarding the pursuit of further education and potential employment in a specific career cluster or chosen career path. The report must not only assess the participant’s interest and aptitude within identified career clusters, but must also provide a multi-tiered result, which outline the levels within career clusters the participant would be best suited to pursue. The result must delineate whether the participant would be most suited in a developmental, skilled mid-level, or professional management level within identified career clusters. This result must be easily understood and directly related to the participant’s current education level and aptitude to successfully attain the knowledge and experience within the industry to succeed at the identified level. In addition to the assessment instrument(s), the contractor must also provide a resource with a detailed explanation of the assessment, included sections, methodology, and background. This resource must include definitions and explanations of any codes, abbreviations, or acronyms which may be used in the assessment report. This resource must be easy to read, accessible to all participants, and able to assist participants in gaining a full understanding of all aspects of the assessment results, ensuing report, and recommendations. The contractor must also provide a detailed resource for participants and VR&E counselors to further explain the different sections of the assessment, how results will be presented to the participant, and keys to interpretation of the report. Online Portal: The comprehensive career aptitude and assessment tool/system shall be installed on one national portal. The portal shall include all capabilities and components as provided by the existing portals for the VR&E program. The assessments must be readily and easily accessible online through the established national portal with any connected computer. The assessments must have the ability to be run online without software installation at the point of assessment or require IT support by the end user. Assessments, results and other information must be self-contained within the providers web domain. Assessments must be automatically scored, analyzed, and readily available online to the participant and VA personnel. Results must be readily accessible to the participant after completion of the assessment. Furthermore, results of the participant’s assessments must be maintained online, easily associated to the participant completing the assessments, and readily available to the participant as well as the associated Regional Office (RO). This will enable the VR&E personnel to easily obtain, access, and review the participant’s results and provide qualitative feedback regarding the results as required. The results should only be accessible through login and password by individuals participating in the VR&E program and designated VA personnel. The assessments must be loaded into a nationally accessible portal which must be further segmented into individual portals for each VR&E RO. Currently, there are fifty-seven (57) unique VR&E ROs, which will require individual portals, linked under the overarching National assessment portal. The online portals (both National and Regional) must utilize VA provided graphics and branding materials to ensure the portals are uniquely identifiable as belonging to the VA. The National portal and sub-portals shall include both public and private components. The public facing component will be available to eligible participants to take an aptitude and interest assessment while the private facing component will be accessed and monitored by VA staff. The portal will contain branding for all assessments using logos, art, and branding materials to be provided by the VA. The portal and sub-portals shall be loaded with the assessment tool, applicable licenses, branding logo files, assessments and all other related components to comprise a complete system as described. The national portal shall have a management portal with total control and access by an assigned VA portal Administrator. The designated portal Administrator will designate Sub-Administrator(s) within each sub-portal for who will serve as administrator(s) for a single RO sub-portal. The designated sub-portal Administrator’s may further appoint any number of designated within their assigned sub-portals. Designated Specialists will oversee the assessment process within each RO. Administrators and Specialists must have the capability to assign multiple assessments to the participant. Specialists must have the capability to change the default assessment delivery on a case-by-case basis to meet the individual accessibility needs of some participants. Sub-Portal Administrators must have the capability to make changes for assessments overseen within their own sub-portal. Options available to Administrators to make case-by-case changes to assessments must include the ability to eliminate the time clock on cognitive aptitude and battery tests and to offer the test in multiple languages to include English and Spanish. The system shall meet the established industry standards for accessibility and 508 compliance. Participants must be able to select or be assigned individual Specialists under their unique RO sub-portal. A formal Request for Proposal (RFP) and ensuing procurements may or may not result from this RFI. However, should assessment procurements occur they shall be procured under an unlimited quantity license during each period of performance or in blocks of assessments to be distributed to each sub-portal as may be directed by the account executive. The account Executive must maintain the capability to reallocate assessments amongst sub-portals as necessary to maintain sufficient quantities of assessments supporting each sub-portal. If assessments are procured as individual instruments comprised within a purchase block, the account executive must have the capability to reallocate unused assessments amongst sub-portals as necessary. Unused assessments are classified as assessments that have either not been started or not completed by the participant. Unused assessments purchased during a period of performance must be available for reallocation, assignment, and use during subsequent periods of performance. Furthermore, assessments not used during the period of performance shall be rolled over to the subsequent period of performance at no additional cost to the government. Maintenance for the national portal and sub-portals shall be provided throughout the period of performance. Maintenance shall include, but not limited to assessment distributing, returning incomplete assessments languishing over a time established by the VA for each portal, to a new usable status, balance monitoring, and troubleshooting issues with the portals and assessments. The contractor shall resolve any portal and assessment issues that may prevent the user from entering the portal, completing the assessment, and reviewing/printing the assessment results. The contractor shall provide monthly reports on any reported issues and problems. The contractor will also provide monthly reports as to the status, distribution, and quantity of remaining assessments as well as the number of assessments completed by each RO sub-portal. Performance Details Period of Performance: The Period of Performance (PoP) shall be (1) one-year from the date of award, plus four (4) – (1) one-year option periods. Work at government site(s) shall not take place on Federal Holidays or weekends unless directed by the assigned Contract Officer. Type of Contract: Firm-fixed price Place of performance: The work shall be performed at the contractor’s place of business. Specific Tasks, Deliverables and Performance Metrics Project Management Contractor shall draft a Project Management Plan (PMP) that lays out the contractor’s approach, timeline and tools to be used in execution of the contract. The PMP should take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the schedule, milestones, risks and resource support. The PMP shall also include how contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and ad hoc data collection reporting requests as identified within the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Contractor shall update and maintain the approved PMP throughout the period(s) of performance. Tasks and Associated Deliverables Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables: The contractor shall provide the specific deliverables described below within the applicable period of performance as stated in the PWS. Task One: The contractor shall establish the national portal, sub-portals, and load the interest and aptitude assessments instrument to the national portal for use by eligible participants. The initial assessment quantity shall be 50,000 assessments of varying types. Deliverable One: Establishment of the national portal and sub-portals, to include loading the interest and aptitude assessments to the national portal. Task Two: The contractor shall import new assessments to the national portal and sub-portals according to the distribution levels as determined by VA. Deliverable Two: The contractor shall import new assessments to the national portal and sub-portals according to the distribution determined by VA. Task Three: The contractor shall provide a detailed resource for participants and counselors to explain the different sections of the assessment, how results are presented to the participant and keys to interpretation of the report. Deliverable Three: Provide detailed resource explaining the sections of the assessment, how results are presented, and keys to interpreting the report. Task Four: The contractor shall maintain the national portal and sub-portals. Maintenance shall include, but is not limited to assignment, distribution, returning incomplete assessments over 60 days for the VR&E Portal to a new usable assessment status, balance monitoring, and providing technical support. Deliverable Four: Maintenance of the national portal and sub-portals. Option Period One Task One: The contractor shall maintain the national portal and sub-portals. Maintenance shall include but is not limited to assessment distribution, returning incomplete assessments over 60 days for the VR&E Portal to a new usable useable assessment status, balance monitoring, and providing technical support. Deliverable One: The contractor shall maintain the National Portal and Sub-portals. Option Period One Task Two: The contractor shall import new assessments, not to exceed 50,000 total, to the National portal and sub-portals according to the distribution established by the VA. Deliverable Two: The contractor shall import new assessments to the National Portal and Sub-portals according to the distribution determined by the VA. Option Period Two Task One: The contractor shall maintain the national portal and sub-portals. Maintenance shall include but is not limited to assessment distribution, returning incomplete assessments over 60 days for the VR&E Portal to a new usable useable assessment status, balance monitoring, and providing technical support. Deliverable One: The contractor shall maintain the National Portal and Sub-portals. Option Period Two Task Two: The contractor shall import new assessments, not to exceed 50,000 total, to the National portal and sub-portals according to the distribution established by the VA. Deliverable Two: The contractor shall import new assessments to the national portal and sub-portals according to the distribution determined by the VA. Option Period Three Task One: The contractor shall maintain the national portal and sub-portals. Maintenance shall include but is not limited to assessment distribution, returning incomplete assessments over 60 days for the VR&E Portal to a new usable useable assessment status, balance monitoring, and providing technical support. Deliverable One: The contractor shall maintain the National Portal and Sub-portals. Option period Three Task Two: The contractor shall import new assessments, not to exceed 50,000 total, to the National portal and sub-portals according to the distribution established by the VA. Deliverable Two: The contractor shall import new assessments to the national portal and sub-portals according to the distribution determined by the VA. Option Period Four Task One: The contractor shall maintain the national portal and sub-portals. Maintenance shall include but is not limited to assessment distribution, returning incomplete assessments over 60 days for the VR&E Portal to a new usable useable assessment status, balance monitoring, and providing technical support. Deliverable One: The contractor shall maintain the National Portal and Sub-portals. Option period Four Task Two: The contractor shall import new assessments, not to exceed 50,000 total, to the National portal and sub-portals according to the distribution established by the VA. Deliverable Two: The contractor shall import new assessments to the national portal and sub-portals according to the distribution determined by the VA. Evaluated Optional Tasks and Associated Deliverables * These will be discussed during solicitation as needed* Contract award meeting The contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in the PWS until the Contracting Officer (CO) has conducted a kick-off meeting or has advised the contractor that the kick-off meeting is waived. Schedule for Deliverables 1. The contractor shall complete the Delivery Date column in the Schedule of Deliverables for each deliverable specified. 2. Unless otherwise specified, the number of draft copies and the number of final copies will be the same. 3. If for any reason the scheduled time for a deliverable cannot be met, the contractor is required to explain why (include original deliverable due date) in writing to the CO, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the CO shall cite the reasons for the delay and the impact to the overall project. The CO will then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals; submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, email address, website address, telephone number, business size, NAICS code; DUNS, SIN Category and GSA Schedule; and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements. The government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity to 1) Provide services consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated; 2) Secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform similar requirements; 3) implement a successful project management plan that includes: compliance with tight program schedules; cost containment; meeting and tracking performance; hiring and retention of key personnel and risk mitigation; and 4) Provide services under a firm-fixed price acquisition contract In addition to providing a capability statement as discussed above, a series of questions regarding capability must be answered. Please ensure the question number is referenced within the RFI response. Below are the capability questions: What are your organization’s experience with and capabilities for tasks noted in this RFI? Based on your experience, does your company have the resources to provide all the services noted above, as they relate to the three key components? Does your company have the expertise/competency depth necessary to maintain quality personnel to perform the task indicated in this RFI in short turnaround times? Can your company accomplish these services solely or would you subcontract with another company? What type of career and interest aptitude assessments can you offer? How do you structure pricing for the online assessment portal services (national and 57 sub-portals)? How will the pricing for online support and maintenance services be structured? How will you structure pricing for multiple career and interest aptitude assessment(s)? What is the estimated total cost for assessments and services as outlined by the RFI for one year? Are there any additional tasks / costs that you envision for this requirement? What is the best NAICS code / Product Service Code (PSC) for this requirement? Do you have a GSA contract schedule? If so, what schedule is the most appropriate for this requirement? What languages are you able to provide for each specific assessment instrument? In what languages are you able to generate the associated report(s)? Structure of Responses Submit questions No Later Than 29 October 2020 2:oo PM MT. Contractors should respond to this RFI by 17 November 2020 by 10:00 AM MT via e-mail to shellie.murphy@va.gov. Limit all responses to 10 pages. DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.