Inactive

Source Sought Notice for AIP 2024 The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) is seeking product information and sources capable of providing products described below. The purpose of this notice is to... Source Sought Notice for AIP 2024 The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) is seeking product information and sources capable of providing products described below. The purpose of this notice is to gather capabilities and market information pertinent for acquisition planning. The responses to this Sources Sought will contribute to determining the method of procurement and identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support this requirement. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME This Sources Sought does not constitute a request for quotes. Submission of any information in response to this Sources Sought is purely voluntary. The Government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT The Government is interested in gaining knowledge of potential businesses that would be able to provide an on-site, performance-based service for the Veterans Affairs Acquisition Academy (VAAA), Acquisition Internship School s (AIS), Acquisition Intern Program (AIP). This program trains and develops future acquisition professionals to meet VA's mission and address the challenges associated with recruiting, developing, and retaining sufficient acquisition workforce personnel. The AIS offers two tracks designed to develop entry-level acquisition professionals for the VA and other government agencies (OGAs). Both the AIP and Warriors to Workforce (W2W) programs serve as a conduit for new acquisition professionals to receive a solid foundation for what it takes to become successful acquisition professionals. While the AIP is an 18-22-month career development program, W2W is approximately 10-month program that offers Veterans an opportunity to transition into a new career in the federal government by applying their military skills and experiences to the Contract Specialist field. Upon successful completion of the W2W program, students are converted to Contract Specialists (GS- 1102) and advance into the AIP. Considering the time, skills, and experiences necessary to develop the required Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) competencies, the AIP holistic design is critical to the success of the participants. The AIP integrates acquisition-relevant learning objectives in all components to build confidence and competency in students as they progress through each program year. The AIP supplements formal contracting courses with an integrated curriculum of technical, leadership development, and other course components. This program teaches each student how to use newly acquired technical skills while using the community of practice and learning from their peers. Satisfying these goals and objectives, allows the AIS to produce fully functioning contract specialists who will support the VA mission as well as the missions of other participating government agencies. The specific components of the AIP are as follows: Contracting Courses (CON) Professional Development Courses (FLD) Skill building Courses (FCN, FQN, FCL-VA) Mini Missions On-the-Job Training (OJT) VA Contract Writing System Training Mission Service and Industry Experience Desired Tasks Include: The contractor shall provide experienced instructor(s) with demonstrated classroom management skills. The Contractor(s) shall be an expert with creating a positive and productive learning experience, a knowledgeable acquisition professional, able to review, mark up and provide individual feedback on each exercise for each course. The contractor shall provide instructional services for the Acquisition Internship School s 2024 Cohorts A & B. Class Information Class Times: All Skill building and Professional Development courses shall begin between the hours of 8:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m. (EST). CON courses shall begin between the hours of 8:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m. (EST). Courses shall not be dismissed early unless approved by the VAAA AIS COR or PM. Contractor shall have additional exercises to cover in the event course materials are covered more quickly than anticipated. Class Size and Demographic: Class size includes up to 30 students per cohort and is comprised of VA and other government agency employees. Course Cancellation or Reschedule: The VA reserves the right, with a minimum 30 days notice, to cancel or reschedule any courses with no penalty. Course Materials: The CON courses are Commercial-Off the Shelf (COTS) courses, the Professional Development courses, Skill building courses, and Mini Missions are Government-Off the Shelf (GOTS) courses. All courses conducted, delivered, or otherwise coordinated by the contractor shall meet current FAI requirements, be 508 compliant, and, if applicable, shall be certified as equivalent to DAU courses. Accordingly, all contractor s courses shall be listed on DAU s website list of equivalent course providers. The Contractor shall tailor all CON courses to civilian agency needs, replacing DFARS references and DOD examples, cases, and exercises with VA (preferred) or other civilian agency equivalents, particularly centering on commercial item purchases. A minimum of 20% of examples, cases, and exercises shall be VA-specific and address VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Government Accounting Office (GAO) findings. The Contractor must evaluate course materials to ensure entry level topics are discussed in a manner that will provide foundational knowledge. The CON 091 course is a foundational course required for the FAC-C level 1; therefore, vendor must include topics such as, but not limited to Acquisition Planning, Publicizing, Requirements/Exceptions, Market Research, Sources of Supply, Commercial Items, Offer & Acceptance, Competition, Responsibility, Interagency Contracts (GWACs/FSS/MAC) and RFP/IFB Process Protests. Contractors shall be responsible for demonstrating to the Government how the course meets the 20% requirement by highlighting these instances in a copy of the course material provided to the Course Manager for review. The Contractor shall note on the existing table of contents the changes made to satisfy the 20% requirement. All contractors shall ensure that their material accurately reflects the VA s Veteran First Contracting Program and covers/reinforces the Contracting Officer s (COR) responsibilities with regard to VAAR 819.70 Veteran-Owned and Operated Small Businesses in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 8127 and 8128 (sections 502 and 503 of Public Law (PL) 109-461, 120 Stat. 343 (2006)), and differences from the Contracting Officer s (CO) responsibilities with regard to FAR Subpart 19, Small Business Programs and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) will be replaced with VAAR Materials shall also cover and reinforce the CO s responsibilities with regard to FAR Subpart 22.13 Equal Opportunity for Veterans where appropriate. The materials shall incorporate and/or supplement training activities that will ensure knowledge transfer and support training objectives. Subject matter shall be current and applicable to the student population. Curriculum Management: Contractors shall demonstrate a curriculum management process to ensure currency for course materials as of the initial quote submission date. Contractor shall demonstrate a process by which there is continuity and familiarity with the materials presented in the full curriculum, avoiding unnecessary repetition of information curriculum conflicts. Quality assurance and instructor collaboration communication should exist among contractor instructor staff. When there are updates to the FAR, VAAR, or related VA Procurement Policy Memorandums during the period of performance, the Contractor shall update and adapt their courses and materials within 30 days of the published update. Contractors shall provide the most up-to-date COTS materials to include the Office of Federal Procurement Policy s (OFPP s) requirements, and Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) curriculum changes as they are made available. Learning Content Management System (LCMS): All Government-Off the Shelf (GOTS) and Commercial-Off the Shelf (COTS) student coursework submissions shall occur through the VAAA s Acquisition Internship School (AIS) Learning Management System. This includes pre-course work, class assignments and assessment. Instructors Evaluation of Student s Performance: Electronic submission of Level 2 Kirkpatrick assessment(s) is required for each participant for all courses and shall be submitted using the VAAA Acquisition Internship School (AIS) Learning Management System. Feedback shall be candid and constructive, as it is an important data point for student development. If an instructor experiences concerns with a student s progress or classroom conduct, the instructor shall notify the cohort s Government Program Manager on the same business day that the issue is identified. Student Feedback consists of comments regarding the student s performance in contribution, critical thinking, analysis, preparation, and an overall course grade (i.e., test, quiz, graded assignment). Comments shall be meaningful and describe actions, demonstrate learning is taking place and should be unique to each intern. Course Quality Feedback: Instructors shall complete the VAAA End-of-Course Instructor Survey after each course. Feedback shall be meaningful, constructive, and unique to the course. Surveys will be available in the Learning Management System. Learner Analysis: In instances where 10% or more of course participants demonstrate weakness and score below 80% in a CON, Professional Development or Skill building course, assignment, and/or assessment (i.e., test or quiz) the contractor shall conduct an analysis of that weakness. The vendor shall partner with AIS by exploring opportunities that decrease the knowledge gap and make recommendations that improve the performance of the participants. Instructor Pre-Course Huddle: All instructors shall participate in pre-course huddle(s), in person or via webinar. Pre-course huddles is a short discussion to prepare the instructor to successfully delivery the course as prescribe in the instructor guide, and typically occur 1-week before course offering. The Contractor shall provide schedule of availability of instructors to attend pre-course huddles. The Contractor will maintain with updates or changes to dates and times and notify the AIS COR. Student Course Feedback: Instructors shall allow a maximum of 10 minutes at the end of each course for participants to complete the required VAAA end-of-course survey which is accessed through the VAAA s LMS. Point of contact: The Contractor s main point of contact will provide an interface between the AIS COR and contractor personnel and instructors throughout the duration of the contract. Instructional Support Services/ Classroom Management. The Contractor shall provide instructors who will demonstrate an understanding of adult learning, knowledge transfer and course preparation. The Contractor shall manage the flow of curriculum, effective delivery and classroom management from one course to the next among the qualified instructors. Instructor shall follow the government provided Instructor Guide for all GOTS courses. Government Off the Shelf materials can be accessed through LMS by Contractor 30 calendar days prior to course delivery. Instructors that do not demonstrate effective classroom management skills and/or subject matter expertise; fail to follow the Instructor Guide (IG); lack facilitation skills, and/or professional presentations skills; are subject to dismissal and replacement. The Government reserves the right to require instructor replacement based upon feedback received in End-of-Course surveys and VAAA audit results. Such replacements will be from the pool of previously approved instructors and shall be confirmed by the Contractor within 5 days of a government request. The Government will assess the instructor s performance through observation of the following: Subject Matter Expertise- Convey professional and technical knowledge and skill Displays up-to-date knowledge and current best practices. Provides timely reference to the FAR, FAR supplements, strategies, goals, and other policies/regulations. Materials presented, discussions, examples, or relevant experience relate to course objectives and are at an appropriate level. Encourages learners to think about how they might apply their skills and knowledge in the workplace. Training Preparation- Prepare for instruction Arrive 30 minutes before class starts. Room organization and equipment is ready to support instruction, learning, and activities. Plans breaks and/or takes unplanned breaks to manage participant engagement. Organizes groups as needed. Presents up-to-date materials that are available to all learners and does not assign blame for problems with materials. Exhibits familiarity with course materials. Presentation Skills Demonstrates effective presentation skills Follows the Instructor Guide and/or slides but avoids reading from them like a script. Uses multi-media tools effectively. Speaks confidently about the subject matter and uses voice to create and hold interest through good pronunciation, speed, tone, volume. Demonstrates appropriate non-verbal communication. Facilitation Skills Demonstrates effective facilitation skills Communicates learning objectives, clear directions, activity purpose, and/or performance standards. Asks relevant questions that challenge assumptions, spur creative thinking and discussion, while reinforcing learning. Manages time effectively and maintains an appropriate instructional pace for the audience. Demonstrates best practices for the instructional method(s) employed. Executes all activities spelled out in the Instructor Guide. Training Evaluation Assess learning and performance Assesses (formally or informally) learner engagement, task achievement and level of understanding to ensure learning objectives are met. Gives accurate and useful feedback to learners on their performance. Conducts Level 2 Kirkpatrick assessment(s) of each participant. Provide score for the end of course assessment for CON, Skill building, and Professional Development courses. Use AIS provided scoring rubric(s) for Government Off the Shelf courses. Instructor feedback must be consistent with all grades received in the course. Instructor Orientation- All instructors shall participate in an asynchronous training session, provided by the Government. This training shall be completed at least 30 calendar days prior to teaching their first course at AIS VAAA, or within 30 calendar days after award, whichever date comes later. In cases where an instructor substitution is necessary, the government will review those instances on a case-by-case base. The contractor shall provide an instructor matrix that includes, instructor s name, course title, course date, course time, email address, telephone number. The contractor shall include a course matrix that includes course name, instructor name, pre-work requirements, and seat time to complete the pre-work and assessment types (i.e., test, quiz, activity). Virtual Instruction- The Contractor may be asked to offer courses virtually. Contractor shall be prepared to provide instructors capable of providing training. Acceptable technologies include Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Blackboard, Skype, Zoom, Adobe Connect, and any other educational technologies. When using this approach, all work shall be done in the VAAA Acquisition Internship School (AIS) LMS platform, which lends itself to a seamless learning platform. The virtual solution should allow for classroom like experience. Learners shall be able to login to one site and participate in all functions of the course and engage with one another easily. The Contractor shall have a built-in contingency plan the will support or replace any delays resulting from connectivity issues. Course Deliverables: All course content both COTS and GOTS shall be suited for all types of learning modalities offered to AIS program participants. Course delivery may be face to face instruction, virtual instruction, or a combination of both. Professional Development Courses (FLD): Contractor shall provide a qualified instructor(s) prepared to instruct, review, mark up and provide individual feedback on exercises for each course. The instructor(s) are expected to assist participants with exercise completion and guidance, facilitate discussions that process the exercises, and assess student deliverables. Provide an instructor assessment of the participants proficiency regarding exercises completed and submitted by participants. The following is a listing of the Professional Development Courses: FLD-134, FLD-135, FLD-136, FLD-137, FLD-138, FLD-156, FLD-140 Skill building Courses (SBLD): Contractor shall provide a qualified instructor(s) prepared to instruct, score practical deliverables, mark up and provide individual feedback on exercises for each course. The instructor(s) are expected to assist participants with exercise completion and guidance, facilitate discussions that process the exercises, and assess student deliverables. Provide participant s instructor assessment of the participants proficiency regarding exercises completed and submitted by participants. The following is a listing of the Skill-Building Courses: FCL-VA I100, FCL-VAI101, FCL-VAI102, FCN-160, FQN-118, FQN-119, FQN-120, FCN-161, FCN-162, FCN-163, FCN-164, FCN-165, FCN-432, FCL-VA-0025, FCN-130 Contracting Courses (CON): Contractor shall provide a qualified instructor(s) prepared to instruct, score practical deliverables, mark up and provide individual feedback on exercises for each course. The instructor(s) are expected to assist participants with exercise completion and guidance, facilitate discussions that process the exercises, and assess student deliverables. Provide participant s instructor assessment of the participants proficiency regarding exercises completed and submitted by participants. The following DAU-equivalent courses are required instructional materials: CON 091, CON 121,CON 124,CON 127,CON 170,CON 200,CON 216,CON 280, CON 290 Key Personnel Instructor Team: The contractor shall propose a small instructor team comprised of a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 members who will teach all training courses described in the statement of work and will indicate which instructor(s) are scheduled for each course as part of the quote. The contractor shall notify the CO and COR in writing no fewer than 30 days in advance of the course start date of a proposed instructor substitution. This substitute will be one of those whose résumés was initially proposed and approved by the CO. As part of the quote, an offeror will delineate the process used to prepare each instructor for a course and assess each instructor s proficiency prior to the course delivery. Instructor Qualifications are important to the government and each proposed instructor shall have the following: A minimum of 120 classroom hours experience within the previous two years providing FAI or DAU instruction to federal acquisition employees; and A demonstrated familiarity with the course materials and proficiency with the use of typical classroom technology, including Blackboard and Adobe Connect prior to arriving on-site for each course. For Contracting (CON), and Skill building courses, a minimum of 5 years experience as a warranted federal government contracting officer within the previous 10 years; For Professional Development (FLD) courses, instructors shall have relevant experience with teaching courses covering the FAI professional competencies as defined by FAI: https://www.fai.gov/sites/default/files/2014-5-7-Contracting-Competency-Model.pdf Instructors shall have a minimum of five (5) years acquisition experience and has served a minimum of seven (7) years in a professional leadership capacity within the past 10 years. The instructor proposed for the Professional Development courses shall have experience with and hold a current Myers-Briggs (MBTI) certification to lead and facilitate the assessment tool used in all courses. Contractors shall provide the evidence of certification 30 days prior to teaching the course. Constraints: Place of Performance: The VA Acquisition Academy Internship School is located at 7485 New Horizon Way, Frederick, MD 21703. No travel shall be required during the performance. The predominant network operating system used in the organization is Microsoft Windows.  The Government will not be responsible for any relocation expenses associated with moving contractor personnel.  Security and Privacy Requirements: Contractor personnel providing services under the contract shall be required to successfully pass various background investigations for the use of the VA network and access to the government facility. Instructions for a background check to be given after Award. The Contractor shall comply with all Federal and VA security regulations and policies during performance.  Hours of Contractor Operations: Contractor personnel performing on this contract shall maintain a work schedule that coincides with the schedule of the VA Acquisition Academy Internship School. All Skill building, Professional Development, and CON courses shall begin between the hours of 8:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m. (EST) Monday through Friday. Services at VAAA shall not occur on Federal holidays or weekends unless authorized in advance by the COR. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: If your organization is capable of performing these services, please respond to this Sources Sought as follows: Cover Sheet - one page Organization name, address, DUNS number, SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UIE) number and web site. Primary point of contact to include e-mail address and phone number. Company s size status as listed in SAM under NAICS 611430 Professional and Management Development Training. If listed as SDVOSB or VOSB in SAM, state if your company is verified in the Veterans Information Pages (VIP). 4. If these services are available on your company s GSA contract, provide GSA contract number, schedule, and SIN category. Capabilities Statement and Market Information - no more than three pages Please respond to the following questions by providing a capabilities statement and market information: Please describe your experience working with Government agencies. Specifically, what processes do you have in place to submit a timely and quality quote? Please describe your organization's breadth of expertise/competency in providing the type of training courses/curriculum described above. Would you be interested in proposing on a solicitation for this work? Please provide estimated pricing information for the services listed under the Desired Tasks section. Would you propose other NAICS for these services? Please provide any other feedback or suggestions that you deem appropriate. Submissions must be emailed to Raelynn White at Raelynn.White@va.gov and Lindi Sylvester at Lindi.Sylvester@va.gov by the date/time listed in the Posting.