REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Purpose The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking qualified vendors to conduct training for CDC employees. CDC University s (CDCU) School of Preparedness and Emergency Response (SoPER) provides training opportunities in emergency preparedness planning and response and is soliciting proposals for Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14), October 1, 2013 - September 30, 2014. Background Information CDCU s mission of providing continuous learning and professional development opportunities to advance and sustain a capable, competent workforce in support of CDC s mission has been in place since CDCU s establishment in 1999. CDCU remains committed to working with employees to provide high-quality, economical training courses and programs to address the needs of the workforce. Proposal Submission 1. Attached to this letter is a Vendor Proposal Form for FY14, a course list with brief descriptions, and a list of competencies used by SoPER. 2. Proposals must be submitted using the enclosed Vendor Proposal Form with a separate proposal, in a separate document, for each submission. 3. Questions should be submitted in writing to Lisa Hammad, School Head, lth4@cdc.gov before the proposal submission deadline listed below. 4. Consolidated proposals will not be reviewed. Timeline for Submissions Proposal submission deadline: 4/5/2013, 11:59 pm EST Proposal review process and selection: 4/8/2013 through 4/22/2013 Notification of proposal selection: 6/1/2013 (acceptance/refusal) Estimated contract award date: 9/15/2013 Note: Anticipated award is dependent in part on funding. 1 R e q u e s t f o r P r o p o s a l
Review and Selection Process 1. Criteria for determining course selection will include a. Prior experience, instructor education, and subject matter expertise b. Technical and management capabilities c. Course cost per student d. Completeness of submission 2. It is the policy of the CDC University to select vendors that provide a team of instructors that possess relevant education, training, and experience necessary to conduct the proposed training; are racially and culturally diverse; and demonstrate experience working with diverse populations. 3. To the extent possible, CDC functional experts will review and score proposals. 4. A Training Order (TO) will represent our official contract with vendors to conduct a training course. While signed agreements for purchase of training services are sometimes used, these are merely an indication of our intention to conduct a training class. A TO must be issued before any training course is conducted. An individual TO will be issued for each class. Proposal Contents 1. Vendor proposals must include a single, all-inclusive figure for services that account for all vendor expenses including course presentation, materials, and travel. Most courses will be conducted in Atlanta, Georgia. If travel to a site outside the Atlanta area is required, the vendor will be requested to revise their proposal. 2. The vendor may be requested to deliver sessions on-site or to include students at distant locations through the CDC internal two-way video/ audio conferencing system at no additional cost. 3. If a response to this solicitation is submitted by an organization that has more than one instructor, the qualifications of all proposed instructors must be submitted for evaluation. CDC reserves the right to select and reject instructors listed in course proposal(s). 4. Provide an Internet link if a demo tape or presentation is available for review. Additional Information General 1. Courses are generally conducted from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm, with a lunch break and other breaks as appropriate. 2. Course instructors must arrive at the training site at least 30 minutes before the class starting time. 2 R e q u e s t f o r P r o p o s a l
3. Audiovisual (AV) needs must be specified in advance of the course s start date so as not to disrupt instruction. 4. CDCU will send an online end-of-course evaluation to all learners; therefore, vendors are not required to administer a final evaluation. However, if you have specific evaluation information that you must collect, feel free to do so at the conclusion of the course. 5. The instructor is responsible for the following course administration duties: a. Assuring that all participants sign the class roster each day. b. Notifying the CDC representative if participants do not complete the training. c. Starting and ending course on time. d. Administering and scoring pre- and post-tests/assessments or exams (if exams are required). e. If the course is accredited for continuing education, course length must coincide with the credit hours provided. For example, if a course offers 24-hour continuous learning points (CLPs), training time should equate to 24 hours. 6. Vendors are required to provide all printed training materials for their sessions. Section 508 Compliance 7. All course materials provided must be 508 compliant. Section 508 requirements can be found at the following web site: http://508.hhs.gov/. As part of the services under any agreement offered under this solicitation, contractors shall be required to: a. Ensure that materials be provided, upon request and at no charge, in either Section 508-conformant electronic format or alternate format requested by an individual with a disability. b. Produce Section 508-conformant content in any format that could be placed on a Department-owned or Department-funded website. c. Write, create or produce any communications materials intended for public or internal use; to include reports, documents, charts, posters, presentations (such as Microsoft PowerPoint) or video material that could be placed on a Department-owned or Department-funded website in a Section 508-conformant format. ADA Compliance 8. When training facilities are provided as part of the service being acquired: a. Ensure facilities provided meet the ADA standards for accessibility (36 CFR 1190 and 1191). b. Accommodations requested are provided that meet the needs of attendees, without additional cost to the government. CDC Authority and Standards 3 R e q u e s t f o r P r o p o s a l
9. CDC reserves the right to have course sessions evaluated by CDC personnel to assure course content and presentation are consistent with CDC standards and requirements. 10. Instructors shall, at all times, conduct themselves as representatives of CDC. Inappropriate or unacceptable conduct such as discriminatory behavior, obscene language, or sexually harassing behavior is prohibited. 11. CDC has the authority to purchase off-the-shelf training. As mentioned previously, vendor selections will be based on prior performance and subject matter expertise, technical and management capabilities, course cost, and completeness of submission. Course Cancellation Policy 12. It is occasionally necessary to cancel a scheduled course. Vendors will receive a minimum of 10 working days notice of cancellation. If CDC cancels a course with less than 10 working days notice to the vendor, compensation will be negotiated in accordance with terms of FAR Part 49 and the termination clause contained in the Training Order. Contact Information and Submission Address Proposals must be submitted by April 5, 2013, via e-mail to Lisa Hammad, School Head, SoPER, lth4@cdc.gov. If you have any questions regarding this proposal, feel free to contact me using the information below. Thank you for your interest in working with CDC University. Please let us know if you do not wish to receive future solicitations. Regards, Lisa Lisa E. Hammad, MS, HPT-C School Head, School of Preparedness and Emergency Response CDC University 4770 Buford Highway Mailstop K-04 Atlanta GA 30341-3824 Lth4@cdc.gov 770.488.1319 Attached: Required Vendor Proposal Form for FY14 List of Potential Courses for FY14 List of School Competencies Blended Learning Matrix 4 R e q u e s t f o r P r o p o s a l
VENDOR PROPOSAL FORM Please complete this form without modification for each course submission. Please feel free to attach any documentation you wish with your quote. 1. Do you concur with CDC University s cancellation policy? Yes: No: Section 1: Vendor Administrative Information 2. Course Title 3. Vendor/Company Name 4. Does your company qualify for any of the following? If so, check the appropriate box: Small Disadvantaged Business Woman-Owned Business Veteran-Owned Business Service Disabled Veteran- Owned Business Small Business 5. Point of Contact 6. Address (the address to which CDC should mail correspondence) 7. Telephone Number 8. Fax Number 9. E-mail address 10. Social Security Number or Tax ID Number and DUNS Number 11. GSA Schedule number (if applicable) 12. All inclusive instructional fee within the metro-atlanta area. If travel out of the Atlanta area is required, you will be contacted to include travel costs. 13. Maximum number of students 14. Cost per student 15. Length of Course (days) 16. In the adjacent cell, describe the target audience and/or the pre-requisite skill levels of participants who attend this course. 1 V e n d o r P r o p o s a l F o r m F Y 1 4
17. Does your company provide follow-up sessions or availability for students to reinforce learned knowledge and skills from the training to their job? If so, please describe in adjacent cell. 18. Do you offer the same course in an online or blended learning format (combination of classroom and computer/ technology-mediated activities as shown in attachment)? If so, please attach bid to this proposal. 19. Do you offer continuing education or academic credits for this course? If so, indicate the specific type(s). 20. Optional: Will you be submitting a demo of one of your presentations? 21. Optional: Will you submit a website link to one of your presentations? If so, paste link in adjacent box. Yes: Follow up provided: Type(s): No: Yes: No: Yes: No: Yes: No: Yes: No: Web Address: Section 2: Prior Performance and Staff Expertise 1. Please describe the education of staff who will be delivering this course. 2. Describe your prior experience teaching professional, multidisciplinary adult learners at CDC; other HHS divisions; other federal, state, and local agencies; and universities or businesses. 3. Provide information regarding your staff s experience in providing distancebased instruction for this course, if any. 2 V e n d o r P r o p o s a l F o r m F Y 1 4
4. Provide information on your instructional design approach. Section 3: Technical and Management Capabilities 1. Provide a brief description of the proposed course with learning objectives. The course description and learning objectives will be placed on the CDC Intranet if your course is selected. 2. Attach a course outline. 3. Using the attached competency listing, identify the main competency focus of this course. 4. Besides lecture, describe activities you will include (if any) to enable the audience to practice what they are learning. 5. Identify audio-visual (AV) requirements and equipment needs. I agree to comply with the terms and conditions outlined in the letter soliciting vendor proposals. Name: Title: Signature and Date 3 V e n d o r P r o p o s a l F o r m F Y 1 4
CDC University School of Preparedness and Emergency Response (SoPER) Proposed Courses FY 14 Title ~ Length Description Advanced Incident Command System (ICS 400) 2 days This course expands upon information covered in ICS-100 through ICS-300 courses. Topics include: major and/or complex incident/event management, area command, Intermediate Incident Command System (ICS 300) Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program Refresher Living and Working Successfully Overseas Liaison Officer and/or Response Section Lead: Transitioning from SME to Leader and multi-agency coordination. 2.5 days ICS-300 provides description and detail of the organization and operation of ICS and management of resources. Topics include: duties of all positions, ICS principles, and incident and event planning. 2-3 days HSEEP provides a standardized methodology for designing, developing, conducting, and evaluating selfsustaining exercise programs. Topics include: types of exercises, program management fundamentals, exercise evaluation and AARs. 1 day Refresher of HSEEP methodology. 2-4 hours 2-8 hours This course enables participants to increase their awareness of the role that individual communication styles and culture have on interpersonal relationships and effective teamwork. Topics include: appreciation of differences, flexibility in problem solving and conflict resolution, and current best practices for collaborating successfully in intercultural environments. Subject matter experts put into leadership positions very quickly during a response may or may not have supervisory experience or understanding of what is expected of them in this role. They end up doing whatever they feel comfortable in doing and that usually means the leadership tasks go undone or are done poorly.
SoPER Competency Listing Agency Preparedness and Emergency Response Roles All-Hazards Concepts Emergency Management Systems Informatics Support for Responses Psychosocial and Behavioral (Mental Health) Knowledge Risk Communication and Media Relations
Blended Learning Matrix Live face-to-face (formal) Instructor-led classroom Workshops/seminars Coaching/mentoring On-the-job (OJT) training Technology based instructor led Live face-to-face (informal) Work groups Shadowing Speed mentoring Virtual collaboration/synchronous Live e-learning classes E-mentoring Live webinars Live satellite Web conferencing/audio conferencing Chat rooms Self-paced learning Web learning modules Online resource links Simulations Scenarios Prerecorded videos/audios (CD/DVD) Online self-assessments Workbooks/documentation Virtual collaboration/asynchronous Email Online bulletin boards Listservs Blogs Online communities Performance support Print job aids Knowledge databases Documentation simulations Performance/decision-support tools