SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Employee Assessment for ITA
- Notice Date
- 4/1/2003
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office, SSMC4 - Room 7601/OFA61 1305 East West Highway, 7th Floor, Silver Spring, MD, 20910
- ZIP Code
- 20910
- Solicitation Number
- RFQTACS1105391410
- Archive Date
- 5/1/2003
- Point of Contact
- Loren Sunell, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-713-0838 x121, Fax 301-713-0809, - Diane Husereau, Contracting Officer, Phone 301-713-0839 x102, Fax (301) 713-0809,
- E-Mail Address
-
loren.sunell@noaa.gov, diane.c.husereau@noaa.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- This requirement is a total small business set aside to provide employee assessment support services for the Department of Commerce (DoC), International Trade Administration (ITA), United State and Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS). This is a combined synopsis/solicitation. Proposals for this requirement are due by 2:30 pm on April 16, 2003. Each contractor shall submit an electronic version of their proposal to the Primary Point of Contact (loren.sunell@noaa.gov) and two (2) original copies to the External Customers Procurement Office (DoC/NOAA/NFA, SSMC IV, Suite 7503, Attn: Loren Sunell, 1305 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910). Questions will be accepted until COB Thursday, April 3, 2003. The contractor's proposal shall be submitted in accordance with the Proposal Instructions/Evaluation Criteria. The contractor will provide services in three main areas. First, develop the 2003 Assessment, to include updating, developing, and validating exercises, providing training materials and training to Assessors. Second, administer the 2003 Commercial Service Assessment, to include candidate contact, scheduling and coordinating logistical arrangements. Third, to provide onsite technical and logistical assistance for the duration of the Assessment, ensuring that the Assessment is held in an efficient, fair, secure, and legally defendable manner. Subject to contractor validation and Commercial Service approval, there will be two panels operating concurrently at the Assessment site. Each panel will consist of five Assessors and will assess six candidates per day. This results in the following estimate of the number of candidates to be invited to Assessment Centers: (1 Site) X (2 Panels) X (6 Candidates per Panel) = 12 Candidates per Day (12 Candidates per Day) X (8 Days) = Approximately 96 Candidates The 2001 Commercial Service Assessment format will be repeated. The 2001 Assessment was developed by the Commercial Service with the support of a private contractor. The winning contractor will have access to the complete report on the 2001 Assessment. The contractor will be expected to provide services for the Assessment process only, not the pre-screening process. The pre-screening process will consist of an evaluation of written applications to attend the Assessment. Only once a candidate passes the pre-screening process will they be contacted by the Assessment contractor. 1. Development of Assessment Exercise update and validation The Assessment will consist of five exercises. All of the exercises are to be repeated in an updated format. The five exercises are: --Structured Interview: This is done through two distinct interviews. The hypothetical interview presents candidates with job related situations similar to those they would likely encounter in the FCS and asks them to describe how they would resolve the problem presented. The Past Behavior Interview asks candidates to describe how they performed in specific situations in their experience that are similar to situations they could expect to encounter in the FCS. --Group Exercise: This exercise is a leaderless group discussion in which candidates work in a group of up to six candidates to solve a realistic work-related problem. Each candidate prepares and gives a brief presentation on their assigned role to their peers, and then the entire group debates the various positions and comes to a decision. --Advocacy Exercise: The candidates play the role of Foreign Commercial Service Officers (FCSO) advocating on behalf of a U.S. company. They prepare and give a brief presentation, respond to questions on their presentation, and then compose a memo that summarizes the presentation and offers suggestions for next steps. --e-box Exercise: This exercise is a computer-based "speeded" Assessment. Candidates decide which emails to delegate and to whom, and then they were required to put the remaining e-mails in order of priority. --Editing Exercise: This exercise requires candidates to perform the common FCSO task of editing reports created by host country employees for whom English is not their native language. The contractor is expected to develop new versions or new scenarios of each exercise, validate that the content of new exercises accurately test for the skills required (validation method is to be proposed by contractor and is subject to approval by the Commercial Service and the Contracting Officer), and pilot test each exercise. As a part of this the contractor is expected to review and update each exercise's scoring systems as necessary. The Commercial Service will provide subject matter experts to help update/revise exercises and pilot testers. In addition, the contractor will be expected to either significantly revise the Editing exercise, or identify and recommend suitable alternatives to test for the same skill set, as the exercise was viewed as unsatisfactory in 2001. Assessor Training The contractor will develop a 3-day training course, including training materials for the Assessors on how to correctly conduct the exercises and score the candidates' performance. The training course will include background on the purpose of the Assessment Center, its structure, the skills tested in each exercises, how to properly give instructions, role playing exercises, scoring, and other suitable elements suggested by the contractor and approved by the Commercial Service. The contractor will conduct the training. The Commercial Service will provide reproduction services, binders, etc. for these training materials. Candidate Forms, Assessment Center Manual, and Assessment Supervision The contractor will develop information and forms for the candidates to read and sign at the beginning and end of the Assessment. These forms are designed to ensure that each candidate has equal information on the nature of and instructions on the Assessment, to validate that each candidate has taken each test and that all candidates are treated equally, as well as to provide candidate feedback on the Assessment. Candidate information and forms will be subject to approval by the Commercial Service. The contractor will develop a manual for use by the Assessment Center Director on all standard operating procedures for the Assessment, and include all schedules, all tests, instructions, scoring sheets, monitoring instructions/information, and any other material deemed appropriate by the contractor or Commercial Service. The contractor, in conjunction with the Commercial Service, will develop a final rating system to rank all candidates, and provide the final ranking of all candidates based on that rating. 2. Assessment Coordination and Logistics The contractor will manage all contact and scheduling with Assessment candidates, and will develop a database of candidate contact and background information. The contractor will personally contact all invited candidates to verify information and provide information about the Assessment. The contractor will provide a welcome letter and information sheets to each candidate to ensure all candidates receive the same information about the Assessment. The contractor will organize a schedule for each Assessment day, and schedule each candidate for a specific day. Many of our candidates are expected to be internal - e.g., already Department of Commerce employees and therefore "known entities" to the Assessors. Consequently the contractor will develop a 'familiarity' survey and ratings which will provide information on whether and how well the Assessors know the candidates. Based on these ratings the contractor will schedule each daily exercise to assure appropriate assessor/candidate pairings to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest between the Assessors and the candidates, or bias (or perceived bias) either towards or against a particular candidate. All scheduling will be subject to approval by the Career Development and Assignments Staff (CDAS) and from the Contracting Officer. The contractor may be required to assist the Commercial Service to identify appropriate venues for the Assessment. 3. Onsite Management, Technical, and Logistical support The contractor will be onsite at the Assessment Center (July 27-August 8, 2003) to ensure that the Assessment is managed fairly, effectively, and properly, and that all candidates are treated equally and in an unbiased and legally defensible manner. In additional, the contractor will provide technical assistance or answer any questions from the candidates, Assessors, or Commercial Service employees. The contractor also will be expected to be on site during the Assessment to ensure that the scheduling is done smoothly and fairly, and to ensure the rooms are properly equipped. The Commercial Service will provide all equipment and materials (including computers and printers) required for the Assessment. The contractor will ensure the security of the Assessment, including maintaining the integrity of all Assessment testing and scoring materials and records to ensure that no materials or records are lost, copied, or stolen or otherwise made available to unauthorized users. The Commercial Service will provide Assessment monitors as necessary to ensure the integrity of candidate behavior in candidate break rooms and other common areas. The contractor will provide training to the monitors on to ensure that all candidates are monitored equally. 4. Contract Requirements The project will require the contractor to perform tasks, as follows: A. Development of Assessment 1. Develop content updates for 4 exercises & 4 rating scales 2. Assist in the identification of one exercise (editing), and rating scale 3. Conduct content validation for all exercises 4. Conduct a pilot of all exercises (including preparation), and recommend changes to testing materials and processes as appropriate 5. Develop and provide candidate orientation and close-out forms 6. Develop assessor training and related materials 7. Update Assessment Director's manual 8. Provide 3 days of onsite assessor training 9. Facilitate, manage, supervise and ensure quality of one 8-day Assessment Center 10. Determine method & establish candidate scores in rank order B. Scheduling, Logistics, Onsite support 1. Develop database for candidate information 2. Contact via email and/or phone all candidates 3. Make scheduling arrangements for each candidate 4. Develop and distribute "welcome" letter to candidates 5. Potentially make a site visit to selected AC venues 6. Develop and distribute familiarity/impartiality rating survey 7. Review and analyze results of rating survey 8. Develop Assessment schedule (candidate/assessor pairings) 5. Deliverable Due Dates The project will be completed by end of September 2003. Applications to sit for the Assessment will become due in April 2003. The 2003 Commercial Service Assessment will be held in late July or early August 2003, with current tentative dates set for July 28-August 8, 2003. All deliverables and materials generated under this contract are the legal property of the United States Department of Commerce. 6. Deliverables** 1. Assist with identification of Assessment site, by 3/2003 2. Develop database for candidate information, based on candidate list provided by Commercial Service, by 5/15/03 3.Develop and distribute "welcome" letter and Assessment info to candidates, Draft due by 5/15/03, Final due (and sent) by 6/1/03 4.Conduct subject matter expert groups for exercise development and updates with the cooperation of the Career Development and Assignments Staff; 5/2003 5. Provide draft updated exercises for review, by 6/10/2003 6.Conduct pilot Assessment, by 6/20/2003 7.Provide final exercises, by 7/05/2003 8.Develop and distribute familiarity/impartiality rating survey , 7/1/2003 9.Develop and provide candidate orientation and close-out forms, draft due 7/1/2003, final due 7/15/2003 10.Review and analyze results of rating survey and provide daily schedule, by 7/20/2003 11.Provide Training manual for Assessors, draft due by 7/10/2003, final due by 7/23/2003 12.Provide Assessment Center manual, draft due by 7/10/2003, final due by 7/23/2003 13.Conduct the three day Assessor training; July 28-July 30, 2003 14.Manage Assessment Center July 31-August 8, 2003 15.Devlop methodology to rank candidates for approval by 9/15/2003. Establish a list of candidate scores in rank order; final due 9/30/2003 **Deliverable dates will be revised to reflect the date of contract award. 7. Period and Place of Performance The work is to be conducted from April until September 2003, with most of the work expected to take place May-August. Development work is to be performed at the Department of Commerce (for expert exercises and consultations) or at contractor's site. No office space will be provided by the Department of Commerce. The Assessment Center management work will take place at the site of the Assessment Center, TBD, in the Washington DC area on or about July 28-August 8, 2003. PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS/EVALUATION CRITERIA Knowledge and industrial experience in psychology and/or organizational development, as evidenced by education, professional association membership, and/or experience, or other pertinent factors. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL Specific experience in and knowledge of Assessment Center Development for the government or private sector, to include knowledge and ability in developing exercises to test for specific job skills, experience developing validity and reliability analysis for various exercises, (including multiple choice exams, structured panel interviews, in-basket tests, group exercises, simulation exercises such as role plays), how to score such exercises, and develop candidate ranking factors. Knowledge and experience in Assessment Center Operation, including scheduling, training Assessors, ensuring integrity of Assessment process as well as records on testing and scoring. The Technical proposal shall be no more than ten (10) 8 ? x 11 pages. PAST PERFORMANCE Experience in Assessment Center development and operations will be evaluated based on past performance in these areas for projects of similar size and complexity as noted in SECTIONS 2 and 3 of this statement of work. Bidders are asked to submit information to document past performance for such projects done with the Federal, state, or local government sector, or the private sector from the past 5 years. The following information on each project is requested: 1. Name and address of Agency or Company 2. Nature of Organization (e.g. gov't agency, private firm) 3. Contact phone numbers and email addresses for project manager and contracting officer 4. Size of Assessment (number of people and days) 5. Total contract cost 6. Partners or subcontractors involved 7. Brief description of project Familiarity with Commercial Service goals and missions. Ability to act as witness in case of legal challenges to the examination. Bidder must certify or show other evidence of ability to act as a witness. COST Cost proposal. Cost proposal is to be broken out by tasks listed in SECTION 3, with an estimate of number of hours needed for each task, per-hour fee, any additional costs or charges, and total cost proposal.
- Place of Performance
- Address: TBD
- Zip Code: 20230
- Country: United States
- Zip Code: 20230
- Record
- SN00292718-W 20030403/030401213317 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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