SOLICITATION NOTICE
99 -- 99 - Mentor/Mentee Training
- Notice Date
- 7/10/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 519190
— All Other Information Services
- Contracting Office
- Library of Congress, Contracts Services, Contracts Section, 101 Independence Ave SE LA-325, Washington, DC, 20540-9411
- ZIP Code
- 20540-9411
- Solicitation Number
- LC06-CRS20060230
- Response Due
- 7/24/2006
- Archive Date
- 8/8/2006
- Description
- Description: This a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Background: The Library of Congress, Congressional Research Services (CRS), to ensure that staff have the training and tools they need to provide research, analysis, and information support to the members and committees of the House and Senate, seek a contractor to provide assistances in developing and delivering: (1) on-site, customized Mentor/Mentee training as part of the implementation of the Mentor Program in CRS; (2) customized orientation to the CRS Mentor Program for the CRS Research Policy Council (RPC); and (3) a Mentor/Mentee Handbook. The contractor will provide on site training to approximately sixty (60) CRS staff members to be trained as part of the Mentor/Mentee training program. Award will be based on a best value determination, price and other factors considered. Other factors for award include (1) Technical Approach (2) Qualifications of Key Personnel, and (3) Pass Performance. Evaluation Factors (in order of importance): (1) Demonstrated the understanding of and responsiveness to the specific requirements identified; (2) Demonstrated recent experience in mentor program training, including project staffing, experience, and skills and qualifications of the proposed key personnel; and (3) Demonstrated relevant project experience with training in a congressional, congressional support, or government agency environment or similar high ?level audience. The offeror shall provide resumes for the key personnel of the firm involved with the contract from its inception to completion. The offeror shall submit the names, address, and phone numbers of three (3) references. The offer must have performed/completed the work with each of the references within the last three years and the contact information must be current. Preparation of Offers: Responses to this solicitation must be submitted in two separate volumes. Volume 1: Technical Proposal and Volume II: Price Proposal. All offerors are required to submit a price for the initial year and each of the four options years. The price must include a ?per session? rate based upon an estimated 3 sessions per year. Proposals must be submitted electronically (via email to adoz@loc.gov) and in hard copy. Hard copy proposals must be submitted with one original and two copies. Proposals are due on or before July 24, 2006. Proposal received after the due date will not be accepted. Statement of Work: A. BACKGROUND The Congressional Research Service (CRS), a service unit of the Library of Congress, works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing research, analysis, and information support to the members and committees of the House and Senate. These services are provided by a highly educated staff of policy analysts, information specialists, and other professionals. The mission of CRS is to provide to the Congress, throughout the legislative process, comprehensive and reliable legislative research, analysis and information services that are timely, non-partisan, and confidential, thereby contributing to an informed national legislature. The vision of CRS is that the Congress turns to CRS first when it is in need of legislative, research analysis or information in addressing the issues of the Nation. As an organization, CRS has adopted the values of client service, uncompromising integrity, total quality, mutual respect, and diversity. As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure that CRS provides the highest possible quality of support to the Congress, CRS carries out a comprehensive training program to improve the knowledge base of CRS staff in a number of areas, including best practices in mentoring. In 1999, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) Director established a Working Group to focus on mentoring activities that would further the Service?s goal to enhance diversity and to assist with succession planning. This Working Group recommended the establishment of a formal CRS Mentor Program that would provide guidance to new employees by more experienced employees and facilitate support from management and staff to carry out that instruction. As a result of their work, the Working Group recommended that the CRS Mentor Program develop a high quality, diverse workforce that values information exchange and encourages a creative and productive work environment. The principle vehicle for this program commitment was that new employees would work closely with more experienced employees who would serve as role models to help new hires work effectively, make personal adjustments, and move forward in his/her careers. B. SCOPE OF WORK To ensure that CRS staff have the training and tools they need to provide the highest quality analytical work for the Congress, CRS requires assistance in developing and delivering: (1) on-site, customized Mentor/Mentee training as part of the implementation of the Mentor Program in CRS; (2) customized orientation to the CRS Mentor Program for the CRS Research Policy Council (RPC); and (3) a Mentor/Mentee Handbook based upon the customized mentor/mentee training program -- to be used as a training guide for new employees hired after the initial training program has been delivered. C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS The target audience for the Mentor/Mentee training will be the mentees ? newly hired CRS staff, including but not limited to analysts, attorneys, information specialists, and administrative personnel; and mentors ? experienced CRS employees. The target audience for the customized orientation to the Mentor Program will be the Resource Policy Council (RPC) ? senior level managers. The learning objectives for the Mentor/Mentee training that must be met include, but are not limited to: ?Understanding the goals of the mentoring relationship in the context of CRS?s Mentor Program; ?Understanding mentoring, i.e., what it is and isn?t; ?Understanding the roles/responsibilities and expectations of mentors and mentees; ?Understanding the steps in establishing a meaningful mentoring relationship in initiating the mentoring process; ?Identifying a process for helping mentees solve problems; and ?Developing mentoring skills. To provide the necessary assistance with this project, the contractor will: (1) meet with a representative group of CRS senior managers to assess CRS?s needs for course content, exercises, and case studies; (2) design a customized Mentor/Mentee training course; (3) design a customized orientation to the Mentor Program for CRS Resource Policy Council; (4) develop a customized Mentor/Mentee Handbook and course materials; (5) present an orientation session for the RPC and a pilot training course; 6) present up to three training courses that implement the final course design. There will be approximately sixty (60) CRS staff members to be trained as part of the Mentor/Mentee training program. This training may be in the format of either multiple half-day sessions or full day sessions, with up to fifteen (15) participants per course. The contractor may propose the format.) The training will be scheduled by the COTR, in consultation with the contractor. The COTR will also coordinate the on-site logistics for the training and orientation sessions. The number of courses delivered must provide an optimum learning environment for CRS employees. D. DELIVERABLES The contract deliverables consist of the following: 1. Conduct Needs Assessment, Design Customized Mentor/Mentee Training and Orientation Program ?conduct training needs assessment with CRS senior managers, ?provide summary assessment of CRS training needs for review and comments by CRS senior managers, ?design course materials and Mentee Handbook for CRS review and comments, ?design training course and RPC Mentor Program orientation, incorporating comments from CRS senior managers, and ?submit the draft course materials and Handbook to the COTR for review and approval. 2. Conduct Orientation Session for the RPC and a Pilot Training Session, Incorporate Feedback into Final Course Design and Handbook ?Deliver the RPC orientation and one pilot session of the Mentor Program Training, ?Develop the final training course, incorporating CRS comments and changes resulting from feedback from the pilot session, ?Develop final course materials and Mentor/Mentee Handbook, incorporating CRS comments, and ?Provide one complete set of course materials and handbook to the Contracting Officer?s Technical Representative (COTR). The course materials and handbook will become the property of CRS. 3. Deliver Customized Mentor/Mentee Training & Orientation Sessions ?Deliver up to three (3) customized Mentor/Mentee Training courses, in addition to the pilot session that implement the final course design. Provide complete set of course materials and handbooks (for all participants) to the COTR not later than two weeks prior to each training session. All meetings, orientation, and training sessions, etc. must be coordinated with the COTR. E. SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS The contractor will reproduce, assemble, and provide all training course and orientation materials for up to 15 participants per session to the COTR two (2) weeks in advance of each session. (All costs must be included in the contractor?s cost proposal.) F. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The contract shall become effective upon award by the Library of Congress. The period of performance shall be one year from date of award. The Contracting Office will have the option to exercise up to four one-year extensions of this contract. Extensions will not be automatic. Prior to exercising each one-year extension, contractor performance will be evaluated and a decision will be made concerning whether to extend or terminate the contract. G. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Work shall be performed at the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, D.C., 20540. H. TRAVEL All travel costs must be incorporated into the contractor?s cost proposal. I. COST SECTION The offeror is required to submit a firm-fixed price. The offeror shall provide a total cost per deliverable ? no additional money will be paid on any deliverable. J. EVALUATION CRITERIA The contract award will be made on a ?Best Value? basis to that offeror whose combination of technical and price quotations is most advantageous, and which is within the available Library of Congress resources. Offerors will submit written proposals. The evaluation factors are: Factor 1. Technical Approach - content and completeness, reflecting understanding of and responsiveness to the specific requirements identified. The offeror technical proposal demonstrates an understanding and knowledge of the requirements. Factor 2. Qualifications of Key Personnel in mentor program training, including project staffing, experience, and skills and qualifications of the proposed key personnel. The offeror shall provide resumes for the key personnel of the firm to be involved with the contract from its inception to completion. Factor 3. Past Performance with training in a congressional, congressional support, or government agency environment or similar high-level audience. The offeror shall submit the names, address, and phone numbers of three (3) references. (The offeror must have performed/completed the work with each of the references within the last three (3) years and the contact information must be current.) K. CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION The Contractor will not release, publish or otherwise disseminate any information received from CRS relating to or materials or products developed for CRS under this agreement without written authorization of the Director. The requests received by the Congressional Research Service from congressional offices and materials received in response to such requests are confidential and are not to be disseminated without prior authorization of the Director either during or after the period covered by this contract. All documents and property of CRS, including but not necessarily limited to reports and all other materials and all copies thereof relating in any part to CRS? work, shall be returned to CRS upon completion of the contract. It is further agreed that no copies, notes, or abstracts of the foregoing will be retained. Failure to adhere to this provision will constitute a breach of the contract in its entirety and will lead to a notice of default. L. USE OF CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE (CRS) NAME OR CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP IN ADVERTISING The Contractor agrees not to refer to awards from or contracts with the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in commercial advertising in such a manner as to state or infer that the product or service provided is endorsed or preferred by CRS or is superior to other products or services. The Contractor also agrees not to distribute or release any information that states or infers that CRS endorses, uses or distributes the Contractor?s product or service. Notice to offerors: This is a full and open competitive procurement. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-07 dated February 2, 2006. The following FAR clauses apply to this solicitation, FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors ? Commercial, 52.212-2, Evaluation ? Commercial Items, and 52.212-3, Offeror Representation and Certifications ?Commercial Items, 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items. 52.212-5 does not apply to this solicitation. Any questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing to Arneen Dozier via email at adoz@loc.gov. The cut off date for questions is July17, 2006. The Library reserves the right to award without discussions. All responsible sources may submit a proposal, which will considered by the Library.
- Place of Performance
- Address: The Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, DC
- Zip Code: 20540
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20540
- Record
- SN01085991-W 20060712/060710221318 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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