MODIFICATION
69 -- Web Based Training
- Notice Date
- 8/29/2002
- Notice Type
- Modification
- Contracting Office
- Social Security Administration, Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Assessment and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21207-5279
- ZIP Code
- 21207-5279
- Solicitation Number
- SSA-RFQ-02-0375
- Response Due
- 9/3/2002
- Point of Contact
- Maria Hill, Contract Specialist, Phone 4109659532, Fax 4109669310,
- E-Mail Address
-
maria.hill@ssa.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- The response date is not extended. Question 1: At the end of the course titles description, it states....including 8 hours of contractor offsite support. Question is, SSA tech people coming to the Contractor or Contractor to SSA. Answer: Off site support in the form of calling a help desk. Question 2: Is this to be hosted on SSA server or Coastal server. We can do either but our people needed to know which is preferred. Answer: Contractor's server. Question 3: What is the maximum number of concurrent users at one time? Answer: 5 Question 4: Can online courseware web-based training be external from SSA's infrastructure? (i,e; can it be accessed via the Internet?) Answer: Yes Question 5: How soon after award does courseware need to be online ? Answer: 30 days Question 6: Are more details available on the courseware management module? Answer: No, just the basic description in the synopsis Question 7: Will the firm fixed price award be based on 5500 seats? Answer: Yes Question 8: Are these 25 courses already created? If so, in what format are they in and are you looking for offeror to just transfer the content to a web-enabled platform with a course management system running? Answer: No, the courses have not been created. The vendor is responsible for providing the entire course content. Question 9: Are you looking for a hosting arrangement or do you have facilities to host the required web and database server technology? Answer: The vendor will provide the host computer for the required web and server technology. Question 10: Will the safety training courses be hosted by SSA? Answer: No, the vendor will host the training. Question 11: If hosted by the SSA, how many servers are there - that is, web servers (usually determined by number of locations)? Answer: Not applicable Question 12: Is it Internet online training the SSA wants or LAN-based online training, or intranet online training? Answer: Internet online training Question 13: Since better pricing is available based on libraries of courses (ie, all of your requested courses could be placed in one library), how many actual employees will be taking the training? This is as opposed to total number of courses that will be taken as determined by number of employees by number of courses. Answer: We are buying "seats" for the library of courses, as explained in the synopsis. The number of employees taking the training is irrelevant. For example, one employee may take 5 courses (5 seats) while another employee may take only one course (1 seat). Question 14: It appears that you want to be able to modify the courses as needed. Is this correct? Answer: Yes, all text in the course must be editable by SSA. Question 15: If you do in fact want to be able to modify courses,will only one administrator do this from one location or will there be several locations that need this capability? Answer: One administrator will do it from one location. Question 16: Do you want access to student records from all locations that a student can take a course? Answer: No, just one administrator will handle this at one location. Questions 17: If you choose the LAN-based online courses, what are the specs of your network and clients? Answer: Not applicable Question 18: Is the contractor required to input all the content, or is the contractor responsible for just creating the Web-based architecture to allow staff at the SSA to input the course content? Answer: The contractor is required to provide all the content. Question 19:. How much course content is there? Answer: Course content should require an average of 2 hours for the student to complete. Question 20: Is the course material all developed and ready for input into online training? Answer: No, contractor must develop and input the online training. Question 21: How is coursework divided - by chapter, subsections, etc.? Answer: It should be divided into sections which explain how to navigate the course, a pre-test to ascertain the student's knowledge prior to taking the course, the learning section which provides the information, and a final test. Question 22: Is contractor required to develop any of the course/training material? Answer: Yes, contractor is required to develop all of it. Question 23: What format will material be provided to contractor? Answer: Contractor provides the material. Question 24: What format will course questions be in? Multiple choice, essay, a mix of formats? Answer: Multiple choice is preferable. Question 25: Do graphics need to be included in the course material? Answer: Yes Question 26: Will the Web-based courses be built on existing instructional material or will the provider have to compile the material from scratch? For example, one of the courses will treat the subject "Asbestos Awareness." Does SSA already have a classroom or booklet-based course by that title? Answer: The vendor will have to provide the material. After the vendor provides the material, SSA will make any necessary edits using the editing software provided by the vendor. Question 27: Will the courses and tracking functions be administered by the SSA as part of its own intranet/Internet site? If so, what server-side software is now being used? Answer: No, the courses and tracking software will be provided by the vendor and be hosted on the vendor's computer. Question 28: Does the work have to be done on site or can it be developed at our facility in Royal Oak, MI and deployed at the place of performance mentioned in the solicitation? Answer: The work does not have to be done on site. It can be developed at your facility. Question 29: What is the timeline for kicking off this project? Answer: Courses should be completed by contractor and available to SSA no later than 30 days after the date of award. Question 30: Are you looking for an off the shelf product for online courseware web-based training for safety and occupational health courses or can the contractor provide a customized solution? Answer: An off the shelf product, the text of which can be edited by SSA, will be adequate. Question 31: Period of Performance - One year from date of award: Does this indicate the project starts one year after it is awarded? Answer: No, the one year period includes the vendor's development period (no greater than 30 days after award) and the remainder of the year, when any necessary editing will be done by SSA and the courses will be available to our employees. Question 32: What are the technical specifications: hardware, operating system, web server, database, and platform? Answer: Employees use a Windows 98 or later operating system and Internet Explorer. Other technical specifications are the prerogative of the contractor, who will provide the host server. Question 33: Can the contractor provide hosting services too? Answer: The contractor is required to provide hosting services. Question 34: Will the course content listed in the Statement of Work be developed by the contractor? Or is it already developed, and only needs to be converted to a web-based training environment? Answer: The course content will be developed by the contractor. Question 35: Will this training be something that SSA could commit to nationally, or would we be interfacing with each locale or region? Answer: SSA is committing to this nationally. Question 36: Other than web based training, we could offer administration capability to:Record who went through the training, Compute if finished with satisfactory grade, Date of completion, Issue Certificate of Completion to each employee Answer: These will be needed. Question 37: Do you want Administration capabilities that would allow key people to add or delete employees on the system? Answer: Yes Question 38: We could provide SSA with a fixed number of Demo modules for your management people to become familiar with the program. Answer: Yes, a demo of the modules will be necessary. Answer: 39: Contractor has all but 3 programs on the list. These could be ready to go within 6 months. Would that be sufficient? Answer: All Courses should be completed by contractor and available to SSA no later than 30 days after the date of award. Question 40: What is meant by "allowing text to be edited"? Can you elaborate on that? Answer: Most off-the-shelf web based courses provide some guidance or instructions that are not applicable or suitable for our work environment. For example, while OSHA regulations allow some conditions or practices, our more stringent organizational standards may not. We also need the ability to provide SSA specifics on how and who should address various environmental health and safety concerns. Rather than provide conflicting or incomplete off the shelf training which may confuse the trainees or raise many questions from such a large audience, we need the ability to edit any text provided by the contractor. Question 41: Does the instruction for Powered Industrial Vehicle course cover only Forklift Safety or are there other vehicle safety topics to be covered in this course? Answer: It should cover the proper operation of forklifts, platform lift trucks, tractors and motorized hand trucks in various workplace conditions where powered vehicles are used. Question 42: Likewise, does the Elevating Work Platforms pertain to Scaffold Safety or are there other topics that are to be covered in this course? Answer: Elevating work platforms include vehicle mounted elevating and rotating work platforms, self-propelled and boom-supported elevating work platforms. It should cover the operation and inspection of working platforms, recognition and preventive measures for safety risks, emergency action plan procedures, and personal fall arrest systems. Question 43: Will the training platform be maintained on SSA servers or is the contractor to provide this service? Answer: Contractor provides this service Question 44: Is the Hazardous Waste Response module to be compliant with the HAZWOPER standard? If so what level of HAZWOPER training is required? Answer: It is meant to be an overview that trains participants to understand the risks associated with hazardous substances and how to recognize the presence of hazardous substances in the workplace, as well as how to notify the proper authorities in an emergency. Question 45: How soon after award is the contractor expected to deliver final product? Answer: Within 30 days of award Question 46: The SSA has requested that the modules allow for "text editing". How does the SSA reconcile the request for text editing capability while allowing the contractor to ensure compliance with health & safety regulations and ADA (e.g. preventing changes to required information, close-captioning of revised text, etc.)? Answer: SSA will edit any text it deems necessary, and contractor will make adjustments necessary to ensure compliance with ADA. Question 47: What information is to be covered in the Environmental Awareness module? Answer: An overview of employees' environmental responsibilities that promote good environmental work practices. It should focus on prevention of air and water pollution as well as good work practices for solid waste disposal and spill prevention. Question 48: Are courses intended to fulfill training requirements of individual standards or to instruct health & safety personnel on the content and implementation of the standards? Answer: Courses are intended to educate personnel on the subject matter, including standards and implementation. Question 49: Is there a current company providing the web based training for the Social Security Administration? Answer: No Question 50: If there is a company currently providing such services, will prospective offerors be expected use any "template" versions of previous programs? Answer: Not applicable Question 51: If there are no previously developed programs, will creators be given the authority to design the materials at their own discretion? Answer: Yes
- Record
- SN00154037-W 20020831/020829214242 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |