SOLICITATION NOTICE
U -- Pre-Retirement Planning and Mid-Career Seminars
- Notice Date
- 8/8/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 611430
— Professional and Management Development Training
- Contracting Office
- U.S. Government Accountability Office, Acquisition Management, Acquisition Management, 441 G Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20548, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- GAO-2008-N-0004
- Response Due
- 9/10/2007
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This is a Request for Proposal (RFP No. GAO-2008-N-0004). This combined synopsis/solicitation is organized in five (5) parts: (1) General Requirements; (2) Specific Requirements; (3) Cost Proposals; (4) Technical Evaluation Criteria; (5) Point of Contact. 1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has a need for delivery of Mid-Career and Pre-Retirement Planning Seminars. The Human Capital Office (HCO) Benefits Staff is responsible for providing retirement services to GAO employees. To do this, HCO offers mid-career and pre-retirement planning seminars. Typically, the mid-career seminars are made available to employees who are within 10-15 years of retirement eligibility and the pre-retirement planning seminars are made available to GAO employees who are within 5 years of retirement eligibility. Both seminars last for several days and provide in-depth information to assist employees in making critical decisions as they approach and prepare for retirement. HCO does not have the necessary subject matter knowledge to conduct the seminars of the scope desired, nor is such expertise available elsewhere in GAO. In addition, by addressing groups rather than single employees, the seminars represent a cost-effective way of conveying retirement information. 2. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS: (A) Scope of work: The contractor will provide an off-the-shelf seminar meeting GAO?s requirements. The Mid-Career Seminar will be for two (2) days. Forty Five (45) participants normally will attend each session. It is anticipated that the Mid-Career Seminar will be delivered at least two (2) times a year at GAO headquarters. The Pre-Retirement Planning Seminar will be for three (3) days. Thirty (30) participants normally will attend each session. It is anticipated that the Pre-Retirement Planning Seminar will be delivered at least four (4) times a year at GAO headquarters and a minimum of one (1) to a maximum of three (3) times a year at GAO field offices. (B) Course Contents: The objectives of the seminars are to provide GAO employees with an array of information to increase their level of understanding and awareness of retirement policies and procedures. The training will also enable GAO employees to better plan for and make decisions about retirement. The contractor will use teaching techniques appropriate to the subject matter and the audience. Each seminar will cover, at a minimum, the following subjects: I. The Mid-Career: Federal Retirement Systems ? Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS); Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program as they affect retirement; Thrift Savings Plan (TSP); Social Security Benefits; and Financial planning. II. Pre-Retirement Planning: Federal Retirement Systems ? Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS); Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program as they affect retirement; Thrift Savings Plan (TSP); Understanding Social Security Benefits as They Relate to Federal Retirees; Medicare Options; Annuities and Survivor Benefits; Financial and Estate Planning; Legal Issues Related to Retirement Including Wills; Life after Retirement; and Health and Fitness in Retirement. (C) Course Materials: - The contractor will prepare a seminar binder for each participant. The binders will contain current and up-to-date written materials for the Mid-Career Retirement and Pre-Retirement Planning seminars. The contractor will be responsible for providing any audio or visual materials to be used in delivering the seminars. GAO will provide an overhead projector, projection screen, and flipchart paper. If the contractor intends to use other equipment, the type of equipment should be identified in its proposal. GAO will provide other equipment, if we already have the equipment in our inventory. If not, the contractor will be responsible for bringing the equipment to the seminar. (D) Deliverables: (1) The contractor will be expected to conduct the initial walk through for each seminar within 20 work days after the effective date of the contract. A minimum of four (4) copies of all seminar materials, (including but not limited to the instructor?s guide, participants manual, overhead transparencies, handouts, and other visual and audio materials) must be provided at that time; (2) Within 20 work days after the initial walk through, the contractor will be expected to make revisions to the seminar materials as requested by the COTR. The contractor will be expected to conduct a second walk through at no additional cost to GAO, if requested by the COTR; (3) On agreed upon dates, the contractor will conduct mid-career and pre-retirement seminars, using qualified instructors. GAO will provide classroom space for the seminar sessions. The contractor will bring seminar materials to GAO on the day, in which the seminar is being conducted. (E) Location of the Seminars: GAO headquarters? seminar sessions will be held in the GAO Building, 441 G Street, NW, Washington, DC. Seminars sessions will also be held at GAO field offices, which are located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Dayton, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. (F) Schedule of Classes: Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year of the contract, GAO will provide the contractor, via task order, the number of seminars needed for each of the Mid-Career Retirement and Retirement Planning Seminars and the dates for headquarters and field office seminars. During each fiscal year, GAO may request additional seminar sessions, such sessions will be added at the contract price in effect at the time of the request. Each class day (including lunch and break time) will be 7 to 8 hours, beginning no earlier than 8:30 AM and ending no later than 4:30 PM. There will be a one hour lunch break between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM and at least one15 minute break in the morning and one 15 minute break in the afternoon. GAO will give the contractor at least one (1) week notice if class needs to be rescheduled. (G) Evaluation of Course: GAO will evaluate the course using participant questionnaires developed by the GAO, and provide the results of the evaluations to the contractor. If the contractor wants to use its own evaluation form (which should be included in its technical proposal), GAO will distribute it to seminar participants. However, it will augment - - not replace - - GAO?s form. (H) Applicability of FAR Provisions: The selected Offeror must comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provisions and clauses that apply to this solicitation and are incorporated by reference. FAR 52.212-1 ? Instructions to Offerors (Commercial Items). Offerors must include a completed copy of FAR provisions 52.212-3 ? Offerors Representations and Certifications (Commercial Items), with their offer. FAR 52.212-4 ? Commercial Terms and Conditions (Commercial Items). FAR 52.212-5 (b) ? Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders Commercial Items, will apply: 52.222-19, 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222.36, 52.232.33. The full text of a FAR clause may be accessed electronically at http://www.acqnet.gov/far. (I) Format of Proposals: Offerors must submit proposals no later than 4:00 p.m. (DST) Monday, September 10, 2007. Proposals must contain the following: name, address, telephone number of the offeror; and representation and certifications at FAR 52.212-3. 3. COST PROPOSALS: An official authorized to bind the offeror must sign the proposal. Offerors must also complete the required representation and certifications. Failure to furnish the required representation or rejection of the terms and conditions of the solicitation may exclude your offer from consideration. Also, offerors will be required to complete a Pricing schedule that identifies cost over a five-year contract period. The Pricing schedule should be submitted in an original and four (4) copies as a separate part of the total proposal package. A copy of the pricing schedule must be requested in writing via email (Hilll@gao.gov) or fax your written request on (202) 512- 3999. 4. TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA: I. Technical questions concerning this requirement must be submitted in writing no later than fifteen (15) calendar days after the published date of this announcement. An amendment will be issued to address all questions received. However, the source of the questions will not be referenced. The issuing office has authorized electronic transmission of questions. THE AUTHORIZATION IS NOT EXTENDED TO SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS. II. Technical proposals are to be submitted in an original and four (4) copies as a separate part of the total proposal package and should not exceed 25 pages. Pages beyond 25 will not be considered. Also, GAO reserves the right to make an award on the basis of initial proposal, without holding discussions. Therefore, the offeror?s initial proposal should contain their best terms from a technical and cost standpoint. All cost and pricing details are to be omitted from the technical proposal. The following elements are to be included in your technical proposal. Also, your attention is directed to item No. 2 above (Specific Requirements for details of the requirement). III. Evaluation Factors for Award: The Government will award the contract to the offeror who has the best value on the basis of its offer and its capability to perform the work. The technical proposal is more important than cost or price. As proposals become more equal in their technical merit, the evaluated cost or price becomes more important for selecting the successful offeror. The proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria that are weighed in accordance with the points designated for each criteria: (a) Technical Approach and Management (20 points): The offeror must submit a description of the services it will provide that demonstrates it clearly understands the Statement of Work and all required details of the RFP. The offeror also must submit a management plan, indicating how it will assure that the contract work is properly and timely performed. The plan is to include a description of how it will interact with GAO?s Contracting Officer?s Technical Representative. (b) Seminar Materials (15 points): Submit a minimum of four (4) copies each The offeror must submit a course agenda, indicating all major topics to be covered, the order in which they are to be covered, the amount of time to be allotted to each, and the teaching techniques to be used (e.g., lecture, discussion, audio-visual presentations). The offeror also must submit a participant binder containing written materials of each of the subjects to be covered in the seminar. (c) Corporate Experience and Past Performance (including references), (35 points): The offeror must demonstrate its general background, experiences and qualifications related to item No. 2 above (Specific Requirements for details of the requirement). The offeror must provide documentation of work satisfactorily within the past 3 years. To do so, the offeror must submit names of all federal government agencies for which it has presented mid-career and pre-retirement seminars or performed similar work within the past 3 years. For each named federal government agency and non-federal entity for which the offeror has, within the past three (3) years, presented mid career and pre-retirement seminars or performed similar work, the offeror must include the name, address, phone number , and email address of the contact person who works for the agency or entity and, if relevant, contract numbers. GAO reserves the right to contact any of the named agencies and entities. If the offeror intends to subcontract any of the work (except through personal service contracts with individual instructors), it must provide the agreement already in effect for each subcontract. In evaluating past performance, GAO will consider information obtained from past and present customers. By past performance, GAO means the offeror?s record of conformity to specifications and to standards of good workmanship; the offeror's adherence to contract schedules, and of cooperation and commitment to customer satisfaction. (d) Experience of Instructors (30 points): The offeror must identify the instructors it intends to use in presenting seminar, indicating which topic(s) is to be covered by each instructor. If the offeror intends to rotate instructors (i.e., to use different instructors for a particular topic at different seminar sessions rather than using only one for the topic at all sessions), it must identify each instructor it intends to use. If the offeror intends to use only one instructor for a topic at all sessions, it must identify an alternate instructor to be used in the event the principal instructor is not available. For each principal and alternate instructor, the offeror must submit a resume containing sufficient information to enable GAO to determine whether the individual possesses the experience and/or education needed to meet its requirement. POINT OF CONTACT: The point of contact for this requirement is LaVonne Hill, Contracting Officer, Telephone No.: (202) 512-6125; Fax No.: (202) 512-3999; Email address:: Hilll@gao.gov. A. Proposal Due Date: Proposals are due in this office no later than 4:00 p.m. (DST) Monday, September 10, 2007. B. Proposal Delivery Options: Due to the current mail situation and the extra time needed to process incoming deliveries (mail/document/packages), we accept proposals by parcel deliveries at the 4th Street loading dock from the following sources: U.S. Postal Service (USPS), United Parcel Services (UPS), Federal Express (FedEx), Airborne Express, and DHL. To assure that your proposal arrives at the proper place on time, and to prevent opening by unauthorized individuals, your proposal must be identified on the envelope or wrapper as follows: Proposal submitted should be addressed to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Acquisition Management, 441 G Street, N.W., Room 6B46, Washington, DC 20548, RFP No. GAO-2008-N-0004, Attn: LaVonne Hill. Offerors are encouraged to review FAR provision 52.215-1(c), ?SUBMISSION, MODIFICATION, REVISION, AND WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS, JAN 2004)?. The rules regarding late proposals shall be strictly enforced.
- Place of Performance
- Address: 441 G Street, N.W., Room 1181, Washington, DC
- Zip Code: 20748
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20748
- Record
- SN01366542-W 20070810/070808222624 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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