SOLICITATION NOTICE
U -- TESTING SERVICES
- Notice Date
- 1/15/2010
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 611710
— Educational Support Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Treasury, Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), Procurement and Administrative Services, 1700 G Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, District of Columbia, 20552
- ZIP Code
- 20552
- Solicitation Number
- TOTS-D-10-RFI-00001
- Archive Date
- 2/20/2010
- Point of Contact
- Illona M Williams, Phone: 202-906-6193
- E-Mail Address
-
illona.williams@ots.treas.gov
(illona.williams@ots.treas.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Office of Thrift Supervision Request for Information (RFI) TOTS-D-10-RFI-00001 Testing Services The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) is conducting market research to identify potential sources who are interested in and capable of providing the testing services described herein. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any further RFP, if any is issued. All questions regarding tis RFI must be submitted electronically to Illona.WIlliams@ots.treas.gov no later than 2:00 PM, January 22, 2010. Telephonic inquiries will not be accepted. The questions and answers will be posted to this website as a modification to the RFI. BACKGROUND AND BUSINESS NEED The OTS, an office within the Department of the Treasury, is the federal bank regulator and supervisor of savings associations and their holding companies. The OTS workforce consists of over 1,000 employees located across the continental U.S. The OTS accredits its examination staff, and its Professional Development office oversees the OTS examiner accreditation training programs, including the administration of the capstone knowledge tests (i.e., the Safety and Soundness Comprehensive Test (SSCT) and Compliance Comprehensive Test (CCT)) administered toward the end of the programs. The SSCT and CCT each consist of 150 multiple-choice questions that take up to four hours to complete. The OTS Safety and Soundness examiners take the SSCT, while the OTS Consumer Compliance examiners take the CCT. Test administration currently occurs in one of the OTS's four regional offices located in Jersey City, NJ; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; and Dallas, TX. Because test participants can be located several hundred miles from a regional office, the OTS is considering outsourcing its test administration function to a source capable of administering the paper-and-pencil tests at multiple testing sites nationwide to minimize test participants' travel time and expenses. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND QUESTIONS The OTS seeks interested vendors who are capable of providing test administration facilities, services, and related support to register eligible test candidates for and to deliver the accreditation knowledge tests (i.e., SSCT and CCT). The overall scope includes: -Administering up to two versions of each knowledge test (i.e., SSCT versions A and/or B and CCT versions A and/or B) in paper-and-pencil medium on no less than two test dates a year in the morning and/or afternoon to approximately 60 test candidates a year. -Administering and proctoring the four-hour long tests during weekday normal business hours at a network of established test centers located throughout the continental U.S. -Registering eligible test candidates for the appropriate test and version of the test, test date, test time, and test center, at a minimum, on the weekdays during normal business hours. Test candidates should be able to search for the nearest test center via a website. -Duplicating and distributing hard copies of the test materials (i.e., test booklets formatted in MS Word and pre-printed machine-readable answer sheets (Scantron response forms)) to the appropriate test centers. -Shipping all completed test materials to the OTS for scoring. -Providing the OTS with registration status reports, cancellation/no show reports, and test administration summary reports in electronic format. To assist the OTS in further developing the scope and requirements, the OTS would like your response to the following questions: 1. Other than what is mentioned in this RFI, what additional details would you need from or questions would you pose to the OTS in order to provide a firm fixed price type order if an RFP for these services is solicited in the future? 2. How many days prior to the first test date do you recommend a contract for these services be established? 3. What means of test registration (e.g., telephone, web-based system, email, or in-person) does your company provide and when is the registration service(s) available to test candidates? 4. Approximately how many test centers in your network are based in the U.S.? How many U.S. states are included in your test center network? 5. What are the typical hours of operation for the majority of your test centers in the U.S.? 6. What percentage of your network of test centers are owned and operated by your company? 7. Does your company currently possess the equipment and capability to score Scantron ParScore forms and export the individual test response data as a ParScore-readable file or CSV file? 8. Does your company have the existing capability to data automate and program randomized computer-based, multiple-choice tests and is your network of test centers currently capable of administering computer-based tests? RFI RESPONSE GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES: All interested parties capable of providing the testing services described in this RFI are invited to submit information that includes: 1. Company name and address. 2. Contact name, telephone number, and email address. 3. Type of business and size. 4. Brief (500 words or less) overview of your company and the services it provides. 5. A description of your firm's capabilities and qualifications as they relate to the business need and general requirements stated in this RFI. 6. Responses to the questions posed in this RFI. 7. A description of one or more successful implementations of your services in a circumstance similar to the business need stated in this RFI. Provide customer contact information where that solution was implemented, including contact name, organization, telephone number, and email address, for each example that you provide. 8. GSA Schedule information (if applicable). 9. A rough estimate (or cost range) of the cost that you believe is likely to be incurred by the OTS for the services your firm would provide, with some discussion of the factors or components contributing to the cost (e.g., number of test dates, number of test participants, number of tests, test time duration, optional services, etc.). The OTS understands that your provision of this information is not a price proposal nor is the OTS seeking a proposal at this time. Responses to the information requested shall be limited to no more than fifteen (15) pages. Any information received marked "Proprietary" will be handled accordingly. Responses to this RFI will not be returned. No feedback will be provided on individual submissions. Information provided in response to this RFI will be used to assess the cost effectiveness, benefits, and tradeoffs of outsourcing the OTS's test administration function and to assist the OTS in developing its acquisition strategy, including the method of competition and applicable terms and conditions of a solicitation, if one is issued.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/TREAS/OTS/PASDC/TOTS-D-10-RFI-00001/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Nationwide, United States
- Record
- SN02043711-W 20100117/100115235653-08de46a514146a8e9590074d8ed86dac (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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