The Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service intends to make a firm-fixed price, sole source award to Swan Research, Inc.. Govworks/DOI intends to issue a Purchase Order in accordance with FAR 13.5, Test Program for Certain Commercial Items. This non-competitive action is being issued by GovWorks under the authority of the Department of the Interior Franchise Fund on behalf of the U. S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. The medical center has a requirement to create a survey to determine if soldiers graduating from the Army's Basic Combat Training (BCT) are adequately trained to succeed in Advance Individual Training (AIT) Installations. This study is critical for identifying problems with entry level training and will have a great impact on recruitment and retention. There is not enough time to train someone else on everything they would need to know in order to complete this study in a timely manner. The effort is critical to the research-based studies and analyses in the behavioral and social sciences that the Army Research Institute (ARI) provides to Army decision makers. 1. BACKGROUND: To realize U.S. Army Accessions Command's vision of an integrated holistic accessions process requires an understanding of the perceptions and opinions of the training received by soldiers at the Army's Basic Combat Training (BCT) installations by the immediate customers, the Advance Individual Training (AIT) Installations. To date, a single survey instrument does not exist that queries the Command Teams, Training Cadre, and Support Personnel at the Army's 23 AIT locations. 2. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this work is to create a survey to determine if soldiers graduating from BCT are adequately trained to succeed in AIT. This survey will identify areas where AIT schools are satisfied and/or dissatisfied with the training received by BCT graduates and provide recommendations to improve the training process. 3. SPECIFIC TASKS: In this effort, the Contractor shall: a. Conduct Initial Project Planning Meeting: There shall be a meeting between the Contractor, Occupational Analysis Office (OAO) (COR and/or Chief), and the project sponsor within two (2) weeks of the Effective Date of the Delivery Order (EDODO). This meeting may be telephonic if necessary. The purpose of this meeting shall be to exchange any information necessary for the performance of the delivery order. b. Develop a Project Action Plan: Within two (2) weeks of the EDODO, the Contractor shall prepare a Project Action Plan detailing project objectives and milestones. The Contractor shall coordinate the plan with the Chief, OAO, the COR, and the project sponsor. Future changes to the project action plan will be agreed to by the Chief, OAO, the COR, and the project sponsor. c. Conducting Focus Groups: The contractor shall conduct focus groups with the appropriate personnel (i.e., Command Teams, Training Cadre, and Support Personnel) at selected training sites - Fort Benning, GA, Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Fort Jackson, SC, and Fort Lee, VA. d. Assist in developing an automated survey: The contractor shall assist the COR in developing an automated survey. It will be the COR's responsibility to actually create the survey. The contractor shall be responsible for question development, with the assistance of the COR. e. Analysis of Results: The contractor shall analyze the results of the automated survey using SPSS. The data fill will be provided by the COR. f. Conduct In-Process Reviews (IPR): Informal or formal IPRs shall be held every two months under guidance from the COR until the end of the contract to discuss the progress of the objectives and milestones as presented in the Project Action Plan. These IPRs may be conducted by teleconference if agreed to by the COR. The locations of these IPRs have not been determined at this time. At this time, it is assumed that at least two IPRs will be at Ft. Monroe, VA and at least one will be at Ft. Knox, KY. g. Briefings: The Contractor shall prepare (with the assistance of the COR) briefing packages for a minimum of four presentations, namely the above referenced IPRs. Number of required briefings may change during the course of this contract. Where results warrant, one or more of the four briefing packages may be combined. h. Draft and Final Reports: The Contractor shall prepare a draft and final study report documenting the findings of the study effort. i. Project Updates: A monthly update on this project shall be sent by e-mail to the COR. Updates should cover information related to the project's development. 4. DELIVERABLES AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: a. The deliverables shall include a draft and final study report detailing the findings of this study. b. The Contractor shall provide a copy of each study report as a WINDOWS-based WORD file on a CD-ROM and one copy of the report printed from the file. The study report shall be prepared in accordance with ARI Regulation 70-3 (Guidelines for the Submission of Manuscripts for Publication and Other Scientific and Technical Documents). Under no circumstances shall the Contractor submit a draft or final report that needs major editing. c. The Government will be allowed fourteen (14) working days for review and to notify the Contractor of approval or recommended changes to be made in the final document. In the event that the Government exceeds that amount of time set forth herein for review, approval, and/or recommended changes in the draft, the Contractor shall be allowed one additional day, at no additional cost to the Government, for each day of such delay for delivery of the final report in final form, providing that in the event the Government causes such delay, the Contractor shall request an extension in writing from the COR. d. The following are reporting requirements of this delivery order: (1) The Contractor shall provide a project status report/update monthly (may be provided by e-mail). (2) The contractor shall provide reports in accordance with the guidelines as stated in 4b and 4c. 5. SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor shall ensure that the individuals selected to perform this work have a thorough knowledge of the Army to include prior experience with Command Teams, Training Cadre, and Support Personnel. 6. PLACE AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: a. Approximately 1,324 staff days (including subcontractors) are estimated for the period beginning with the EDODO and ending nine (9) months thereafter. All of the work, with the exception of travel and data collection, may be performed at the Contractor's facilities. b. Travel: Local travel to Alexandria, VA will be permitted on a "need to meet" basis with the COR and/or OAO Chief. At the present time, travel will include trips to Fort Knox, KY, Fort Monroe, VA, Fort Benning, GA, Fort Jackson, SC, Fort Leonard Wood, MO, and Fort Lee, VA. Each of these trips, with the exception of Fort Monroe and Fort Knox will be approximately four days in length. Trips to Fort Monroe and Fort Knox will be one or two days each. 7. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY: None. 8. SECURITY CLEARANCE: No security clearance is required. The intent of this synopsis is for informational purposes only. This is NOT a request for competitive quotes. However, all information received within five (5) days of this notice will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this action based on this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. POC: Department of the Interior; Attention: Rhonda Fernandez, 381 Elden Street - MS 2510; Herndon, VA 20170. Questions must be emailed to the attention of Rhonda Fernandez at
contact@example.gov. TELEPHONIC QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED OR ACKNOWLEDGED.
