Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) System

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY; it is not a Solicitation (i.e. Request for Proposal, Request for Quotation, or Invitation for Bids) or an indication that the Health Readiness Contracting Office (HRCO) will contract for the services contained in the RFI. This RFI is part of a Government market research effort to determine the scope of industry capabilities and interest and will be treated as information only. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary and the Government will not pay respondents for information provided in response to this RFI. Responses to this RFI will not be returned and respondents will not be notified of the result of the review. If a competitive solicitation is issued, it will be announced on the beta SAM website https://beta.sam.gov/ at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that Solicitation announcement separately from any response to this announcement. This RFI does not restrict the Government's acquisition approach on a future Solicitation. RESPONSES: Respondents to this RFI are to describe their interest and ability to perform the requirements summarized below in the description of the requirement. Responses are to contain (1) company name, (2) CAGE code, (3) mailing address, and (4) primary point of contact information, to include telephone number and email address. Responses should be formatted as either MS Word (.doc) or Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf) and should be limited to a maximum of ten pages. Proprietary/competition sensitive information (appropriately marked) will be protected from disclosure to the greatest extent practical; however, it is preferred that respondents do not provide proprietary or otherwise restricted responses. No faxes, courier delivered, or telephone inquiries/submissions will be accepted. Responses should be submitted to Matthew T. Robey, Contract Specialist at matthew.t.robey.civ@mail.mil and David D, Robledo, Contracting Officer, at david.robledo17.civ@mail.mil no later than 12:00 PM Central Time, 10 July, 2020. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT: Objective: The Government's objective is to hire qualified Certified Athletic Trainers (ATs) and Strength and Conditioning Coaches (SCCs) to function as integrated members of a Brigade-based multi-disciplinary team focused on optimizing Soldier readiness and performance within the Army's new Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) System. The H2F System is the Army's primary investment in Soldier readiness and lethality, optimal physical and non-physical performance, reduced injury rates, improved rehabilitation after injury, and increased overall effectiveness of the Total Army. The system empowers and equips Soldiers to take charge of their health, fitness, and well-being in order to optimize individual performance, while preventing injury and disease. H2F Human Performance Teams will generally consist of the following personnel: Physical Therapist (PT), Registered Dietitian (RD), Occupational Therapist (OT), Cognitive Enhancement Specialist (CES), Athletic Trainer (AT), and Strength and Conditioning Coach (SCC). The H2F System will initially require 223 ATs and 360 SCCs to be imbedded within H2F Performance Teams in units across 28 Brigades at nine different Army installations: Ft. Bragg, NC, Ft. Bliss, TX, Ft. Drum, NY, Ft. Polk, LA, Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), WA, Ft. Jackson, SC, Ft. Benning, GA, Ft. Leonard Wood, MO and Ft. Sill, OK. See Appendix A for the H2F Team Structure by Brigade type. The ATs and SCCs will be assigned specifically to designated units, but may be required to travel locally to various cantonment training areas to perform services. Travel mileage reimbursement will not be provided for travel within a 40-mile radius of the place of performance. No overnight travel is required. Athletic Trainer (AT): The AT must be licensed, board certified, and hold a Bachelor's Degree with four years of relevant experience within the last 5 years or a Master's Degree with two years of relevant experience within the last 5 years. The AT will provide evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of acute musculoskeletal conditions before, during, and after Physical-Readiness Training (PRT) in close proximity to where Soldiers train. The AT will also provide - bridging services (i.e., services that transition individuals from injury and illness recovery/rehabilitation to full task-specific performance optimization). Any medical treatment performed may be in coordination, and/or under the clinical supervision, with other medical members of the H2F Human Performance Team. In addition, the AT will provide expert coaching on proper body mechanics and efficient movement techniques in the training and field environment and in coordination with the PT. The AT collects and reports data and recommends and advises the Human Performance Team and unit leadership on all injury issues related to PRT. Strength and Conditioning Coach (SCC): The SCC will require a Bachelor's Degree with a Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification and three years of relevant experience within the last 5 years. The SCC will develop, coordinate, execute, and manage evidence-based strength and conditioning programs focused on unit mission and individual Soldier tasks in accordance with FM 7-22 Holistic Health and Fitness that are synchronized with unit training and operational schedules. The SCC will also coordinate and assist both the unit and unit medical providers to develop, coordinate, and execute approved training programs for Soldiers with physical limitations as well as provide recommendations and approved instruction and guidance to Soldiers and unit leadership on physical injury control in coordination with the unit and H2F Performance Team. Expectations: The Government expects all members of the H2F Performance Team, including ATs and SCCs, to provide services Monday through Friday, not to exceed 40 hours per week. Actual operating hours and schedules will be determined by authorities at the place of performance. The Government may require occasional weekend work (i.e., Saturday or Sunday) due to Brigade training schedules. The training schedules are subject to change due to training events, block leave, holidays, and unexpected events. Some work days may be less or greater than eight hours. However, no overtime or compensatory payment will be authorized. Contractor personnel are not expected to work during federal holidays or when the government facility is closed. The Government expects to onboard a pool of candidates who have completed their security background checks, obtained an active or pending SECRET clearance, if required, and who would be available to start duty within a specified number of days after notification. The duration of the assignment is dependent upon the length of the contract. Possible staffing considerations should include: - Properly certified and experienced personnel with additional certifications in Basic Life Support and automated external defibrillators (AED). - Ability to function as an integrated member of a Brigade-based multi-disciplinary team. - Knowledge of emerging best practices within the health and fitness industry. - Ability to physically train in an austere environment/terrain and lift/manipulate loads up to 50 pounds. - Ability to gain access to military bases and follow security, environmental, and cyber regulations. - Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite - Word, Excel, and PowerPoint software applications. The goals of the RFI: - Gain knowledge of common business practices for integrating ATs and SCCs into multi-disciplinary teams focused on optimizing Soldier readiness and performance. - Obtain feedback regarding feasibility of industry to recruit and retain the described staffing requirements (i.e., availability of ATs and SCC in the market place, obtaining security clearance, cost, and other challenges and limitations, etc.). - Identify best practices for staffing ATs and SCCs across specified military locations within the continental US. QUESTIONS FOR INDUSTRY: The Government desires that respondents offer their experience and recommendations on the following questions related to staffing and services provided by ATs and SCCs. 1. What is your company's North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement? What NAICS code would you anticipate for a requirement for services necessary to meet the Government's objective? 2. Describe your labor categories and the qualifications required to staff ATs and SCC in support of the Army's H2F System. 3. Do you anticipate a challenge recruiting any of the labor categories (i.e., ATs and SCC) required to staff the H2F initiative? If yes, identify the labor categories and locations that may be a challenge to recruit personnel and provide your rationale. 4. What innovative approaches are used by your company to recruit and retain contract personnel? 5. Describe your staffing strategy to recruit and hire for hard- to- fill locations. Provide a list of locations you consider to be hard-to-fill locations. 6. Describe the timeframe required to initiate and complete the hiring process to ensure personnel meet government employment criteria to include: ? Conducting prime source verification (education and credentialing requirements). ? Collecting documents and submitting completed packets for background checks (i.e., security clearance). ? Collecting health requirement documentation to ensure employees meet Center for Disease Control (CDC) health requirements for government employment. 7. Describe your company's ability to provide full time employees vs. a succession of part-time employees. 8. Do you normally fill positions locally or do you bring in personnel from other locations? 9. Describe your company's plan for managing difficult employees. 10. What type of pricing structure would best meet the Government's objective (e.g., fixed hourly price)? Should incentives be considered and if yes, identify the proposed incentives. 11. Should the Government publish a formal solicitation, do you anticipate any challenges preparing a competitive price proposal to provide services based on some or all of the characteristics described above? Do you anticipate any perceived barriers to competition? If so, please specify. 12. After receipt of Request for Proposal, what do you consider to be an acceptable timeframe (i.e., 30 days, 45 days, etc.) for you to prepare and submit of your proposal to the Government? 13. Do you recommend a transition period prior to start of performance? If so, how many days? Describe what tasks you will have to perform during the transition period (i.e., recruitment and hiring of personnel, obtaining security clearance, etc.) 14. Do you have any comments on the requirements described above? If so, please specify.