Instructors for DHS Acqusition Workforce Career Development Programs for Program Management

Announcement THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR INSRUCTIONAL SERVICES PREPARED IN ACCOURDANCE WTH THE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REQULATION (FAR). This RFI is in accordance with FAR Part 10, Market Research. This part prescribes policies and procedures for conducting market research to arrive at the most suitable approach for acquiring, distributing, and supporting supplies and services. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Department of Homeland Security intends to conduct market research pursuant to the requirement set forth below for the Office of Procurement Operations (OPO) under the Chief Procurement Officer Office (CPO). Small Businesses that have the capability to or currently perform the services outlined below are encouraged submit a Professional and Management Development plan, instructor resumes, and a capability statement. Documents should be submitted to the Contract Specialist at Iva.Capps@dhs.gov and the Contracting Officer Gary.Hickey@dhs.gov by June 29, 2009 by 3:00 pm EST. The Government's intent, through this market research, is to identify which socio-economic group is capable of performing these services, and from these responses, determine if there is a viable industry response to ensure a competitive environment. This market research will use a tiered approach to evaluate the responses. For example, if there are inadequate responses from HUBZone firms, the Government will evaluate the next group (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)), and so on until there is identification of viable industry response. The Government will evaluate the responses to this notice in the following order of descending importance: 1. HUBZone 2. SDVOSB 3. 8(A) 4. Small Business At the conclusion of the market research, it is the Government's intent to determine if this requirement should be set-aside, and for what socio-economic category. North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) The NAICS code for this requirement is 611430 - Professional and Management Development Training. This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in offering an array of short duration courses and seminars for management and professional development. Training for career development may be provided directly to individuals or through employers training programs; and courses may be customized or modified to meet the special needs of customers. Instruction may be provided in diverse settings, such as the establishment's or client's training facilities, educational institutions, the workplace, or the home, and through diverse means, such as correspondence, television, the Internet, or other electronic and distance-learning methods. The training provided by these establishments may include the use of simulators and simulation methods. Other NAICS codes may apply to this requirement. The Government reserves the right to change the NAICS code if required prior to solicitation. Overview of Potential Scope of Work The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO), Acquisition Workforce Branch is responsible for providing career development training for the entire DHS acquisition workforce. DHS acquisition work force is expanding dramatically and, with that, there is a significant increase in the need for training requirements. DHS requires additional acquisition course offerings to increase training for certification requirements to fill operational positions within the DHS headquarters and Components. These courses have been developed and DHS is procuring instructors to teach these courses to Acquisition Workforce personnel. Requirements The objective of this RFI is to identify vendors who can provide qualified instructors for the Program Management course offerings listed below: - HSAC 101 - Homeland Security Acquisition Fundamentals - HSPM 102 - Homeland Security Program Management Fundamentals - PMT 352B - DAU Program Management Office course Each HSAC 101 and HSPM 102 class shall be one week (40 hours) and the PMT 352B class shall be five weeks (184 hours) in length: with two (2) instructors per session to provide a team teaching format. Instructors shall meet the standard qualifications set forth by the Contractor to meet the experience level of the course material and field experience requirements. Instructors must be expert acquisition program management professionals and possess through knowledge and understanding of federal government contracting and acquisition processes, practices, and procedures. Classes will consist of a maximum of thirty-five (35) students per each class and will use the course materials and student texts provided by the government and supplemented with Contractor provided instructional aids. Instruction shall be conducive to adult learning and accommodated with reasonable spectrum of learning styles which may include students with physical disabilities within the instruction. Class rosters will be provided at the beginning of class with names of the students attending class. The instructor shall maintain a record of student attendance and provide the record to the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR).