REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: Department of Education Accreditation

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION SYNOPSIS ****Amendment 01: The Request For Information was amended to change the response date. The response dated is changed from 15 November 2012 to 15 November 2011.****** The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Office of Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief, and Mine Action, Humanitarian Demining Training Center is issuing this request for information synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support the requirement for Department of Education Accreditation for the DoD Humanitarian demining Training Center. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 611519-Other Technical and Trade Schools. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals; submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, email address, Web site address, telephone number, and size and type of ownership for the organization; and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements. The government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity to 1) provide services consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated; 2) secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform similar requirements; 3) implement a successful project management plan that includes: compliance with tight program schedules; cost containment; meeting and tracking performance; hiring and retention of key personnel and risk mitigation; and 4) provide services under a performance based service acquisition contract. BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION, and multiple awards MAY be made. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the above-listed services are invited to submit a response to this request for information notice by November 15, 2011. All questions and responses under this request for information notice must be emailed to Woodrow Bell at woodrow.bell@dsca.mil. APPENDIX 1: Purpose and Objectives Introduction. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Programs directorate (PGM), Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief, and Mine Action Division (HDM), manages the Humanitarian Demining Training Center (HDTC), Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The HDTC trains and prepares U.S. military forces for humanitarian mine action missions in landmine and other explosives remnants of war affected countries throughout the world. Purpose. The HDTC will achieve accreditation to maintain a level of quality training and education recognized by the U.S Secretary of Education. Objectives. This Request for Information Synopsis is published to obtain and evaluate an organization's potential capacity to direct, consult, and guide HDTC in achieving accreditation. Objectives include: 1. Achieve status of recognition granted to an institution which complies with the eligibility requirements, standards, procedures, and obligations adopted by institutions involved in providing humanitarian mine action education and training. 2. Achieve Pre-accreditation Candidacy. During this period of candidacy, the accreditation agency consults with HDTC to identify milestones and objectives during self-study and planning phases of pre-accreditation candidacy. 3. Achieve Pre-accreditation Status. 4. Achieve Award of Candidate Status. 5. Achieve Accreditation or Alternate Initial Accreditation requirements. 6. Achieve Annual Renewal and Reaffirmation of Accreditation requirements. 7. Develop, write, and implement executable policies and contingency plans to mitigate accreditation challenges including Determination of Statuses, Deferral of Decision, and Drop from Accreditation.