U -- Request for Information - USNA LEAD Program

The below RFI is amended to reflect that the due date for responses is extended to 4:00PM on 6 January 2006. INTRODUCTION: This Request for Information (RFI) concerns the United States Naval Academy (USNA) LEADERSHIP EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT (LEAD) Program. The overall objective of the LEAD Program is to provide graduate education and preparation for talented, highly qualified Junior Officers to serve as Company Officers at the USNA and for continued future service in the Navy and Marine Corps. The program develops students abilities to think critically and analytically, and focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for understanding, designing, and conducting leader and team development. Each Company Officer leads and mentors a company of approximately 150 midshipmen. Company Officers are the Academy's primary leader and team developers, responsible for developing midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically. Company Officers coach, counsel, and motivate, teach leadership courses, and act as officer representatives for athletic teams and extra-curricular activities. Company Officers apply the graduate education garnered in the LEAD Program in an organizational, midshipmen company setting. PURPOSE: Historically, the USNA LEAD Program has met its overall objective of providing graduate education through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between USNA and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). The purpose of this RFI is to solicit information from accredited institutions about other potential program offerings that will satisfy the overall USNA objective of providing graduate education, while satisfying the specific objectives discussed below. This information will be compared with the current (and any revised) program available from NPS. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES: Educational and programmatic objectives follow. All educational objectives must be met as they are considered mandatory for the fulfillment and proper execution of the LEAD Program. Programmatic objectives include several which are mandatory and others which are preferred, the latter being highly desirable but not considered mandatory for the proper execution of the LEAD Program. Mandatory objectives are coded (M) and preferred objectives are coded (P). Educational Objectives: (M) Think critically - Develop students abilities to think critically. (M) Think analytically - Develop students abilities to think analytically. (M) Leadership and motivation - Understand and apply leadership theories, concepts, and principles. Understand theories of motivation and apply motivational techniques to individuals and teams. (M) Develop individual midshipmen to be leaders of character - Analyze and explain individual and team behavior and performance. Plan, conduct, supervise, evaluate, and revise individual developmental programs. Design, conduct, supervise, evaluate, and revise individual and team learning experiences. Apply performance appraisal techniques. Apply counseling techniques. Understand and apply ethical theory and military ethics. (M) Serve as a role model and mentor for midshipmen - Understand role modeling and mentorship. Assess and revise role modeling and mentoring techniques. (M) Develop interpersonal behavior, professional core competencies, and be aware of the world - Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Develop public speaking ability. Understand the value of maintaining knowledge of current events. Be aware of what's happening in the world. Develop the ability to relate current issues and world events to the Naval Profession. Understand and apply time management techniques. (M) Create an environment that supports individual and team development - Understand the role of USNA in developing leaders of character for the Navy, both today and in historical context. Explain the effects of team and organizational phenomena on individual development and team performance. Design, supervise, assess, and revise organizational socialization programs. Apply team development techniques to enhance individual midshipman development. Apply assessment techniques to evaluate the effects of team and organizational phenomena on individual development. Lead organizations through change. Integrate organizational systems to enhance midshipman development. (M) Understand educational processes in an undergraduate setting - Assist with and contribute to the design, delivery, and assessment of leadership courses and training events to midshipmen. Teach effectively at the undergraduate level. Programmatic Objectives: (M) One year timeframe - Students complete a master's level graduate education in a one-year period (i.e., 1 June - 31 May). (M) Greater Baltimore'Washington, D.C. metropolitan area - Students are designated as - LEAD Fellows and are assigned for duty at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland. The graduate education must be completed in the greater Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. (P) The program should capitalize on educational opportunities (e.g., academic field trips, site visits, access to senior governmental, military, and private sector officials, etc.) endemic to the greater metropolitan Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area. (M) Cohort based education - Approximately 15-25 students (i.e., Junior Officers) complete all phases of the program as a cohort. (M) Cohort recruitment, selection, and composition - The LEAD cohort represents the finest Junior Officers from the Navy and Marine Corps, and selection is highly competitive. Cohort membership will be determined by USNA and will be based on a broad range of selection criteria, including performance as a Junior Officer, potential for continued future service, and undergraduate academic performance. (M&P) Rich graduate education experience - The LEAD Program is typical of resident - gold standard graduate education, master's degree producing programs, to include the next four items: (1)(P) University campus setting - approximately 40 - 60% of the cohort's education will occur at a university campus setting. (2)(M) Accessible professors. (3)(M) Availability of university academic, educational, and computational resources. (4)(M) This is not a distance education program. (M) Assimilation to USNA - Some range (i.e., approximately 40 - 60%) of the cohort's education will occur at USNA facilities. This will provide students with the opportunity to assimilate to the unique USNA culture. (P) Similarly, professors with some degree of military experience or background are valued. (M) Maximum educational appeal - The program is conducted by an accredited, prestigious university of the highest quality and selectivity. The perceived appeal of the university and the degree program attracts the highest quality Junior Officers from the Navy and Marine Corps to compete for admission. (P) Ease of administration - The program is contractually simple to execute. Some form of per-student, per-cohort, or other flat-fee obligation serves as the basis of the contract. USNA will not incur per diem, travel, lodging, or other miscellaneous or reimbursable costs associated with delivery of the educational product. (M) Minimize costs - Programmatic costs will be mitigated but not at the expense of educational quality. Quality and cost both matter. Reduced tuition costs are expected to accrue because of the cohort-based, annually renewable nature of the program. (M) Company Officer indoctrination and training session Approximately one-week at the end of the one-year program will be dedicated to formal Company Officer indoctrination and training. This training will serve to facilitate the LEAD graduates transition to new duties as Company Officers. USNA is responsible for execution of this phase of the program. Proper coordination between USNA and any contracted university is necessary for scheduling and execution of the training. RESPONSES TO THE RFI: The following sections provide a suggested format for a response to the RFI. This format is intended to minimize respondent's effort and also to structure the responses for ease of analysis. Do not provide proprietary information in response to this RFI. The first section of the response, entitled Response to the Statement of Objectives, should address each objective discussed above by providing an explanation of how the respondent's proposed program offering will meet each stated objective. The second section of the response, entitled Additional Information, should address the following items, but only to the extent that they otherwise were not addressed in the first section: Degree to be obtained upon graduation, all requirements to obtain the degree, listing of courses to be completed with course descriptions and credits for each, admission requirements, and cost per student, per cohort, or other explanation of the fixed pricing scheme envisioned. The third section of the response, entitled Other Contract Vehicles, should identify any other contracts the responding institution has with any DoD entity (if any) under which the proposed program offering or degree may be obtained. Please submit responses by 4:00 PM on 15 December 2005 to the attention of Mr. Ken Bullock, FISC Norfolk, Philadelphia Division, 700 Robbins Ave, Bldg 2-B, Philadelphia, PA 19111. Electronic responses via email with Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, Excel, and or PowerPoint) attachments are acceptable at kenneth.bullock@navy.mil. Questions related to this RFI may be sent to the same email address. It is possible that USNA representatives may wish to visit the campus of one or more respondents after analyzing the RFI responses. INFORMATION SESSION: A LEAD Program Information Session will be held on 29 November 2005 from 1000-1200 in the Levy Center at the USNA. Information about the LEAD program and the Navy's objectives will be provided. Parties interested in attending should provide a list of attendees to Professor Donald H. Horner, Ph.D., via email to horner@usna.edu, by 28 November 2005. DISCLAIMER: This RFI is issued solely for information and analytical purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not an offer and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. After analysis of the responses, the Navy may elect to issue a formal solicitation. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The Government will not pay for information received. NAICS code 611310 applies.