Validated Executive Assessment

The Department of the Interior’s Office of Employee Development is seeking a qualified small business to design and deliver a validated executive assessment program for the Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program, targeting up to two cohorts of approximately 24 participants each. The contract, issued as a combined synopsis/solicitation under NAICS code 611430 and designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, requires the contractor to develop and administer a customized assessment aligned with updated Executive Core Qualifications, including Commitment to the Rule of Law, Driving Efficiency, and Merit & Competence. The assessment must involve observation of leadership behaviors during challenge-based scenarios and include validated instruments supported by documented validation studies in federal or comparable senior executive environments—a required pass/fail gate that will render non-responsive any proposal failing to meet this criterion. Deliverables include space requirements and a logistics plan, customized assessment tools, individual feedback reports delivered at debriefs, and a comprehensive post-assessment report issued two weeks after each cohort’s completion. The work is to be performed in-person at a location within a two-hour driving radius of Washington, DC, with likely sessions scheduled in April and May 2027 at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV, and the period of performance runs from September 30, 2026, to September 29, 2027. The contractor must comply with a range of federal regulations, including FAR clauses on whistleblower protections, prohibition of internal confidentiality agreements, System for Award Management maintenance, subcontractor debarment avoidance, equal opportunity for veterans and workers with disabilities, and mandatory wage standards under the Service Contract Labor Standards Act. The offeror is required to adhere to Section 508 and ADA compliance for all deliverables, implement a quality control program and quality assurance surveillance plan, and safeguard government information under basic safeguarding requirements. Proposals must be submitted electronically by 5:00 PM EDT on July 20, 2026, to the contracting officer and structured into three volumes: a 20-page technical approach, a 15-page experience section, and an unlimited-priced component with a detailed breakout. Evaluation will be based on best value, with technical factors—approach and experience—being individually more important than price and significantly more important when combined, while price will be assessed for reasonableness and completeness. Invoicing must occur through the Invoice Processing Platform upon government acceptance of each deliverable, with full documentation including contractor details, billing period,