March 15, 2001

NOTICE TO ALL OFFERORS

REFERENCE: AMENDMENT NO. 3

RFP-DCS-01-16

Additional information has been requested by prospective offerors and it has been determined by the Contracting Officer that this information be made available to all bidders. The closing date and time for the receipt of proposals remains March 23, 2001, by 2:00 p.m. local time.

Keith A. Bond

KEITH A. BOND

Contracting Officer

Attachment(s)

14. RESPONSES TO ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

1. Paragraph F.3 states that the level of effort is estimated to be 10 - 12 professional person years. And, it states that "[the level of effort for each option period is equal to the base year plus inflation. Does this mean a level of effort of 10 - 12 professional person years for the base period of 18 months and 10 - 12 professional person years for each option period?

1a. Yes. The level of effort is 10 - 12 professional person years for the base period of 18 months and 10 - 12 professional person years for each option period.

2. What are the types and level of direct interaction contemplated between the contractor and the Federal Committee on Registered Apprenticeship (FCRA)? What will be the protocol? Will the contractor be able to directly communicate with FCRA members?"

2a. With the approval, direction, and coordination from the COTR, the contractor will interface with the FCRA, and senior ATELS staff as appropriate.

3. Is the consultant-expert on the "employability of persons with disabilities" expected to be a consultant and not a staff person?

3a. The consultant/expert on the "employability of persons with disabilities", can be either a staff person, or a consultant.

4. Is "Focus Group" intended for the term "Forum" in Task 4?

4a. Yes, they are one and the same. The "Focus Group" is the "Forum."

5. With regard to Task 8 (section C-3 of the RFP), are you requesting a market pre-test of the new or redesigned marketing materials to fine-tune messages and their potential impact on various target audiences (i.e., to make changes prior to their actual use in the Mass Marketing Campaign), or are you requesting a marketing effectiveness evaluation to determine whether the materials (and their method of distribution) achieved measurable results (i.e., increase in new sponsors), or both?

5a. Yes, the successful contractor will be asked to market test recently designed marketing outreach products to determine their value to the apprenticeship community, and our mission. Some modest changes may be required. There will be no requirement to determine if these products are adequate for the Mass Marketing Campaign of 2001. A marketing effectiveness assessment of the newly developed products and those to be designed is expected.

Task 9 (section C-3 of the RFP) clearly states that the Mass Marketing Campaign must be launched by 9/1/01. Do you expect all focus group and other research tasks to be completed, as well as all marketing materials to be developed, tested, and ready for use by that date?

6a. No, ATELS does not expect all focus group activity to be completed by then, nor do they expect "yet to be designed" marketing products to be tested by that time. ATELS expects to use marketing products that have been recently developed for the 2001 Mass Marketing Campaign.

7. Task 10 states that $75,000 is to be set aside for marketing materials. This seems to be a very small amount of dollars. Do you intend for this amount to cover only other direct costs associated with purchasing and distributing materials (e.g., duplication of CD-ROMS or brochures, mailing of brochures, purchase of artwork, etc.)? Or, is this amount supposed to cover both labor costs associated with creating new or redesigning existing materials and other direct costs associated with the purchase and distribution of materials?

7a. This amount is intended to cover only other direct costs associated with purchasing and distributing materials (e.g., duplication of CD-ROMS or brochures, mailing of brochures, purchase of artwork, etc.) and creating new or redesigning existing materials. ATELS clearly did not envision "Labor Cost" to be part of this set-aside.

8. To what extent do you anticipate using paid media (e.g., print or broadcast ads) as a marketing avenue?

8a. ATELS largely expects that "Public Service" types of outreach marketing will take place, rather than paid media approaches.

9. To what extent do you anticipate using "earned" or "free" media (e.g., Public Service Announcements, industry or trade publication articles/announcements)?

9a. As indicated above, ATELS expects to use "free media" vehicles to get the marketing message out to our stakeholders and partners, and other clients.

10. To what extent do you anticipate developing a new web-site or expanding ATELS current site as a marketing avenue?

10a. ATELS clearly expects to maximize the utilization of its web-site as a marketing avenue (i.e., pdf's, linkages to other apprenticeship sites, and so on).

11. Other than the specific time commitments noted for the 3 key personnel positions, the RFP states (section M-3) that all other professional personnel must be full-time. Does this include expert consultants (NOT employees) who may be used for special assignments due to their special expertise? Does this include research assistants or administrative personnel (i.e., junior-level employees)?

11a. Professional personnel is defined as all staff excluding consultants, subcontractors (unless in a key personnel position) and administrative/support staff. Offerors can propose a staffing allocation that is believed to be most efficient and effective in meeting the requirement of the project, without necessarily assigning any one person "full-time) to the project.

12. Are focus groups covered by the section H.16 clause on the Paperwork Reduction Act and are therefore subject to OMB clearance procedures?

12a. Yes.

13. With regard to the 11 tasks outlined in section C-3, it appears as though the project is really two projects, albeit interrelated (i.e., tasks 1-10 is one project; task 11 is the other). Is this a correct assumption?

13a. There is but one procurement with 11 inter-related tasks.

14. With regard to section M-3, A, item #4, are you requesting two 18-month workplans, one for tasks 1-10, and another separate workplan for task 11, or one 18-month workplan that covers both?

14a. ATELS is looking for one Work Plan that covers task numbers 1-11 for an initial 18 month base year period. However, a separate mini-work plan which delineates only specific approaches to task # 11 would be appreciated.

15. Please clarify our understanding that the oral presentation transparencies (Sec. L.7) are not considered part of the 35 page limit for the technical approach.

15a. Offerors' technical approach is exclusive of the oral presentation transparencies, resumes, and past performance information. The 35 page limit technical approach is to be single-spaced, single-sided pages with 1-inch margins. Text type shall be at least 10 pitch or larger. Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be determined non-responsive and not considered for award.

16. Does the 35 page proposal include (or exclude) all attachments to the technical proposal? We have developed a workplan that runs about 20 pages of MS Project printouts. Or should we just attach 2-3 pages of Gantt Chart Express Table.

16a. Please see 15a.

17. What is the government cost estimate for this contract – base year (18 months) and each option year?

17a. The level of effort for this project is estimated between 10 and 12 professional person years. A professional person year is between $90,000 and $100,000. The level of effort for each option year is equal to the base year plus a 3.5% increase for inflation. The 3.5% increase relates to the increase in the total amount of the contract per year.

18. We are preparing a proposal for the ATELS Outreach Marketing effort for the Federal Committee on Registered Apprenticeship. One of the persons that we had hoped to include on our team is a non-Federal member of the Federal Committee on Registered Apprenticeship. Will it represent a conflict of interest for him to serve as a consultant to us?

18a. A substantial number of the members of the current FCRA are no longer working for the employer who they were representing (i.e. 1/3 business, labor, the public). If the individual you are proposing is no longer employed by the business, labor agency, or public sector employer, there will be no conflict of interest. Clearly, if they are on the Board at the time the contract is executed, then there "MAY BE" some opportunity for conflict of interest.

Presently, no less than 10 members of the FCRA are in question because they have retired, taken on other employment, or no longer desire to be a member. If the person you have in mind is in one of these categories, there will be no opportunity for conflict of interest. ASK THEM CLEARLY IF THEY ARE STILL EMPLOYED BY THE SAME EMPLOYER!