THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This request is for information and planning purposes only, and does not constitute an Invitation for Bids, a Request for Proposal, Solicitation, a Request for Quote, or an indication the Government will contract for the items contained in the RFI. This notice is not to be construed as an acquisition, Request for Proposal (RFP), nor is any commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract implied. The Government does not intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. The Government does not reimburse respondents for any cost associated with submission of the information being requested or reimburse expenses incurred to interested parties for responses to this RFI. Responses received are not considered proposals. Responses should not contain any pricing/cost information. 1. Description: 1.1 Strategy Directorate - Plans Division, an organization of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) is seeking industry interest and information for on-line foreign language proficiency training. Ideally that training will include cultural and regional content to prepare DSCA employees for non-operational assignments overseas or work with partner country personnel in the United States. Training scenarios based in an interactive, avatar context are desired, but not required. Foreign language proficiency training should include the capability to train in reading, writing, speaking, and listening modalities for languages such as: Arabic, Chinese, Persian Farsi, French, Pashto, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Portuguese, Swahili, Thai, Vietnamese, Urdu, Cambodian, Czech, Georgian, Hebrew, Tagalog and Indonesian. On-line training programs using speech recognition software would facilitate speech training. Administration of agency on-line training should be centrally managed via an on-line learning management system (LMS). Trainees should be able to access on-line training using usernames and passwords issued by the DSCA training manager. When certain levels of training and testing are completed, the foreign language, regional, and cultural content programs should provide the trainer with the ability to printout training certificates to document the level of training achieved. 1.2 Preliminary market research indicates that two foreign language proficiency training products have the potential to meet some, but not all of DSCA training requirements. These two products are Rosetta Stone and Transparent Language CL-150. 2.0 Background: 2.1 In accordance with DoDD 5160.41E, Defense Language Program, it is DoD policy that foreign language and regional expertise be considered critical competencies essential to the DoD mission and shall be managed to maximize the accession, development, maintenance, enhancement, and employment of these critical skills appropriate to the Department of Defense's mission needs. Additionally, the study, maintenance, and employment of skills in critical [foreign] languages by DoD personnel shall be encouraged with provision for special pay and time for self-managed and classroom maintenance and enhancement of [foreign] language skills in continuing education programs, when authorized by law. DoDI 5160.41E requires DSCA to understand the organization's [foreign] language needs and establish appropriate levels of [foreign] language expertise. To these ends, DSCA will deliver web-based online foreign language proficiency training for use by DSCA employees. The desired endstate is a workplace environment that encourages initial and sustainment foreign language proficiency training by providing employees with foreign language proficiency improvement opportunities. 2.2 Limitations: None 2.3 Security Requirements: The contractor needs to be able to work with the DSCA Information Technology team and provide technical support to a controlled, but unclassified LAN system and DSCA employees to resolve technical issues due to training problems encountered on-line, but not on DSCA's unclassified LAN system. 3.0 Requested Information: 3.1. Explain how new content is made compatible with older operating system versions. 3.2. Specify which operating systems are compatible with vendor training services and list other minimum computer system requirements. 3.3. Identify all foreign languages, regional and cultural content offered and scheduled to be offered. Specify training limitations to language modalities (i.e. listening, reading, writing, speaking). 4.0 Responses: 4.1 Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI via email. Responses are to be submitted to DSCA Defense Contracting via e-mail to Mr. Woodrow Bell (
[email protected]) and Mr. Ali Beshir (
[email protected]). Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Telephonic inquiries will not be accepted. NO SOLICITATION/RFP EXISTS AT THIS TIME. The government reserves the right to conduct oral capability demonstrations. This is not a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract as a result of this notice or to pay for any information received. Any offerors that dialog with the Strategy Directorate - Plans Division will not be permitted to participate in any resulting solicitation/RFP. All dialogs regarding this RFI are to be directed to the DSCA Contracting Office POCs identified above. 4.2. All correspondence shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum: 4.2.1. Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact. 4.2.2. Provide a list of customers (Government/non-Government) within the past 5 years where similar services were provided. Include the contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of the procurement, length of contract, customer point of contact/physical and email addresses/phone numbers, and a brief description of the work performed. Outline current and/or past performance demonstrating a) Your experience in providing the aforementioned administrative and training services. b) Experience in translating commercial services to DoD training products. 4.2.3. Business type (large business, small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 611630, Language Schools. "Small business concern" means a concern, including its affiliates that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. A small business concern for the purposes of this procurement is generally defined as a business, including its affiliates, averaging no more than $7 million dollars in annual receipts. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for 3 or more complete fiscal years means the annual average gross revenue of the concern taken for the last 3 fiscal years. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for less than 3 complete fiscal years means its total receipts for the period it has been in business, divided by the number of weeks including fractions of a week that it has been in business, and multiplied by 52. Responders are cautioned, however, that this is a general description only. Additional standards and conditions apply. Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR Part 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards. The FAR is available at http://www.arnet.gov. 5.0 Questions: NO FORMAL SOLICITATION/RFP IS BEING ISSUED AT THIS TIME, and the Government does not intend to pay for the information submitted. Respondents will not be notified of the results of Government's review of the information received. No contract award will be made on the basis of responses received. As stated previously, the information will be used for informational and planning purposes. Requests for copies of a solicitation/RFP will not be honored or acknowledged as there is no solicitation/RFP at this time. Submit any questions NLT 09 July 2010 via EMAIL ONLY (no phone calls, please) to
[email protected] and
[email protected]. The Government intends to post the responses to questions received by COB 16 July. 6.0 Summary: THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. DSCA has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.