U--RFI for construction training in support of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)

This Request For Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your response to this notice is strictly voluntary and will be treated as informational only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this notice or the Government use of such information. The U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), Project Manager Field Operations (PM Field Ops) Contingency Operations Support (COS) is researching existing training capabilities to assist the Afghan National Army (ANA) in increasing its engineering capability which will help provide a safe and secure environment for both the government and people of Afghanistan. The Corps Engineer Kandaks (CEK) are ANA Engineering units consisting of one Horizontal (road development / earth moving) and one Vertical (buildings) production company, a Forward Support company and Headquarters and Headquarter Company and will serve as the primary training audience. This effort would train entry level basic skills and provide Program of Instruction (POIs) for future basic training to help establish a train the trainer capability. All training would be conducted in Afghanistan. The Horizontal Company has the following Mission Essential Tasks requiring training: - Earth Berm production and maintenance training - Install and Repair HESCO Barriers - Install and Repair Lines of Communication (e.g. road development and repair) - Install and Repair Force Protection Measures, IAW current Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) Construction Standards - Perform General Horizontal Engineering Support - Provide Mobilization support in deployed environments The Vertical Company has the following Mission Essential Tasks requiring training: - Install and Repair Force Protection Measures, IAW current ANSF Construction Standards - Perform General Vertical Engineering Support: Subtasks include masonry, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and heating/air-conditioning The offeror's training POIs shall ensure all vertical and horizontal structures are temporary in nature. The offeror shall leave no real property or structures after completion of Home Station Training. The disassembly of temporary training structures will be utilized as course material for practical hands-on training, and shall be incorporated within the training POI. It is anticipated that there will be three Mobile Training Teams (MTTs) manned to conduct training. The training teams are based on the following information: Home Station Training Courses for CEK / NEB Units - Primary Focus - Standard training week - 6 Days per Week - Classroom Hours per day - 8 hours daily - Student load per course - Upwards of 160 students per Mobile Training Team (3 MTTs) - Instructor to Student ratio - 1 to 10 - Training locations in Afghanistan-10 The estimated Period of Performance is projected to be 12 months. Offerors shall develop a full POI which incorporates Home Station and follow-on training in order to ensure all mission essential tasks are trained. The POI will be reviewed and approved by IJC/ NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan's (NTM-A). Attached are US Army Engineering training references to facilitate POI development. The Home station training is the primary focus of this requirement. The planning, resourcing, and executing of this training shall be the responsibility of the offeror with USG oversight. The training will focus on ensuring that the vertical and horizontal companies receive hands-on practical training in support of their mission essential tasks. The three training packages that must be delivered are a vertical training package, horizontal training package, and handover/takeover package for the SFAT and partnering units. The Vertical Training Package: The offeror shall provide training focused in each of the four critical skill trades. - Carpentry - Masonry and concrete finishing - Plumbing - Electrical The Horizontal Training Package: The offeror will be responsible for developing a final lesson plan (IAW POI) and the material for this training. Training in each area will start with an emphasis on safety practices and hands on equipment training. The trainings are as follows: - Project Planning/Execution-Road development & repair, barrier protection, trench and berm production and soil/slope stability - Maintenance and Repair The Hand over Take over Training Package: The offeror will provide the following. - Evaluation - Training/Material - After Action Review Services common to all segments of training: Training shall be conducted in both Dari and Pashtu languages. If the instructors are not fluent in both Dari and Pashtu then the offeror shall provide a Language Assistant (interpreter) for each instructor. Develop POIs for Home Station training and have all material translated into Dari and Pashto. POIs and all instructional materials must be designed for unassisted use by the Afghan Students. POIs must include as a minimum, scripted step-by-step lesson plans and training support packages which provide the minimum requirements with training aids - type, description and number required per person trained. Offeror trainers shall live on-site at each KDK or closest available US facility. The Government will provide shelter/lodging for all US contractor personnel, as well as adequate force protection. The offeror shall provide their personnel all equipment required to execute this training. The USG ultimately requires a trade school-like capability to teach and train Afghani soldiers rudimentary skills required to fulfill the Mission Essential Tasks defined below. The USG is requesting a response to the following 4 questions within 7 calendar days of the posting date of this RFI. All responses shall be in writing and should be limited to 5 pages in length (Times New Roman, 12 font, 1-inch margins, single-spaced): 1. How many days will it take to provide persons on the ground in Afghanistan to conduct training 2. The USG is considering 2 different NAICS codes (611513 and 611430) to correspond with this requirement. The USG requests industry feedback on the appropriate NAICS code 3. Responses shall include how ANSF Construction standards will be fulfilled to meet performance/training objectives for each Mission Essential Tasks identified above 4. Responses shall include a complete statement of training construction capabilities that an offeror can provide in response to this RFI THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION is for Market Research purposes only, and is being used as an instrument to identify potential technologies and sources that can provide the capabilities described above. The information provided in this notice is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The Government has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed and it will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Request for Information. All cost associated with this Request for Information will be solely at the expense of the respondents. Additionally, all submissions become government property and will not be returned. No basis for a claim against the Government shall arise as a result from a response. Comments and questions regarding this notice should be SUBMITTED IN WRITING, via e-mail (subject: RFI Response), to Contracting Officer, MAJ Thomas D. Kelley at [email protected] or to Ms. Megan Weidner, Contract Specialist at [email protected].