RFP 18-047 Training Services

Attachment I – Scope of Work

DFR Training Services RFP – Attachment I - Scope of Work – Addendum 1

RFP #18-047

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Background

3.0 General Project Requirements

3.1 Notification of Problems Responsibilities

4.0 Training Services – Contract Requirements

4.1 Key Personnel and Staffing Responsibilities

4.2 Training Plan Requirements

5.0 Initial Transition Requirements

6.0 Performance Metrics

7.0 Quality Assurance Standards

8.0 Performance Metrics Validation

9.0 Reporting Requirements

10.0 Corrective Actions and Payment Withholds

11.0 State Duties and Responsibilities

12.0 State Eligibility Systems

1.0 Introduction

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), Division of Family Resources (DFR) requests responses from vendors experienced in providing Training Services for the State and Eligibility Services contractors’staff in support of eligibility operations for organizations similar in size and scope to DFR. Indiana’s Eligibility Operation is the central resource in helping Hoosiers apply and receive benefits, including the following programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families(TANF), Indiana Manpower and Comprehensive Training (IMPACT), Medicaid, Hoosier Healthwise,Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), and Hoosier Care Connect.

2.0 Background

DFR is the division responsible for establishing eligibility for the following programs: SNAP, TANF, IMPACT, Medicaid, Hoosier Healthwise, HIP, and Hoosier Care Connect. Applicants/clients may submit their application online, in person at a DFR Local Office, by mail, via fax, or over the phone. The Eligibility Services Contractorsare part of a larger system of eligibility operations managed by DFR. The State currently contracts for services and staff for the eligibility determination operation, which consists of the Central Change Center (CCC), Regional Change Centers (RCC), and Local Offices. The State also contracts with vendors that provide document scanning; electronic data capture; handling of indexed and non-indexed documents; and printing and mailing notices to clients/applicants. In addition to Indiana Office of Technology (IOT) and DFR staff, the Eligibility Services Contractors have touchpoints with some or all of the above named entities and other contractors, as needed and directed by the State, in addition to performing the core Eligibility Services listed in this Scope of Work. The Training Services Contractor selected from this RFP process will be responsible for providing Training Services to the State and Eligibility Services contractor staff involved in these eligibility determination operations. The Training Services Contractor will provide training including but not limited to the following roles (brief description):

  • Eligibility Assistant (EA) – works in the Local Office providing front office support
  • Eligibility Specialist (ES) – works in the Local Office and RCC, completes case work, understands end to end processing, conducts interviews, and answers inquiries from clients via phone
  • State Eligibility Consultant (SEC) – works in the Local Office, conducts interviews, reviews work completed by ES, determines eligibility and authorizes benefits
  • State Eligibility Manager (SEM) – manages the Local Office, Local Office staff, and assignments

DFRCCCs and RCCsare non-client facing service centers and perform functions in support of Local Offices and the eligibility process. Their functions include but are not limited to:

  • Processing of applications, changes, redeterminations, indexed and non-indexed eligibility supporting documentation
  • Hearings and appeals documentation preparation
  • Benefit recovery
  • Answeringclient/applicant questions received via phone, and other related activities

The CCC and RCC contractor performsallthe majority of the preliminary case processing before the case is submitted to the State for a final determination of eligibility.

DFR Local Offices are the client-facing side of the eligibility operation and vary in size and certain protocols, but they perform functions that include but are not limited to facilitating and accepting applications, conducting interviews, scanning and processing eligibility supporting documentation,answering applicant questions, authorizing and determining eligibility. There is at least one Local Office per county, with some counties containing multiple Local Offices. For a full list of Local Office service locations, please refer to the Bidder’s Library.

A separate Local Office Staff Augmentation contractor provides some of the staff for Local Offices. Together, the CCC/RCC contractor and Local Office Staff Augmentation contractor will be collectively referred to as the “Eligibility Services Contractors” for the purposes of this RFP.

3.0 General Project Requirements

TheContractor shall provide Training Services in support of Indiana’s Eligibility Operation.

The Contractor for Training Services shall:

  • Develop and maintain a customized training curriculum for each role including training for new hires, refresher, and remedial promotional training for existing staff;
  • Provide experienced and qualified trainers that understand the eligibility operation in its entirety;
  • Deliver effective and measurable face-to-face training for all new and current Eligibility Servicescontractors and State staff;
  • Develop training materials for RCC/CCC and Local Office staff
  • Collaborate with the State to ensure that all training material is reviewed and approved by the State prior to the beginning of training delivery or update of training materials. Upon request, the Contractor shall provide the State with training materials that are currently in use;
  • Prepare competency tests to be administered upon completion of training prior to trainees assuming their duties;and
  • Provideanyandallinformationrequestedby DFR,i.e.costs,training and access to training toolsandanyotherareasforwhichDFRrequiressupporting documentation.
  • Collaborate with identified stakeholders, including RCC/CCC, Local Office, and State Regional Management staff regarding training needs for new hires, remedial promotional training needs at the individual level, or specific training needs at the RCC/CCC or Local Office level.

3.1 Notification of Problems Responsibilities

The Contractor shall notify the State of issues and problems as they arise.

The Contractor for Training Services shall:

  • Notify the State Contract Manager and State Training Director by telephone and/or email immediately upon discovery of any problems that may critically affect the daily operations of the contract or any area critically impacting the Contractor’s operations.
  • Ensure all reports, notifications, operational status summaries or other documentation of information requested by the DFR shall be recorded and supplied, at no additional cost, within a twenty-four (24) hour period.

4.0Training Services – Contract Requirements

This sectionoutlines the Training Services required to trainEligibility Services contractor personnel and State staff involved with Indiana’s Eligibility Operation. All new Eligibility Services contractor and State staff hires are required to participate and successfully complete a comprehensive initial training regimen consisting of both technical and programmatic training modules before assuming full-time professional job responsibilities. Existing employees within the Eligibility Operation must undergo several forms of training according to the agreed upon requirements detailed in this Scope of Work. The Contractor must provide a comprehensive and innovative training strategy sufficient to meet or exceed contractual responsibilities, to comply with Federal, State, and DFR requirements and support DFRfunctions.

The State willprovide training facilities for use by the Contractor. If the Contactor prefers to propose an alternative training space, a detailed justification must be submitted to DFR, including the reasoning as to why this arrangement would be beneficial to DFR and the overall Eligibility Operation.The Contractor shall only use alternative training space if approved by DFR.If the Contractor proposes alternative facilities they are responsible for the facility costs and maintenance.

The Contractor shallequip training rooms, supply training materials, develop curricula to support training delivery, and utilize State designated space for all training materials and development. The State shall provide LMS software, webinar licenses (GoToMeeting), hardware, equipment, office furnishings, and fixtures for training rooms but the Contractor may provide supplemental equipment, if required. The Contractor will be responsible for any additional software licenses as necessary.

The Contractor shallmaintaina plan for acquiring additional training facilities for all Contractor-delivered training if the State so requires. Training facilities must accommodate sufficient seating to support trainer to student ratios.The Student to Trainer ratio shall not exceed 25:1. Due to space restrictions some RCC locations capacity accommodates less than the aforementioned ratio.

4.1Key Personnel and Staffing Responsibilities

  1. The Contractor shall ensure that there are sufficient trainers, training managers,staff and other training resources available to ensure that staff can begin training in a timely manner(within five business days of the new hire start date).
  2. The Contractor is responsible for coordinating with State staff to provide Training IDs to the trainees to access the system andensure that there is no delay in training.
  3. The Training Services Contractor must work collaboratively with the Eligibility Servicescontractors to keep record of which trainees meet expectations, as well as develop materials for remedial training..
  4. The Contractor must work collaboratively with the Eligibility Services contractors and State Regional Management to schedule training, communicate information to trainees, and keep record of trainee performance. Contractor shall share all schedules, training documents, performance data, and communication with the State as requested.
  5. Key Personnel must include, at a minimum:
  6. Learning and Development Specialist: The Learning and Development (LD) Specialist conducts skills, technical, management, and staff development training courses within business units and groups. Along with possessing a strong knowledge of Indiana’s public assistance programs, the LD Specialist must possess effective facilitation and class preparation skills to coordinate cross-state tasks and interact with staffin all areas of the eligibility operation. The LD Specialist must possess extensive knowledge of policy and guidelines in relation to Indiana’s Eligibility Public Assistance Programs. Contractor must have a minimum of two trainers in each region (see Attachment H – Region Map). The larger regions such as St. Joseph, Marion, Allen, Grant,and Lake require a minimum of three trainers. Trainers must also know how to process tasks and spend time at the RCC/CCC and Local Office to ensure trainers understand the workflow.
  7. Training Director: The Training Director is responsible for scheduling and coordinating trainings and managing training staff schedules to ensure that training is occurring in a timely manner.The Training Director will serve as the main contact for DFR and be responsible for day to day operations and ensuring that performance standards are met, tracked, and communicated to the State. The Training Director will also be responsible for coordinating the update and approval of training material in coordination with the State Training Team. All training material must have a final written approval by the State Training Director prior to implementation.
  8. The Training Directorshall:
  9. Possess a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university;
  10. Have a minimum of three years of professional experiencetraining and delivery of public assistance benefits; and
  11. The Contractor shall provide a Content Development Team. This team is responsible for writing, developing and modifying the training materials (including but not limited to work instructions, internal policy memos and correspondence, computer based trainings), and maintaining and updating all RCC/CCC and Local Office procedures on one centralized and easily accessible website that shall reside on the State network. All training materials developed for this contract are property of the State. Additionally, this team will develop storyboards and deploy the final training to trainees/staff. At minimum, the Content Development Team shall have Technical Writers, Instructional Designers, and Instructional Developers. Additionally, the Contractor must have RCC, benefit recovery, hearings and appeals, and Local Office subject matter experts that will be used as a resource to ensure training materials incorporate system and policy changes as the changes are implemented
  12. The Contractor shall develop and maintain a staffing plan that shall:
  1. Contain an administrative organizational training structure that meets or exceeds the responsibilities described in this Scope of Work, includingoutlining the training personnel by DFR Region(see Attachment H – Region Map);
  2. Include a description of the different types of instructor-led training and intended instructor to student ratio. The student to trainer ratio shall not exceed 25:1. Due to space restrictions some RCC locations capacity accommodates less than the aforementioned ratio. The Contractor must receive State approval before planning for or conducting face-to-face and remote training simultaneously;
  3. Outline training staff minimum requirements and qualifications to prepare training staff to effectively develop and deliver training materials;
  4. Provide a plan for monitoring and evaluating training staff, including but not limited to corrective action planning to ensure quality products are developed and delivered;
  5. Explain how the staffing plan accommodates potential increases/decreases in training volume and training staff attrition;
  6. Explain how all State staff and Eligibility Services contractor employees will be trained on all program policies and procedures of the Eligibility Operation;
  7. Explain how the staffing plan accounts for ensuring that State staff and Eligibility Service contractors that transition to different roles are adequately trained in their new responsibilities.
  1. Contractor staff may not work in the direct line of supervision of or conduct training for a relative who is employed by the State. “Relative” means any of the following: a spouse, parent or stepparent, child or stepchild, brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister, niece or nephew, aunt or uncle, and daughter-in-law or son-in-law. An adopted child of an individual is treated the same as a natural child of the individual. “Brother” and “sister” include a brother or sister by the half blood.Contractor will require contractor staff to report to Contractor if they work in the direct line of supervision of or conduct training for a relative who is employed by the State.

4.2Training PlanRequirements

A.The Contractor is responsible fordeveloping atraining curriculum and activities forthe Eligibility Services and Local Office Staff Augmentationcontractors, subcontractors, and FSSA staff to support SNAP, TANF, IMPACT, Medicaid, Hoosier Healthwise, HIP 2.0, Hoosier Care Connect, and other health and human service programs administered by FSSA, including but not limited to the programs in this Contract. The Contractor must develop procedures for maintaining and updating the training plan and training materials throughout the contract term.

B.The Contractor’s training plan must be tailored to specific staffing functions and responsibilities, including training material specific to EAs, ESs, SECsand SEMs. These materials must be tailored to the specific functional responsibilities of staff within the CCC, RCCs and the Local Offices.

  1. The Contractor shall provide training materials customized to the different functions of key personnel and staff involved in the Eligibility Operation:
  2. SEMs
  3. SECs
  4. ESs
  5. EAs

These training modules must include, at a minimum, New Hire (Local Office), New Hire (RCC), Hearings and Appeals (CCC/RCC), Benefit Recovery(CCC/RCC),Refresher Training,Promotional Training,New Content Training (referring to instances in which the State introduced a new program, policy, or procedure that must be delivered to the existing workforce), and LeadershipTraining.

  1. The State is providing the current training timelines below for informational purposes only. This should not be construed as a requirement; the State seeks a detailed narrative from Respondents describing their proposed length of each type of training, and how it will meet the State’s needs, as part of their response to this section of the Scope.
  2. Currently, training program timelines for eligibility staff are the following:

Position / Training Type / Training Weeks
Eligibility Assistant (EA) / New Hire (Local Office) / 3
Refresher / Varies
Promotional / 19
Eligibility Specialist (ES) / New Hire (RCC) / 22
New Hire (Local Office) / 22
Refresher / Varies
Hearings and Appeals (CCC/RCC) / 2
Benefit Recovery (CCC/RCC) / 3
Promotional / 2
State Eligibility Consultant (SEC) / New Hire (Local Office) / 24
Refresher / Varies
Promotional / 2
State Eligibility Manager (SEM) / Refresher / Varies
New Content Training / Varies
Leadership Training / Varies
  1. The Contractor shall deliver training in a manner that facilitates effective and sustainable learning. Examples include breaking training into modules that include interactive curriculum-based learning,on the job training, and conducting Refresher Training every few months. The Respondent must propose a Training Plan to be submitted upon award at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to the operational start date or by the date specified by DFR and anytime thereafter when specified by DFR including but not limited to all of the requirements listed below.DFR reserves the right to require the Contractor to make revisions to the training plan. Specifically, the training plan will be reviewed by DFR Training Director and FSSA’s policy team at a minimum annually (or at the request of the State) to ensure that all policies and procedures are accurate and up to date. The Contractor must submit an updated training plan to the State for review and approval within fifteen (15) business days of receiving the request (this is also a Performance Metric as listed in Section 6.0).

C.The training plan must address:

  1. Curriculum Development. The Curriculum Development section of the training plan shall meet the requirements listed below. DFR reserves the right to observe and participate in training sessions of all training staff. The Contractor shall submit initial curricula, training materials, and tools at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to initial training delivery dates for review and approval. DFR reserves the right to request training material and tools at their discretion. The Curriculum Development section of the training plan shall:

1)Outline appropriate curricula and training methods, including but not limited to systems (including any new system changes), equipment, eligibility operations, processes, procedures and policy (existing as well as potential changes in law and/or policy), quality, security and privacy, confidentiality, client’s/applicant's civil rights, fair hearing process, appeals and rights to due process;