IT Pre-Apprenticeship Curriculum RFP, p. 1

Request for Proposals:

Pre-Apprenticeship Curriculum for the IT Industry

Release Date: Monday, June27, 2016

Proposals Due: Friday, July29, 2016, 3:00 p.m. EST

Overview

Purpose

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit services to develop and complete pre-apprenticeship curriculum for the Information Technology (IT) industry for opportunity youth (ages 16 to 24, not in-school or fully employed) that will be made publically available for adoption and implemented across opportunity-youth-serving employment and training programs in the Greater Philadelphia region (Philadelphia, Chester, Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery counties). Pre-apprenticeship programs are a critical step in preparing young people for fulltime employment as an apprentice. This curriculum provides background knowledge and basic skills development for the industry and helps mature participants through development of soft-skills and critical thinking and decision-making. Our goal is to reduce the burden on supervisors by delivering an apprentice candidate who is ready and able to engage fully in their work as an apprentice.

Who is Eligible to Apply

Applicants may be either not-for-profit or for-profit organizations.

Term

This project will be funded from contract award date (or soon thereafter) until completion.

Scope of Services

Background Information

Philadelphia Works is the recipient of a U.S. Department of Labor American Apprenticeship Initiativegrant to develop and expand high-quality apprenticeships for opportunity youth in the high-growth, H-1B industries of IT and Behavioral Health in the Greater Philadelphia region. This grant focuses on developing systems to prepare opportunity youth for employment as apprentices. We intend to demonstrate that properly prepared opportunity youth can be successful and provide return-on-investment to employers through an apprenticeship.

Service Requirements

We seek a partner with expertise and existing relationships with regional apprenticeship programs and strong links toemployers in the IT sectorto develop and complete standardized, employer-validated pre-apprenticeship curriculum for the IT industry. This curriculum will be made publically available for implementation across opportunity-youth-serving organizations in the region, and the awarded entity would be required to provide technical assistance to these organizations in implementing the curriculum. Successful completion of the curriculum should qualify opportunity youth to enter full employment in a Registered Apprenticeship in IT.

A database of Registered Apprenticeship program sponsors in the Greater Philadelphia region can be found here: oa.doleta.gov.

The contractor will perform the following tasks:

Curriculum Development: The contractor must create and/or adapt pre-apprenticeship curriculum that aligns withregional IT employers needs for entry-level apprentices andIT industry standards and prepares opportunity youth with the skills and competencies needed to enter one or more Registered Apprenticeship programs in IT and related occupations. The curriculum should include:

  • Awareness of the Registered Apprenticeship modeland career pathways for IT Specialist positions, including pre-requisites, entrance exam requirements, length of program, curriculum topics, job vacancies, position duties/responsibilities, wages, etc.;
  • Baseline knowledge and skill standards to meet any testing or other pre-requisites/entrance requirements into Registered Apprenticeship programs in IT;
  • Introduction to core competencies and practical instruction that follow industry standards andregional IT Registered Apprenticeship program curricula, including programming, database management, web development and administration, networking, and client-side support;
  • Attainment of IT industry certifications/credentials, such as CompTIA A+, Microsoft Office Specialist, and European Computer Driving License;
  • Career exposure activities in IT, including job shadowing, internships, and/or other work experiences; and
  • Lessons and activities on general workplace and personal effectiveness competencies relevant to the IT sector, including teamwork, planning and organizing, innovative thinking, problem solving and decision-making, integrity, professionalism, adaptability and flexibility, and dependability and reliability (for more information, see the IT Competency Model at

Curriculum Format: The curriculum must be either competency-basedor a hybrid of competency- and time-based. It must be able to be delivered in a face-to-face cohort, but may also include self-paced and virtual lessons. The curriculum should include lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes, and teacher and student guides. It should be delivered in an electronic format, such as Microsoft Word or similar program, so it can be customized and used as needed.

Employer and Partner Validation:The pre-apprenticeship curriculum must be approved and certified by Registered Apprenticeship program partners and/or employers in the IT industry. This process must include:

  • A documented recruitment strategy of the partners and employers that were contacted and their qualifications;
  • A review process that details which partners and employers were involved, the number of reviews completed, timeline, outcomes of each review, etc.; and
  • Letters from each partner and employer involved that approves of the final curriculum and validates the contents.

Implementation Assistance:The awarded entity must be available, willing, and able to provide technical assistance to opportunity-youth-serving organizations in the region that want to implement the pre-apprenticeship curriculum in IT as a stand-alone program or into their current programming. This assistance could include meetings (in-person, phone, and/or virtual), guidance/instructional documents, on-site visits during program operation, troubleshooting, and/or other supports.

Performance Expectations

Develop and complete pre-apprenticeship curriculum that aligns with regional Registered Apprenticeship programs and industry standards in IT; is validated by partners and employers in the IT industry; and can be implemented across opportunity-youth-serving organizations in the region.

Application Package

  1. Cover page with contact information and signature (Attachment 1 or equivalent)
  2. Proposal statement of workdescribing the organization’s approach to the work and how you plan to meet the expectations of Philadelphia Works for the tasks specified within the scope of work.
  3. A timeline for achieving the project’s goals.
  4. A description of your organization’s capacity and experience to carry out the proposed activities and meet the goals. Include examples of any similar projects. Include evidence that the organization has existing relationships with regionalRegistered Apprenticeship program partners and employers in IT.
  5. List of the major person(s) who will deliver services and their roles and qualifications.
  6. Proposal budget and cost/pricing rationale.Estimate the costs and pricing to deliver the requested services. Include line item justification. Include any services that you will provide in-kind, with an estimated cost of those services, if possible.
  7. A short organizational history and mission including the number of years in business.
  8. Organization and compliance information (Attachment 2).

Deliver one copy of these materials either electronically or in unbound hard copy by Friday, July29, 2016, 3:00pm to:

Mark Genua, Apprenticeship Program Director

Philadelphia Works

1617 JFK Blvd, 13th floor

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Email:

Proposals may be judged nonresponsive and removed from further consideration if the proposal is not received timely in accordance with the terms of this RFP and/or the proposal does not follow the specified format.

Questions about the RFP or requests for more information are required to be directed to Mark Genua, Apprenticeship Program Director, at with the subject line “Pre-Apprenticeship Curriculum for the IT Industry RFP” by Friday, July 15, 2016, at 3:00pm. All answers to questions about the content and/or process of this RFP will be posted on our website at Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Evaluation Criteria and Process

Proposals will be evaluated by an Evaluation Team consisting of fair and impartial Philadelphia Works staff members and external partnersbased on the criteria below. Philadelphia Works contemplates award of the contract to the responsible bidder with the highest total points.

Philadelphia Works may, at its discretion, request presentations by or meetings with any or all bidders, to clarify or negotiate modifications to the bidder’s proposals. However, Philadelphia Works reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposals submitted. In addition, it reserves the right to:

1.Contact any bidder to clarify responses.

2. Contact current or past customers of the bidder.

3.Select the bidder it feels best meets the needs of the project, regardless of whether the proposal has the lowest cost.

4.Reject any proposal that the evaluation team and / or Chief Financial Officer believes is not in the best interests of Philadelphia Works.

5.Waive any defects in a bidder’s proposal provided that it is in the best interests of Philadelphia Works to do so, and that action will not cause any material unfairness to other bidders.

6.Accept or reject all or any part of any response, waive minor technicalities, and select a bidder that best serves the goals of the project, and these actions will not cause any material unfairness to other bidders.

The project narrative should describe the organization’s proposed approach to the work and its experience and capacity to achieve the goals, as described in the Scope of Services section, above. Please complete this in 8 – 10 pages double-spaced.

A total of 60 points can be earned. Points are earned in response to the following (please see Attachment 3 for the Proposal Evaluation Form):

  1. Approach to the Work (Maximum 20 points)
  2. A proposedapproach to the scope of workand a description of necessary elements needed to result in meeting the expectations and goals.
  3. A timelinealigned with elements forpre-apprenticeship curriculum development and completion.
  4. Experience/Capacity (Maximum 20 points)
  5. Proven expertise to develop pre-apprenticeship curriculum that aligns with regional apprenticeship programs and industry standards in IT.
  6. Proven capacity to identify program partners and employers in IT to validate curriculum.
  7. Any past similar projects.
  8. Cost (Maximum 10 points)
  9. The proposed costs are reasonable.
  10. Priority consideration for in-kind services.
  11. Technical, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity (Maximum 10 points)
  12. Agree to enable Philadelphia Works to monitor use of funds as required by federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidelines.

Philadelphia Works, in soliciting requests for proposals, shall not discriminate against any person or organization submitting a proposal pursuant to this Request for Proposal because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnic group, national origin, or other basis prohibited by law.

All funds anticipated to be available to support activities under this RFP are based on availability of federal funding and are subject to change. Philadelphia Works reserves the right to cancel this RFP and the proposals submitted for this award if it determines that no proposal was appropriately responsive.

Attachment 1 - Cover and Signature Page

Name of Organization:
Address of Organization:
Contact Person – Name and Title:
Phone: / Fax: / Email Address:
Fiscal Contact Person – Name and Title:
Phone: / Fax: / Email Address:
Signature of Authorized Agency Representative:
Name: / Title: / Date:

Attachment 2 – Organization Information

ORGANIZATIONINFORMATION
Is theorganizationincorporatedasa:
___For-Profit___Non-Profit
Whatistheorganization’sfederaltaxIDnumberorthenameandFederalTaxIDnumberofthelegalentitythatwill
actonbehalfof theorganization?
Istheorganization(orthelegalentityidentifiedabove)
certified by theCity’sMinorityBusiness Enterprise Council?
___ Yes___ No / Is theorganizationminority-ownedand/oroperated?
___ Yes___ No
Haveanyoftheapplicant’sFederal,StateorCitycontractsorgrantseverbeenterminatedorsuspended(either
totallyor partially)for anyreason? Yes (Ifyes, explain onseparatesheet.) No
Has theapplicanteverfailedor refused tocompleteacontract?
___Yes (Ifyes,explainona separatesheetof paper.)___ No
Is applicantinreceivershipor bankruptcy,or areanysuch proceedings pending?
___Yes (If yes, explainonseparatesheet.)___No
Hastheapplicant’sorganizationeverbeencited,fined,orreprimandedforanylaworcodeviolationsorhasany
businesslicensebeensuspended orrevoked?____Yes (If yes,explainonseparatesheet.) ____No
HastheapplicantagencyanditsstaffordirectoreverbeenbarredfromenteringcontractswithFederalorState
government agencies? ___Yes (If yes,explainonseparatesheet.) ___No
ConflictofInterest/UnionConcurrence
Does the organization have any connection with Philadelphia Works (including its Board of Directors or Youth Council)?
___ Yes (If yes,explain on a separatesheet.)____No
List all unions thatmaybeassociatedwith this project. Useseparatesheetif necessary.
Doesthe agencyhaveunionapprovalof theproposedproject?
Yes(Attacha copyofwritten proof.)
No
Unionapprovalwas notrequested.
Unionapproval is not necessary.

Attachment 3 – Proposal Evaluation Form

Pre-Apprenticeship Curriculum for the IT Industry

Proposal Evaluation Form

Proposal Submitted By:

A. Approach to Work = Maximum 20 Points:

  1. Proposed Approach
/ Maximum 10 Points / Awarded:
Review Project Narrative.
Does the proposer’s approach to the scope of work seem reasonable? Are the necessary elements needed to result in meeting the expectations and goals clear?
Notes:
______
______
  1. Timeline
/ Maximum 10 Points / Awarded:
Review Project Timeline.
Does the proposer’s timeline appear reasonable? Does the proposer’s timeline align with the elements for pre-apprenticeship curriculum development and completion?
Notes:
______
______
A. Total Points for Approach to Work Section
(Maximum 20 Points)

B. Experience/Capacity = Maximum 20 Points:

  1. Expertise
/ Maximum 10 Points / Awarded
Review Project Narrative.
Does the proposer have proven expertise to develop pre-apprenticeship curriculum that aligns with regional apprenticeship programs and industry standards in IT? Does the proposal indicate any past projects that are similar to the proposed services?
Notes:
______
______
  1. Capacity
/ Maximum 10 Points / Awarded
Review Project Narrative.
Does the proposal indicate the capacity to deliver the proposed services? Is there evidence that the proposer has existing relationships with regional apprenticeship programs and employers in IT?
Notes:
______
______
B. Total Points for Experience/Capacity Section
(Maximum 20 Points)

C. Cost = Maximum 10 Points:

1. Reasonableness of Costs / Maximum 5 Points / Awarded
Review Budget and Cost/Pricing Rationale.
Do the costs appear reasonable and necessary for the services outlined?
Notes:
______
______
2. In-Kind Services / Maximum 5 Points / Awarded
Review Budget and Cost/Pricing Rationale.
Does the proposal indicate any in-kind services? Does the estimated cost of these in-kind services seem reasonable?
Notes:
______
______
C. Total Points for Cost Section
(Maximum 10 Points)

D. Technical, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity = Maximum 10 Points:

1. Capacity / Maximum 5 Points / Awarded
Review Project Narrative and Organization Information Form (Attachment 2).
Does the proposer have the technical, administrative, and fiscal capacity to complete all of the proposed services?
Notes:
______
______
2. Compliance / Maximum 5 Points / Awarded
Review Organization Information Form (Attachment 2).
Has the proposer complied with all previous contracts, grants, or other agreements? Has the proposer been cited, fined, reprimanded, or barred from any contracts or agreements? Does the proposer agree to enable Philadelphia Works to monitor use of funds as required by federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidelines?
Notes:
______
______
D. Total Points for Technical, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity Section
(Maximum 10 Points)
Overall Score (Add A + B + C + D )
Maximum 60 Points
Reviewed by: / (Type or Print)
Signature:
Date:
Comments: