HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT RFP NUMBER 16-10-48 RFP TEACHER AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT ADDENDUM NUMBER TWO April 8, 2017, This addendum is issued to explain, modify or correct the original Request for Proposals document. This addendum and any subsequent addenda are hereby made a part of the Request for Proposals document and related specifications. In the event of a conflict, the most recent document will govern. Please acknowledge the receipt of all addenda when submitting your Proposal. Addenda should be inserted under Tab 8 of your proposal. *****Part III, Attachments Form I: FORM I: CONFLICT OF INTEREST CERTIFICATION AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST QUESTIONNAIRE (CIQ) INSTRUCTIONS has been updated****** DELETE: FORM I: CIQ CONFLICT OF INTEREST CERTIFICATION AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST QUESTIONNAIRE (CIQ) INSTRUCTIONS dated 6/29/2007 Delete the requirement to Notarize: FORM I- CIQ Conflict Of Interest Certification and Conflict Of Interest Questionnaire (CIQ) instructions ADD: CIQ CONFLICT OF INTEREST CERTIFICATION AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST QUESTIONNAIRE (CIQ) INSTRUCTIONS dated 11/30/2015 Question I have a planning meeting with an HISD principal next week to plan how to use our curriculum next year. Does this conflict with the code of silence? How should we respond (as a current vendor) when a principal asks for pricing into our next year so they can plan their budgets? Page 1 of 12 Response If you are a current vendor awarded under a current RFP then you can proceed with You should provide the pricing as requested, as the pricing should be in the form of a quote. RFP s don t span school years depending on the release date and the length of the initial contract term it may cross over into two or more school seasons. If an increase to the Pricing Schedule is requested and accepted by
Just to clarify, sole proprietors DO NOT need to carry additional insurance on the automobile coverage. the district during the renewal period a new quote should be produced. A price increase cannot be requested during the performance of a service where the vendor has received a valid purchase order, unless the service is being extended. If there are vehicles owned in the company name, then the Automobile Liability Insurance requirements shown in the RFP apply. If there are no vehicles owned in the company name, then only Hired and Non-Owned Automobile Liability insurance would be required. Some insurance companies provide that coverage as an endorsement on the Commercial General Liability. Some provide on a separate policy. The vendor will need to check with their agent for options. All insurance questions can be answered immediately by calling the HISD Risk Management Office at 713-556-9225. Is insurance needed for companies with no employees on District property? Background checks? Worker s Comp?, insurance is needed for companies with no employees on District property. All bidders are required to have Commercial General Liability Insurance and Automobile Liability Insurance. If your company has employees, Workers Compensation coverage is also required. If your company has no employees in the State of Texas, the Alternate Employer requirement will not apply. If your company has no employees, the Workers Compensation requirements will not apply. In regards to the background checks, Risk Management wouldn t be responsible for this. Background checks on vendors and there employee is the responsibility of the vendor providing the response submission. All insurance questions can be answered immediately by calling the HISD Risk Management Office at 713-556-9225. If the vendor already has another contract with the District, do they have to go through the insurance process again? each vendor must go through the insurance process. Each project differs so there might be different insurance requirements needed. All insurance questions can be answered immediately by calling the HISD Risk Management Office at 713-556-9225. Page 2 of 12
If your company is M/WBE certified and you receive an email reaching out regarding an intent to do business, will it make a difference if we reach out to potential partners as well? Also, what happens if both companies are accepted? If you are an M/WBE bidding a project as the prime, you may also subcontract with another prime bidding the project as their certified M/WBE. You may list a subcontractor who is in the process of being certified. Please note they need to include supporting documentation showing they are in the process of being certified with an agency accepted by HISD. Also, if you are awarded the project and your selected subcontractor that was in the process of certification does not end up getting certified, as the prime, you will need to select another certified M/WBE that is currently certified to fulfill your subcontracting commitment.. Can you work with an M/WBE subcontractor who has started the certification process, but did not complete it? Can they complete it later? Where do we get s list of approved M/WBE vendors? You may email Supplier Diversity with that request. Please make sure to include the NAICS codes with your request. Supplier Diversity will provide a list of vendors from each certifying agency accepted by HISD based on the NAICS codes provided. You may email Supplier Diversity with that request. Please make sure to include the NAICS codes with your request. Supplier Diversity will provide a list of vendors from each certifying agency accepted by HISD based on the NAICS codes provided. How does the prime contractor identify MWBE subcontractors? The prime is responsible for selecting their own certified M/WBE subcontractor(s). They may request a list of certified M/WBE companies from Supplier Diversity. The request should include NAICS code(s). Page 3 of 12
How can MWBE subcontractors find prime contractors? If the prime contractor is M/WBE, are participation requirements met or does the prime contractor have to subcontract MWBE to meet the requirement? How does the 20% or 25% requirement affect companies who have more than one RFP? Suppliers seeking to subcontract are encouraged to attend pre-bids to network with potential prime contractors. If you are a certified M/WBE, you would select Option I (page B5). This option does give you the opportunity to subcontract with other certified M/WBE suppliers if you would like. Each project depending on the scope of work has either a 20% or 25% goal. The 20% goal is for purchasing, non-professional and construction projects. The 25% goal is for professional services. MWBE Contracting Percent: Can the percent that has been agreed to between the contractor and subcontractor be less than 20% if there are minimal areas where a subcontracting MWBE may be able to assist or provide services to the contracting company? For those bidding on multiple RFP s, can they use the same documents to obtain the 100 points? Option III has a choice in which you may subcontract at less than the districts goal (page B14). 100 points are required under Option III. This depends on the choices selected under Option III. For example, you may use one Letter of Intent to Find Subcontractors, but the letter must include all project numbers and subcontracting opportunities. Please contact Supplier Diversity (713-556-7273) for other specific information. Form F Question: Our training has both face-toface and in-school coaching. Form only allows us to pick one. Do we list the same training twice, even though both are included in that flat fee? If we have both an external and internal catalog, do we just check the box? Vendors should choose the content type that best describes there product. Vendors can also include that it also covers another content in the Long Description (Column F) of Form F- Pricing Schedule.. Page 4 of 12
What do we tell schools if they call asking for quotes? What is the best way to make sure the USB drives don t get lost? Can we ask current principals about interest in continuing next year? While these forms are fillable electronically, are electronic signatures allowed? The CIQ in the RFP has only 4 items. The projected form had 7 items. Where do we get the revised forms? Does the RFP allow for skill-level pricing? Does the RFP allow for a mid-contract (after 2 or 3 years) cost of living raise? For attach financials if applicable, what makes it applicable and what financial info do you want? Is it necessary for a vendor who has been awarded a RFP for Staff Development to also apply for an RFP for Supplemental Materials in order to sell materials that go along with the training? In other words, does an RFP for services automatically authorize a vendor to sell materials to contracting schools, especially if the materials are needed for training? If the answer is no, that an additional RFP is not required to sell materials, confirm if an RFP for Supplemental Materials is necessary to sell materials to a school that has not contracted the consultant, but just wants the materials. Can we respond to one area of the RFP? Can we respond comprehensively, knowing that we will soon have these courses? Can you please confirm that Form C and Form D do not need to be submitted for this RFP? In Section III Attachments, it specifies that these are Not Applicable for this solicitation, but they If you are a current vendor please provide the quote in accordance with your original response submission. If you are not an approved vendor, the submission of a quote to a campus or department will be for informational purposes only. Unapproved vendors are not authorized to perform services for HISD campuses or departments. Enclose the USB drives in a sealed envelope and a fix them into the rings of the submission binder.. No, Electronic signatures are not permissible at this time. The update CIQ will be uploaded to the Procurement Web page. Skill level pricing can be addressed in the Form F-Pricing Schedule by listing the identical service multiple time and explaining the skill set in the short and long description fields. Rate increase for a contract can be requested during the annual renewal process. Financial are not applicable for this RFP at the time of submission. If these documents need to be requested at a later date all vendors will be notified. If the vendor intends to sell supplemental materials separately from the professional development then yes a separate submission is necessary. All pricing for professional development should include materials if warranted. Forms C and D are not required at this time should be submitted. If the need changes all vendors will be contacted. Page 5 of 12
are still included in the Proposal Requirement section. What is meant by Is there interest on the CIQ form? Does this mean we are interested in the contract? On CIQ question #3, does this include all former clients as well? Will packages be received Good Friday or the Monday after Easter? Is HISD open? Would a vendor need to respond to 16-10-48 if it provides program-specific PD or implementation services for a program that is submitted for 16-10-25? Does Houston ISD want a research component proposed to measure effectiveness? If selected, may the vendor contact the end-users directly to sell our services? Our training fits into more than one area of the scope of work. Should we pick just one, or put the same training under multiple scopes? Ex. Effective Practices & Behavior Management. Will it confuse purchasers if the same training is listed under multiple scopes? Part III: Attachments: Form A: If we don t have a data universal numbering system (DUNS) Number should we apply for one or write N/A? Part III: Attachments: Form A #20: Are books considered goods? Part III: Attachments: Form A #14: What does act on your behalf mean? If this proposal is for multiple years, how many years? Part III Attachments/ Market Baskets: Is it allowable to skip some questions that may not pertain to us in a certain market basket? Page 6 of 12 No, Interest speaks to Are you or a member of you staff affiliated with a board member, or member of HISD that can be considered a conflict, or perceived as such? If so please disclose this relationship. Disclosure of a relationship will not prohibit your company from submitting a proposal. Only if you are aware that former client is a currently employee of HISD. No the District will be closed on Good Friday., please respond to both if the scope of work for RFP 16-10-25 for Instructional Software does not speak to the detailed use of professional development. Please describe the methods used by your company as it pertains to the Scope of Work. HISD is not looking for any specific method. Please respond to all scopes of work that aligns with your area of expertise. As stated in the question list any individual or agent that can act or make decisions for your company., this contract will be an annual contract with the option to renew for 4 additional like terms of service. Provide responses to the Market Baskets that align to your area of expertise. If you are applying to a Marker Basket I recommend that you answer all of the questions listed under that Market Basket, if the questions does not pertain to your company it may be beneficial to explain why it doesn t.
Do you only do the market basket for the one you want to submit for? Can you submit before the due date? If an item falls into multiple market baskets, do we include that item multiple times? What if our supplemental curriculum and materials come with free/complimentary teacher/staff development for the use of the materials? Do you apply for both RFP s separately or how do you address this? Tab 3-Profile of the proposer c. Provide the last three years of financial How will we know if we are required to provide financial information? Tab 4- Section II 2.5 Scope of work Paragraph 5 states the district has the option to renew annually for 4 years with same terms, conditions, and rates. Will we be locked into the same rates we have given in this 2017 RFP? Tab 4- Section II Scope of work There is a 2.5 that is Evaluation factors and a 2.7 which is pricing sheets. What is 2.6? Tab 5- Appendix A It states to attach a copy of any certification as the last page of Appendix A. What type of certifications are being referred to? We noticed in the addendum for Part II 2.1.4 added the area of 2.1.4.4 Behavior Management. Were there other changes that occurred in the two addendums? What goes under Tab 5? Does Tab 5 still have Appendix A in it? The addendum did not indicate so. In Part III: Attachments, Appendix A is listed after Form M under Tab 2. Does it go in both Tab 2 and 5? Form A: Number of years vendor has been in business under its present business name. Does this include time under a DBA If the vendor intends to sell supplemental materials with complimentary PD only then you would not need to submit to both RFP s. Please note, that if you do not respond to RFP 16-10-48 your company cannot request payment for any of the PD services provided with the Supplemental Curriculum and Material. Financial are not applicable for this RFP at the time of submission. If these documents need to be requested at a later date all vendors will be notified. No, pricing increases can be request at the time of renewal. All increase request are subject to approval by the district. Increase request will be vetted against current market standards. 2.6 was omitted. Attach any certification applicable. If there are none disregard. All addendums are required to be downloaded, acknowledged, and placed in Tab 8 of the response submission. Please access any published addendums to verify any additional changes. Please revisit the procurement website. Appendix A and Appendix B (Master Service Agreement) are attached and follow Form M in Part III-Attachments. Appendix A should be placed in Tab 5 of the RFP submission. Only include the DBA if the current business is still doing business under the DBA name. Page 7 of 12
Form A:Has vendor conducted business with the district under another name? Does providing free services to schools count as conducting business with HISD? Form A:, please disclose the names. #12 Does any officer, partner, owner, sales representative and/or spouse work for HISD? Are our TEACH board members considered officers? We currently have 1 chief and 2 school principals on the TEACH board. Questions regarding Procurement E-commerce solutions. Where can we find information about e-commerce? Where can we find section 3.4 in the RFP? MARKET BASKETS 2.1.1 2.1.3 #6 Has your company currently provided these services to HISD schools? Our company has provided these services free of charge to HISD schools. Does this count? Should we provide HISD principals that we have worked with as references? If we mark No, can we still provide HISD principals as references? MARKET BASKETS 2.1.1 2.1.3 #12 Attachment of evaluation report. How should we attach the evaluation report in the binder? Is there a specific location for it to be saved on the usb? This is an outdated reference. Please disregard., please list all services provided to HISD schools that are aligned with the scope of work outlined in the Market Basket. The evaluation report should be attached behind the appropriate Market Basket in Tab 5. The USB drive should mirror the original hard copy submission. Part II Document, Tab 3 Profile of the Proposer c. If applicable: Provide the last three years of financial Financials are not applicable for this RFP. If the need changes all vendors will be notified. What specific financials are requested and how do we know if they need to be submitted? (Part I, page 4, section 1.6 FINANCIAL INFORMATION: states that Proposer(s) may be required to submit audited financial statements for the last two years at the District s discretion.) Should we provide documents for 2 or 3 years? Is this a district wide PD purchase? Page 8 of 12, this District Wide Purchase.
Is this a contract with the district, and then we are able to sell our PD services to the individual schools within HISD? If this is a contract where we sell school-to-school (not a district-wide purchase), does HISD want per-school pricing OR per-user pricing. I see that the M/WBE section has 100 possible points associated with the opportunity. How many points are assigned to the entire proposal? I have found 'weights' for criteria, but no points. Also, re: M/WBE, is this required at some level or the proposal will be disqualified? Finally, our business is 33 % woman owned but there is no place to value that ownership in the proposal the contract is with the District. Vendors are able to market their product to the campuses and departments after board approval and receipt of a fully executed Master Service Agreement. No, this contract is for District-Wide purchase. Pricing should be in accordance with Form F: Pricing Schedule. The M/WBE Participation Report is required documentation to move forward in the RFP process. Please note, one of the four options listed on page B5 must be selected. Option III is the only option that requires an accumulation of 100 points. The M/WBE portion of the RFP should account for 10 points of the evaluation/criteria. Gerardo Garcia, included in this email will be the assigned specialist to this project. Please feel free to contact him directly should you have any additional questions. If approved, how many years will the vendor have before needing to re-apply? This RFP will be for 12 months, with the option to renew for 4 additional like terms of service. If prices increase over the years, how will the vendor make these adjustments with the district? If we have no 'exceptions,' do we leave Form H: Exception Form blank and sign or do we mark it N/A? Price increases must be mutually agreed upon by both parties at the time of renewal. Prices cannot be increased in the middle of a contract term. All price increase request at the time of renewal will be vetted against current market standards and independent cost analysis., Leave the Form Blank Or Mark N/A. Sign the form and include it in your response. If we are only applying for Market Basket 2.1.1, 2.1.2, and 2.1.3, do we just leave the remaining questions blank? Do we need to provide a signature/title/date for the remaining Market Baskets? No, you need only submit the Market Baskets that you are applying to. Regarding M/WBE: Do we include pages B-1 through B-3? If we are choosing the NON-PROFIT OPTION, do we omit instruction pages B-6? And Page 9 of 12 If you are non-profit, you would select that option on page B5 and include a copy of the organization s IRS determination letter. This is the
do we omit the pages that do not pertain to us (i.e. pages B-7 through B-30? In Form A, question 23 you refer to a section 3.4 of this RFP, but there isn t a 3.4 in the RFP. What does this refer to? only documentation required if selecting the nonprofit option on the M/WBE Participation Report. 3.4 is an outdated Reference. The correct reference is 2.7. On Form A, question 14, should the consultants who are providing the services be listed? With respects to pricing, if a company has 2 levels of consultants who provide services based on credentials, can the provider submit 2 pricing levels for the same service based on the credentials? Q. Please elaborate (more so than the RFP) on the difference between these 3 areas that you are looking for: 2.1.1 Academic Content/Enrichment 2.1.2 Effective Practice 2.1.5 Other PD topic aligned to effectiveness of Practice for Instructional Staff 2.1.1 Academic Content/Enrichment Academic and enrichment includes professional development in any of the core subject areas or enrichment courses. Examples might include PD for that addresses specific TEKS or strands in a content area. For example Figure 19 in Reading or the Geometry strand in Math. It would also include fine arts development, languages other than English, etc. 2.1.2 Effective Practice HISD teachers are appraised on a set of indicators for Effective Practice. The PD in this market basket would focus specifically on one or more of those practices. It could range from analysis of data to classroom management, as long as it is linked to one of the criteria listed in the Scope for the RFP. 2.1.5 Other PD topic aligned to effectiveness of Practice for Instructional Staff This market basket is for PD that falls outside of the other defined market baskets. It might be focused at a specific target audience such as Para professionals, administrative assistants, nurses, etc. Is a performance or payment bond required? No Page 10 of 12
Code of silence - our company has approved products under last year's bids and we've been working with HISD to both upgrade existing product and purchase new product. In the pre-proposal conference, vendors were told that it's "business as usual" (in relation to the cone of silence) if we are already doing business with HISD. However, we've received mixed messages from others in the district regarding the cone of silence. Can HISD clarify how the cone of silence applies considering we are in the process of selling product to HISD under our current approval for the 2016-2017 school year with training potentially happening as early as June, 2017? Will you please confirm that we are able to continue having these conversations and planning for purchases that will likely happen in the next 2-3 months, as was stated in the pre-proposal conference as "business as usual"? In the Certification of Non-Collusion Statement i) No officer or principal of the undersigned vendor is related to any officer or employee of the District by blood or marriage within the third degree or is employed, either full or part time, by the District either currently or within the last two (2) years. We currently have 3 TEACH board members that are employed by the district (1 chief and 2 principals). Where do we document this? FORM H: When do we use this form? Would we use it to share information about the HISD staff that are on our board? Addendum 1: How do we acknowledge receipt of the addendum? Do we print and place behind FORM H: Exceptions forms? The Code of Silence pertains to the current solicitation. Current approved vendors can still plan and coordinate upcoming services with the campuses and departments. Any pricing for future services must be aligned with the current RFP pricing as RFP s may span multiple school years. Pricing for projected services should be presented to the campuses and departments as a quote. The receipt of a quote by any campus or department does not guarantee any minimum or maximum amount of work to be performed. Quotes not secured with an approved purchase order prior to the contract expiration on June 30, 2017 should be considered void until such time that the vendor is reestablished as an approved vendor. Please include this information on your Conflict of Interest Form No, Use this Form if you have any exceptions to Part I: General Term and Conditions or Part II: Scope of Work. You acknowledge receipt by signing the signature block at the end of the Addendum and placing a copy of the signed addendum in Tab 8 of the response submission. The following Documents have been uploaded: a) Addendum 2 b) Form I: CIQ CONFLICT OF INTEREST CERTIFICATION AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST QUESTIONNAIRE (CIQ) INSTRUCTIONS dated 11/30/2015 c) Pre-Proposal Sign in Sheet All other terms, conditions, and requirements of the original RFP remain the same at this time. Page 11 of 12
Deyen J. Greene-Evans Senior Sourcing Specialist Procurement Services Email: dgreenee@houstonisd.org PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THIS ADDENDUM BY SIGNING AND RETURNING WITH YOUR BID PACKAGE Company Authorized Signature Page 12 of 12