DATE: January 31, 2018 Pursuant to the Port of Los Angeles Workforce Training Center Consultant Request for Proposals (RFP), all proposers were to submit any questions regarding this RFP no later than Monday, January 29, 2018. Questions were to be answered in writing and all questions and responses were to be posted on the Department s website. Below is a list of questions received from proposers and the Department s response: 1. Q: Our Senior Accountant Executive has worked with the Port of LA for many years providing software and advanced technical training for your employees. Is this proposal something that would fit into this category, in regards to providing your employees with computer training? A: No. This proposal seeks a consultant who will: (1) conduct an occupation and skills sector assessment, and (2) help finalize a curriculum currently under development by ILWU, PMA, and the Harbor Department, and help develop a partnership between the ILWU and PMA. 2. Q: Do respondents have to submit on all three elements of the scope of work (1. Program Development, 2. Partnership Facilitation/Management, 3. Sector and Program Assessment) Or, can they respond to 1 or 2 elements that fit with their capabilities? A: The Harbor Department is seeking a consultant who could provide services in all three areas, but would consider proposals from consultants that cover portions of the scope of work. 3. Q: Is there a listing of occupations including current counts that make up the ILWU workforce? A: The ILWU workforce at the Port of Los Angeles is comprised of multiple local chapters with specific occupational units (longshore, clerical, etc.). While the name and information about the local chapters is publically available information, the Harbor Department does not have a listing.
DATE: January 31, 2018 PAGE 2 OF 7 4. Q: What, if any work has been completed relate to the up-skilling and reskilling curriculum? A: The Harbor Department is working in conjunction with the ILWU and PMA to develop the curriculum. The curriculum is for a lashing-technique training program. The Harbor Department, ILWU, and PMA will use a similar curriculum currently in use in British Columbia. The parties are working to modify it, per ongoing discussions with ILWU and PMA, to fit the needs at the Port of Los Angeles. 5. Q: What is the expectation for on-site availability of the consultant/project manager to complete the project? Are there a specific number of on-site meetings and/or hours per week desired? What, if any work is able to be done remotely? A: While the Harbor Department has not identified a specific number of on-site meetings, the Harbor Departments expects the consultant to have some presence on-site. While an on-site presence may not be necessary for a sector assessment, the Harbor Department would expect the consultant to be on-site working closely with ILWU and PMA for regularly scheduled meetings to finalize development of the curriculum and to help all parties in assessing possible training sites at the Port of Los Angeles and helping the ILWU and PMA with the start of the pilot program. 6. Q: For the Workforce Assessment of the Freight & Goods Movement sector, what are the desired counties to include for the Southern California Region? A: While the Harbor Department would consider revising the list upon discussion with the consultant, the initial interest is to include the following counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, and San Bernardino. 7. Q: How do the Harbor Development, ILWU, and PMA currently interact on workforce development related initiatives? Historically, workforce training of ILWU members is conducted by the PMA subject to a collective bargaining agreement. The Harbor Department now seeks to complement this by establishing a labor management partnership so that both parties can jointly engage in the development and execution of workforce training for ILWU members at the Port. In addition, the Harbor Department is looking to develop a workforce training environment that comprehensively covers the entire supply chain.
DATE: January 31, 2018 PAGE 3 OF 7 8. Q: What content should be included in the insurance Verification Letter? Can a sample be provided to prospective bidders as an example? A: The content is included on the sample letter attached to this Q & A document. 9. Q: We are certified as a small business by the Small Business Administration (SBA), not an 8(a). Should we check SBE in Exhibit B Small/Very Small Business Enterprise Program? A: Yes, and any firm that is considered a SBE should check SBE in Exhibit B and should also register and get certified as a SBE on the Los Angeles Business Assistance Virtual Network (LABAVN) at www.labavn.org, prior to submitting a proposal. 10. Q: If not applying as a Proprietary Small Business Enterprise (SBE), do we not need to complete and submit the forms as described? A: All firms are required to submit all administrative forms. 11. Q: We are an out-of-state firm. Do we need to have a BTRC number or exemption number in place with the submittal? Or, could this be addressed if the contract is awarded to our firm? A: No, a BTRC or exemption number are not required at time of proposal submittal. This can be addressed if you are selected for award of contract. 12. Q: Is there an editable version of the CEC Form 55 available? A: No. 13. Q: What is the not-to-exceed project budget? A: The budget will be determined based on proposals received. 14. Q: What is the source of funding for the project? A: At this time, this project is funded by a grant award the Harbor Department received from the High Road Training Partnership grant program administered jointly by the California Workforce Development Board and the Employment Development Department.
DATE: January 31, 2018 PAGE 4 OF 7 15. Q: Is there any further information that can be provided on the specific assistance needed for the proposed training program that is currently under development by the Harbor Department ILWU, and PMA? A: The Harbor Department, ILWU, and PMA have already started to develop the curriculum for the pilot training program. The training program is a lashingtechnique training program that will be modeled after a lashing-technique training program that already exists in British Columbia. While the Harbor Department, ILWU, and PMA will seek to replicate the existing program, work still needs to be completed on adapting that existing program to the needs of the Port and this ILWU workforce and also working through specific details in drafting proposed curriculum. All parties would look to the consultant s experience in developing or implementing training programs to support all parties in working through the outstanding details of the proposed curriculum to finalize it, and then implement the program to an actual on-site training program. 16. Q: Does the City of Los Angeles Harbor Department have subject matter experts in workforce training, and the supply chain sector currently on hand, that the contractor/awardee will be collaborating with? A: The consultant will work in conjunction with the Director of Labor & Workforce Development and other members of the Harbor Department s staff. While the Harbor Department employs individuals with decades of supply chain experience or experience in labor/workforce policy, the Harbor Department does not have specific individuals on staff whose sole role is to serve as subject matter experts. The Harbor Department is seeking a consultant(s) to, at least, provide that workforce training expertise. 17. Q: Is there a page limit to the proposal response? A: No 18. Q: What is the anticipated budget for the initiative? A: The budget will be determined based on proposals received.
DATE: January 31, 2018 PAGE 5 OF 7 19. Q: What is the anticipated level of effort for this initiative? A: The Harbor Department is committed, starting with our Commission, the Executive Director and continuing throughout leadership, to the development of the partnership between PMA and ILWU and the completion of the sector assessment. The Executive Director created the Director of Labor and Workforce Development position to oversee this project and the consultant so that the Executive Director can stay directly apprised of the status of the projects. The project has also received support from the Mayor s office. 20. Q: Is the consultant to deliver the curriculum or simply develop it? A: The consultant will need to support ILWU, PMA, and the Harbor Department in working out outstanding details of the lashing-technique program. The curriculum for the pilot program is modeled after existing curriculum that is already in place in British Columbia. Modifications are necessary to implement their curriculum in Los Angeles, and so there will be some development work in addition to supporting the ILWU and PMA in delivering the curriculum. All parties would look to the consultant for their expertise with developing training curriculum to determine how to implement the lashing-technique training program. 21. Q: How and when will the proposed training program under development by the Harbor Department, ILWU, and PMA be complete? A: The Harbor Department expects the consultant to help in completion of the curriculum under development. The consultant would be expected to work with the Harbor Department, ILWU, and PMA to help fully develop the curriculum, based on curriculum used in British Columbia, so that it s specifically tailored for the needs of the ILWU labor force at the Port. The consultant would help with the technical details of the curriculum, work with Harbor Department staff on creation of the training site at the Port, and support ILWU and PMA to implement the program. 22. Q: Would the Harbor Department want at least an alpha test of the curriculum delivered by the curriculum team? A: The curriculum used for this program was already developed in British Columbia. The Port, ILWU, and PMA seek to use that curriculum and modify it to best fit the needs of the Port of Los Angeles. The consultant will need to coordinate efforts with the other parties to modify the curriculum and then work with all parties to implement it. Initial testing will need to be completed before full implementation with participants.
DATE: January 31, 2018 PAGE 6 OF 7 23. Q: In what form is the class to be offered past the contract period: instructorled, online, virtual? A: The consultant retained as part of this RFP will not be the actual instructor for the pilot training program. The consultant will help take the curriculum developed so far to completion and will help with the implementation of that curriculum. The instructor would likely be an individual affiliated with the ILWU and/or PMA. 24. Q: What is the length of the training? Half a day, full day, multiple days? A: The length of the training is to be determined. The consultant retained through this process would help the parties reach a decision on the length of the training program that is most effective for the lashing-technique training program. 25. Q: Once the curriculum is developed, will the contractor hold a Train-the Trainer session, to train future instructors on how to deliver the curriculum? A: The consultant will not be the actual instructor of the lashing-technique training program. The consultant will help the parties move forward with on-going efforts to develop and finalize the curriculum, and will help the parties with implementation of the agreed upon curriculum. Yet, the actual instructor would be selected at a later time by all the parties. The parties would look to the consultant on such details as to how to train the trainer and future trainers. 26. Q: Is it only the freight and goods movement sector we are assessing? Or, are there other sectors? A: At this time, the Harbor Department is focused on the freight and goods movement sector in the Southern California region. Yet, the Harbor Department is amenable to discussing other relevant sectors for review if the consultant believes it is necessary. 27. Q: Much of the program development and Sector and Program assessment can be completed off-site. Can you clarify what the Harbor Department would like in terms of the ability of the consultant to be on-site? Is it a specific number of staff? The consultant would not independently create a workforce training pilot program. The Harbor Department, ILWU, and PMA have already started the development of the curriculum and would seek the consultant s expertise and assistance in the continued development, finalizing, and implementing the curriculum. The curriculum is being developed as part of an effort to create a first
DATE: January 31, 2018 PAGE 7 OF 7 of its kind labor-management partnership between the ILWU and the PMA. The consultant s responsibilities would include supporting the Harbor Department s efforts to foster, develop, and formalize the possible labor management partnership. As the development and implementation of the curriculum is a joint effort, there is the possibility for a significant amount of in-person coordination or possible regular scheduled meetings. The Harbor Department recognizes that the sector assessment responsibilities of the consultant could be completed offsite. The Harbor Department does not have a requirement as to specific number of staff that is required of the consultant.
SAMPLE LETTER Company Name Date To Whom It May Concern: Please be advised that the requirement set forth pertaining to indemnity and insurance, can be provided should the proposer be selected. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Sincerely, Name of Broker/Insurance Carrier