RFP SA 1804-Recruitment Services. Addendum #2

Transcription

1 Procurement Department 4 County Complex Court, Woodbridge, Virginia Fax (703) January 8, Recruitment Services Addendum #2 THIS SOLICITATION IS HEREBY AMENDED AS FOLLOWS: Questions and Responses Attachments: Recruitment Services Scenarios Position Listing by Level Acknowledgement: Offerors submitting a proposal for the above named solicitation shall take note of the following changes, additions, deletions, clarification, etc., in the Contract Documents, which shall become a part of and have precedence over anything shown or described in the Contract Documents, and as such shall be taken into consideration and be included in the Offeror s response. All other terms and conditions of the Request for Proposals shall remain unchanged. Offerors must acknowledge receipt of this amendment by signing and returning this addendum with the proposal prior to the proposal deadline. Authorized Signature Date Name Printed Title Company Name 1

2 This solicitation is hereby changed to read: Reference Attachment A, II. Scope of Work, Paragraph A, at the end of the first sentence: Change to read The Contractor shall conduct recruitment searches and shall provide qualified candidates to the Service Authority for the vacant position (s) for which this contract is intended on an as-needed basis and as specified. Reference Form A-Offeror Reference Form, the second sentence: Change to read The Offeror should have performed similar work for a minimum period of five (5) years. Reference Attachment A, II. Scope of Work, Paragraph 9 Terms and Fees: Paragraphs a. and b. are not applicable to internal candidates. Reference Tab 2, Section D Proposed Price: Change to read 1. Propose prices for each level of the positions listed in the attached Position Listing by Levels in part or whole based on the Offeror s expertise/specialty and removed the paragraph # 2. Breakdown of direct labor and and supporting schedule. Questions and Responses: 1. Question: Is there a pricing template that the state would like us to use? Response: Service Authority s preferred pricing structure is % based recruitment pricing such as: % of the negotiated first year base salary. 2. Question: Are there key personnel required for this opportunity? I see it referenced, but not directly named. Response: We need the Contractor (s) s key personnel who would be assigned to our account if the contract is awarded. 3. Question: Would it be possible for the Service Authority to provide a breakdown of the criteria against which the Key Personnel will be evaluated? Response: Reference the section 5.11 Contractor Key Personnel in the solicitation. 4. Question: Are there any constraints about the length in business years requirement? We are in the business for more than 3 years (but fewer than four years) are we able to participate in this contract? Response: Yes. Your company can participate in this contracting process. 5. Question: Will a Pricing Attachment be added, or is there a specific pricing structure that should be used? Response: Reference the response to the question # Question: I was reviewing your Recruitment Services RFP and noticed in Attached A Section 9 that there are terms for which the Authority will not pay a fee. We are a retained executive search firm who has worked for several Authorities to assist them with filling their Director level and up roles. 2

3 Given the nature of retained search in C-Suite/Director roles, we often times interview internal candidates as part of our search. Upon reading the terms laid out in Section 9 Terms and Fees, it is questionable that Authority would be open to engaging a retained search firm for this work. I certainly want to ensure that we are not wasting your time by submitting a proposal for work that we would not be considered for given the nature of our retained pricing structure. Can you please let me know if the Authority is willing to consider a retained search firm for the Recruitment Services RFP? Response: Amended the referenced section above. 7. Question: What specific positions does the Service Authority consider to be key personnel? Response: Reference the section Contractor Key Personnel in the solicitation. 8. Question: In reference to Section 5.13 C., is the Service Authority willing to release to vendors the initial price estimate the Service Authority uses to analyze all price proposals? Response: No. This information is not available. 9. Question: In reference to Section 5.13 C., can the Service Authority provide the scoring formula that is used to determine the price points for each proposal? Response: The lowest price shall be scored the maximum number of evaluation points for price which is 20%. The scenarios for the pricing evaluation are attached to this addendum. 10. Question: In reference to Section 6.4 D. of Tab 2, is the Service Authority looking for fixed or not to exceed rates? Response: The Service Authority is looking for fixed % rates. 11. Question: In reference to Section 6.4 D. of Tab 2, are there specific breakdown fees that should be included for the Service Authority to evaluate? Response: This section is revised. 12. Question: How many maximum numbers of awards does the Service authority intends to make? Response: To be determined. 13. Question: Do you have local preference? Response: Local preference for candidates. 14. Question: Are we correct in understanding that the only resumes that we need to provide is for the key personnel who will manage this account such as account manager, Recruitment manager etc.? Response: Yes. That is our preference. 15. Question: Since we do not have sample job positions do we just need to provide our markup percentage that we will charge along with its breakup under pricing? 3

4 Response: Position Listing by Level is attached to this addendum and Offerors will be able to find job titles, descriptions and compensation information from the following link: Question: Can Principal s past experience as a consultant or independent be compensated in lieu of firm s overall experience? Response: Yes. The Principal s past experience could be taken into a consideration but we are more looking for the company s overall experience in recruitment services. 17. Question: Please explain item 6.4-E. Availability of the Firm: Provide the firms current and anticipated workload and available resources during the course of this Contract. If this is a RFP for recruitment services what is this item specifically addressing? Response: We are looking for the information regarding the firm s current and anticipated workload and available resources during the course of this Contract. 18. Question: How many resources agency typically hire per year and also how many temporary resources it utilizes during the year? Response: It is difficult to determine how many positions we would want to fill using a search firm. Last year, we hired 9 applicants using various search firm services. Currently, one firm (hired through an informal solicitation process) is still actively recruiting for us. We hired a total of 51 regular positions in FY17 through our own recruitment efforts. 19. Question: References for primes: can less than 5 references be provided in total? Response: Yes. 20. Question: Please elaborate what information you expect the vendor to provide when it says Provide a detailed description of the company s record for successful and unsuccessful search and recruit actions in the public sectors. Response: We are looking for Offerors to provide their experience in successful and unsuccessful search delineating the detailed work descriptions; names (types) of organizations, job titles, timelines of work and reasons why successful or not successful, etc. 21. Question: In reference to Section 6.4 D. of Tab 2, should the vendor provide pricing for different levels of experience for each key personnel (i.e. Associate-level, Mid-level, and Senior level)? Response: The Service Authority is looking to receive price proposals for all the positions listed in the Position Listing by Levels attached to this addendum. However, it is allowed for Offerors to propose pricing in part or whole based on the Offerors expertise/specialty. 22. Question: Will all positions for the Service Authority be direct hires, or will there be a mixture contract types? Response: Direct hires 4

5 23. Question: How does the Government want us to price the bid? (i.e. for fulltime or Direct hire fixed fee of annual salary, for Temporary Staffing Per hour etc.) Response: Reference the response to the question # Question: a. What is the level of tech pro recruitment you expect for 2018? (i.e. number of roles to fill, types of roles) Response: This information is not available since this contract is intended to be used on an asneeded basis. b. What kind of recruitment services is this RFP meant to attract? Is it focused on traditional third party recruitment, temp-to-perm, etc? Or is it also meant to include online job board and social media recruitment? Response: Service Authority is looking for traditional third party recruitment services through vendors, who ultimately decide what kind of resources to utilize for recruiting. 25. Question: Please can you suggest what was the last year and/or estimated spend for this contract? Response: Service Authority spent approximately $141,000 last year for the recruitment services. 26. Question: Are roles permanent, full-time with the County? Or, short term or long term contract? Response: This contract is for regular full-time positions, not temporary. To clarify, we are not the County. We are a separate entity. We are the Water & Sewer Utility for the County. 27. Question: Total or average spends for previous years? Response: Reference the response to the question # Question: Total anticipated spends for this award? Response: This information is not available but last year Service Authority spent $141,000 for the recruitment services. 29. Question: Background screening - please clarify if Contractor must conduct full background checks after candidate has been selected? By full background check, we are referring to criminal history, SSN trace & verification, DMV, along with drug screening, etc. Response: Contractor shall verify references and confirm applicant s credentials (degree/certifications/licenses etc.) The SA will run a background check/ etc. after an offer has been made. 30. Question: Terms and Fees a. Does PWCSA only want to see a placement fee structure? Or would an hourly billing structure be of interest? 5

6 Response: Service Authority s preference is a placement fee structure. b. Will PWCSA please provide labor categories? Response: Position Listing by Level is attached to this addendum and Offerors will be able to find job titles, descriptions and compensation information from the following link: c. Will PWCSA please provide the number of hires made last year, and the number of projected hires for the Response: Reference the response to the question # 18. d. Will PWCSA please provide the amount of money spent on recruiting services in 2016 and 2017? Response: Reference the response to the question # Question: Section 5: Selection f. The Contractor shall conduct a second search at no additional cost to the Service Authority if a candidate hired by the Service Authority fails to maintain employment with the Service Authority for a period of six (6) months after start of employment with the Service Authority by either resignation by the candidate or determined unsuitable by the Service Authority. Is 6 months negotiable? Response: 6 months are non-negotiable. 32. Question: Scope of Work Questions: a. How many fields does PWCSA intend to award? Response: To be determined. b. What kind of fields does PWCSA intend to award? Response: Reference the attachment, Position Listing by Level. c. Do candidates have to be located in the DC/Northern, VA/Maryland area? Is PWCSA open to candidates outside of the areas listed if they are willing to relocate? Will remote work ever be an option? Response: We prefer candidates in the local area, but would be open to hiring the right candidates, even if they are not local. Remote work would be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but it is highly unlikely. d. Will multiple vendors be awarded in the same field? Ex: two vendors competing in the IT specific space. 6

7 Response: Yes. Multiple vendors could be awarded in the same field. This contract is not an exclusive service contract. The Service Authority does not guarantee the amount of business that each Contractor will receive as a result of this RFP process. e. Please explain the difference between the background checks that PWCSA expects the vendors to perform and the background checks that PWCSA performs. Response: Reference the response to the question # 29. f. Does PWCSA expect the vendor to perform background checks prior to PWCSA extending an offer of employment? Response: Reference the response to the question # Question: RFP calls for Program/Project Manager. Is this a billable position? Response: This position is more like the assigned Contractors who works with the Service Authority for recruitment services. 34. Question: Is Contractor s Program/Project Manager expected to work on this contract Full-time or part-time? Response: As long as the Service Authority obtains the required service in accordance with the Scope of Work in the solicitation it would not be an issue how the Contractor utilizes its Program/Project Manager. 35. Question: Will Project Manager be required to work onsite? Response: No. Direct all inquiries to purchasinggroup @pwcsa.org End of Addendum Number Two 7