Request for Applications (“RFA”) for Training for a Green DC:
Stormwater Retention Best Management Practice Maintenance Training Course
The District Department of the Environment (“DDOE”) is seeking nonprofit organizations or educational institutions to develop a training course for District residents to learn the specific skills required for maintenance of stormwater retention Best Management Practices (BMPs). The amount available for the project in this RFA is approximately $150,000. This amount is subject to continuing availability of funding and approval by the appropriate agencies.
Obtaining text of the RFA: The full text of this Request for Applications (RFA), and the three required attachments, are available as links at the bottom of this page. Additionally, a person may obtain a copy of this RFA by any of the following methods:
- Email a request to [email protected] with “Request copy of RFA 2014 - 14-08-SWMD” in the subject line;
- In person by making an appointment to pick up a copy from the DDOE offices 5th floor reception desk at 1200 First Street NE, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20002 (call Michael DeVito at (202) 645-4231 and mention this RFA by name); or
- Write DDOE at 1200 First Street NE, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20002, “Attn: Request copy of RFA 2014-14-08-SWMD” on the outside of the letter.
The deadline for application submissions is June 13, 2014, at 4:30 p.m. Five hard copies must be submitted to the above address and a complete electronic copy must be e-mailed to: [email protected].
RFA Contact: For additional information regarding this RFA, send an email to: [email protected].
Questions & Answers
Q: What is DDOE's expectation for the "video of the training" under Deliverables, #5? Is the video to cover classroom sessions and in-the-field training for each of the maintenance procedures (green roofs, bioretention, permeable pavers, stormwater harvesting and impervious surface disconnections)? What is the level of production expected? Are there to be graphics/tables/illustrations included? Is a voice over to be included? What is the length of the video expected to be?
A: The expectation is that the video will be something that can be posted on the DDOE website or YouTube and that will be useful for the public or other stakeholders to learn more about the maintenance of best management practices (BMP’s) in general and this training program specifically.
A high level of production is not expected, and applicants are allowed leeway in what they propose for the videos. The final decision on what to include in the video will be made in coordination between the Stormwater Management Division and the grantee.
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Q: Please explain DDOE's expectation regarding the following passages:
DDOE will own the intellectual property that the program develops, including all training materials and curricula. The grantee will be given a nonexclusive, irrevocable right in that intellectual property.
Training materials can be based on existing training materials, provided the applicant has the right to use them and can transfer the usage right to DDOE. DDOE retains ownership of all materials created for this project.
A: For intellectual property developed for the grant, DDOE expects to own the intellectual property rights. DDOE is willing to work with the grantee, through the Office of Contracting and Procurement, to develop mutually acceptable language regarding intellectual property and usage rights for other grant related materials.
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Q: If we are proposing to cover 4-5 BMP types in the maintenance training, how long a video in minutes are you expecting? Is the intention for the video to be 'instructional', or to raise awareness and prompt viewers to seek out more specific information?
A: Generally we wanted to leave the description for the video broad as a way to see what applicants could come up with based on their experience and expertise. That being said, the RFA does call for an instructional core to the video. We would like applicants to propose what they believe would be helpful for other potential trainees or potential employers. We would also like applicants to propose what would be beneficial in terms of time or content. The video could act as a refresher for graduates of the training or it could serve as an entry point for stakeholders to learn what is involved in the training and BMP maintenance in general. We do not see the video as being comprehensive or taking the place of the training in the future, and the video is a supplement to the training itself. The primary focus of this RFA is still preparing and conducting successful BMP maintenance training.
Since this is a competitive process, the goal for this deliverable should be for applicants to demonstrate a vision for the video that maximizes output while still being cost effective.
