Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United States
NRC Recruitment and Retention Integrated Marketing Services
Agency:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Official Address:
11555 Rockville Pike Rockville MD 20852-2738
Zip Code:
20852-2738
Contact:
Daniel App, Phone 3014156985, Email Daniel.App@nrc.gov
Link:
Date Posted:
24/05/2018
Classification:
R
Contract Description:
Background:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) mission is to license and regulate the Nation’s civilian use of radioactive materials to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection of public health and safety and to promote the common defense and security and to protect the environment.
The NRC workforce possesses detailed knowledge and specialized technical skills that enable the agency to fulfill its mission in the three major areas of nuclear reactors, nuclear materials, and radioactive waste. To maintain this expertise and respond to emerging needs, the NRC will need to focus on innovative recruitment strategies as competition increases for qualified individuals to serve as technical staff for both the NRC and the industry. Below is a brief list of the types of fields we may be targeting in the future but is by no means an exhaustive list as we need to be flexible and adapt to the changing needs of the agency:
• Engineering (nuclear, mechanical, structural, fire protection, electrical,
geotechnical)
• Nuclear physics, health physics and radiation health physics
• Security (physical protection, cyber, and network)
• Risk assessment
• Human Factors (and affiliated degrees)
In fiscal year 2017, NRC hired 26 permanent employees due to external hiring limitations. The agency has experienced a consistent attrition rate (about 5%) and anticipates minimal growth in the number of new hires each year of the contract to offset expected losses primarily due to retirements. Through the agency’s strategic workforce planning, we need to ensure the agency has the critical skills required to meet its mission which may require us to do some limited external hiring. These positions will be located at our Rockville, MD Headquarters location, our Technical Training Center located in Chattanooga, TN, and our four Regional Offices (King of Prussia, PA; Atlanta, GA; Lisle, IL; and Arlington, TX). In addition, the agency also recruits for resident inspectors and site administrative assistants that work at nuclear power plants. There are currently 99 licensed to operate nuclear power plants located across 30 different states. The agency offers a number of benefits to recruit and retain highly technical staff which may include things such as flexible work schedules, telecommuting opportunities, retirement and health benefits, recruitment incentives, relocation benefits for new employees and student loan repayment.
Scope:
The contractor shall provide facilities, technical expertise and management in order to develop, establish, organize and maintain a national outreach and recruitment program. Technical expertise includes, but is not limited to, branding and recruitment marketing with Federal agencies; recruiting and retaining individuals with scientific, engineering and highly technical skills; writing and creative direction; advertising, print/online media purchasing; social media communication; recruiting event registration and fee payment; graphic design and web design. Tasks will include a strategic analysis of the goals and objectives of the recruitment program, identification of the target audience, development of the marketing message, and recommendation of the promotion mix to ensure an adequate number of highly-qualified candidates to address the agency’s workforce needs. This work will focus on outreach to external candidates for new hires or on internal communications to highlight human capital initiatives to retain current employees. This work may require things such as: (1) photography, artwork, and design to integrate all marketing activities for the recruitment or retention program; (2) development of advertisements, brochures, posters, newsletters, recruitment display units and other promotional materials; (3) development of a comprehensive media plan to reach our external or internal target audience, including: printed media (i.e., newspapers, magazines, trade or professional journals and other printed or online communication mediums); audio-visual and broadcast media; outreach activities to include virtual or face to face events including registration and payment of all related fees. The integrated marketing plan must include a focus on recruitment activities that represent and target highly qualified female, minority, and veteran candidates as well as candidates with disabilities with a special emphasis on targeted disabilities; (4) guidance on improving the agency’s employment section on the public Web site, including content development and organization; (5) other NRC-approved avenues for recruitment and retention enhancement.
The NRC will provide the contractor with the number and type of candidates the agency is anticipating recruiting in the short-term (e.g., less than 2 years) and long term (e.g., 5 years). This will include students, entry level and mid-career professional hires by job category (i.e., chemical engineers, materials engineers, etc.) or information on internal human capital initiatives that need to be promoted to current employees.
The agency’s hiring needs will drive the number of print and online media buys. During reduced hiring times the agency has had a media mix that annually included approximately 10-12 print advertisements; 10-15 online banner ads; job board packages that range from three 30-day postings to unlimited postings; two to five email blasts; and several opportunities to have the agency logo placed on a Web site or be included in electronic newsletters. Should agency hiring needs increase during contract period and more funding become available then the NRC Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will notify the contractor so that more media buys may be made.
The agency’s hiring needs will drive the number of virtual and face to face outreach events to attend. During reduced hiring times the agency has had a mix of outreach and recruitment events that that annually included approximately 10-15 events some of which may or may not be included in an advertising/media package. Should agency hiring needs increase during contract period and more funding become available then the NRC Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will notify the contractor so that more outreach and recruitment events may be added to the mix. The mix of outreach and recruitment events must include a focus on recruitment activities that represent and target highly qualified female, minority, and veteran candidates as well as candidates with disabilities with a special emphasis on targeted disabilities in addition to focusing on both entry level and experienced professionals. Examples, of such outreach and recruiting events, although not limited to, are Service Academy Career Conference, Society of Women Engineers, Equal Opportunity Publications’ Careers and the disabled Career Expo, University of Puerto Rico- Mayaguez college career fair and Purdue University Industrial Roundtable.
The requirement has three (3) focus areas: strategic analysis, media/marketing plan and promotional materials.
The contract will consist of a one base period from 11/01/2018 through 04/30/2019 plus four (4) one-year options to extend the term of the contract. For proposal preparation purposes, the offeror should assume an award on or about September 2018 and a postaward conference at the NRC in Rockville, Maryland within one week thereafter.
Solicitation Availability and Proposal Submission:
The NRC uses Compusearch Software Systems’ secure and auditable two-way web portal, FedConnect, to communicate with offerors and contractors. FedConnect provides bi-directional communication between the offeror/contractor and the NRC throughout the preaward, award and postaward phases. Assistance with FedConnect is provided by Compusearch Software Systems, not the NRC. FedConnect contact and assistance information is provided at
The solicitation and any related amendments will be released only via FedConnect; therefore, potential offerors must register at to access the solicitation and amendments. The solicitation is anticipated to be posted on FedConnect on or about May 31, 2018. Offerors are encouraged to check FedConnect regularly for solicitation availability and amendments to it. In addition, proposals will only be considered if they are submitted via FedConnect.
The solicitation will include detailed instructions for how to prepare and submit a proposal.
By submission of a proposal, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the System for Award Management database at www.sam.gov prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any resultant contract.
Evaluation Factors for Award:
The NRC intends to award one contract to the responsible Woman Owned Small Business Offeror whose proposal is deemed to represent the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. Evaluation factors are anticipated to include Technical and Management approach, Corporate Experience, Experience of Key Personnel and other proposed personnel and Past Performance. Details will be included in the solicitation.
All responsible Woman Owned small businesses may submit a proposal, which the NRC will consider.
Submission of Questions:
Email all questions to daniel.app@nrc.gov, no later than June 7th, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Questions received after the deadline may not be addressed. The NRC will issue one or more amendments, as appropriate, via FedConnect to address any questions received and to make appropriate changes to the solicitation.
Response Date:
062118
Sol Number:
31310018R0028
