0. CSS_W912SV-21-R-0013_Diversity Consultant.pdf

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation: W912SV‐21‐R‐0013 Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Services

1. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR

Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are requested, and a written solicitation will not be issued.

2. The solicitation is issued as a Request for Proposals (RFP); the solicitation number is W912SV‐21‐R‐0013. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2021‐05.

3. This requirement is issued under a Total Small Business set‐aside using Simplified Acquisition Procedures IAW Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 under NAICS code 541618 – Other Management Consulting Services. The small business size standard is $16.5M. Interested vendors must certify to the applicable NAICS via their SAM Representations and Certifications. If an interested vendor is not registered to this NAICS, they are encouraged to add this NAICS to the SAM Reps and Certs prior to solicitation close date.

4. The Massachusetts Army National Guard (MA ARNG) has a requirement for a workforce diversity consulting services to perform a Cultural Audit in accordance with the specifications outlined in the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS) – Attachment 1.

5. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT:

a. Proposal Pricing shall comply with the below format. Contract type shall be firm fixed priced.

ITEM #

(CLIN)

DESCRIPTION QTY Unit of Measure

EST UNIT PRICE EST TOTAL PRICE

0001 Cultural Audit in accordance with attached Performance Work Statement (PWS). The price of this CLIN shall include deliverables in PWS Technical Exhibit 1.

3 MO

TOTAL:

6. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

The Government will evaluate all proposals in accordance with the submission and evaluation criteria described herein.

Proposals should be prepared simply and provide thorough but concise description of capabilities to satisfactorily perform all requirements. Any proposal/narratives that merely promises to perform the PWS requirements or restates the requirements without sufficient specific information of the Offeror’s capability or approach to perform the work shall be rejected as not responsive to the solicitation.

Proposals submitted in response to this announcement shall be divided into and contain the four (4) sections below. A single volume is acceptable as long as the sections are organized as follows and are clearly labeled and distinguishable from one another, however, Offerors are cautioned to be mindful of email size limitations. It is the Offerors responsibility to ensure the successful transmission of its complete proposal.

The section are as follows:

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION SECTION:

a. A letter, signed by an authorized official of the Offeror, formerly submitting the proposal. The Offeror must clearly indicate the company name and address, Cage Code, DUNS number and Point of Contact (POC) information to include name, phone number and email address.

b. Acknowledgement of amendments, if any, to this solicitation.

c. Completed representations and certifications by submitting completed FAR/DFARS Provisions 52.204‐24, 52.204‐ 26, 52.212‐3, 252.204‐7016, and 252.204‐7017 found in Attachment 2.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SECTION:

a. The Offeror must include resumes/Curricula Vitae (CVs) of its proposed personnel that will be working on this effort that indicate the education level, certifications, and experience appropriate for the requirements described in PWS section(s) 1.4.7.1. Submitted Resumes and/or CVs should highlight any experience serving the National Guard. For proposed personnel that are not currently employed by the Offeror, Letters of Intent are desired. Resumes/CVs and Letters of Intent have no page limit.

b. The Offeror shall submit a narrative, not to exceed five (5) pages using no smaller than 12‐point font, which describes its proposed approach to meet the performance requirements as outlined on the PWS paragraph 5.

The Offeror must describe its planned approach to conduct the cultural audit and provide the deliverables on or before end of the period of performance stated in PWS paragraph 1.3. The Offeror should include in the discussion of its approach issues related to recruitment of personnel, formal promotion systems, and problems/barriers with retaining qualified personnel in diverse groups. Offerors should highlight experience with issues unique to military populations, especially with the National Guard.

PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION SECTION:

The Offeror shall submit a past performance narrative, preferably as a prime contractor, limited to two (2) pages, and no more than three (3) individual contracts or orders, describing the provision of staff for services similar in scope, preferably within the last five (5) years. For each effort listed, Offerors must include project title, contract number, customer name, point of contact (POC), POC e‐mail address, POC telephone number, period of performance and dollar amount. The Government shall attempt to contact each POC via phone for the efforts listed and shall utilize the questionnaire at Attachment 3 to obtain past performance effort from each of these sources.

PRICING SECTION:

Proposals must be priced consistent with the pricing schedule in paragraph 5.a above. Pricing must be inclusive of all charges and exclude all tax.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION:

a. As prescribed in FAR 52.204‐7, interested parties must be registered with System for Award Management (SAM) under the NAICS 541618 and the registration must be active. Representations and certifications must also be on record. These registrations must be done through the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://sam.gov/.

b. Proposals in response to this solicitation shall be submitted VIA E‐MAIL ONLY by the date and time indicated in this announcement. Ensure that the e‐mail is clearly marked to indicate its contents, including the solicitation number, and the identity of the firm submitting. Multiple proposals shall not be accepted. Proposals may be submitted in Word or PDF format only. Do not include links to websites in lieu of incorporating information into your proposal. Proposals shall be submitted to Jean Greenwood at jean.t.greenwood.civ@mail.mil and Doug Huddy at douglas.l.huddy.mil@mail.mil .

**Proposals will only be accepted electronically via the e‐mail address provided above. It is the Offeror's responsibility to confirm that their proposal submission has been received. The Government shall not reimburse an Offeror or interested party for any costs associated with responding to this solicitation.

c. Notice to Offeror(s)/Supplier(s): Funds are not presently available for this effort. No award will be made under this solicitation until funds are available. The Government reserves the right to cancel this solicitation, either before or after the closing date. In the event the Government cancels this solicitation, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an Offeror for any costs associated with responding to this solicitation.

d. Questions regarding this solicitation may be emailed to Jean Greenwood and Doug Huddy at the email addresses listed in paragraph 8. Questions must be received no later than five (3) business days prior to due date for receipt of proposals.

e. ENFORCEABILITY OF PROPOSAL: The proposal must set forth full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation. By submission of the offer, the Offeror agrees that all items proposed (if applicable e.g., key personnel, subcontractors, etc.) will be utilized for the duration of the contract and any substitutions shall require prior Contracting Officer's approval.

7. EVALUATION CRITERIA:

Evaluation criteria will be in accordance with FAR Provision 52.212‐2, as described below.

8. CLAUSES AND PROVISIONS:

The following clauses and provisions are incorporated by reference:

Provision 52.212‐1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items. Addenda to this provision are contained in the section entitled 'SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS' above.

Provision 52.212‐3 Offeror Representations and Certifications ‐ Commercial Items, Alt I, applies.

Clause 52.212‐4, Contract Terms and Conditions ‐‐ Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. IAW FAR 52.212‐4(v) the awardees representations and certifications, including those completed electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM), shall also incorporated by reference into and resultant Agreement.

Clause 52.212‐5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders ‐‐ Commercial Items (Deviation 2018‐O0021), applies to this acquisition.

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:

52.203‐19 Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements 52.204‐7 System for Award Management 52.204‐9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel 52.204‐10 Reporting Executive Compensation and First‐Tier Subcontract Awards 52.204‐13 System for Award Management Maintenance 52.204‐16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting 52.204‐18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance 52.204‐21 Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems 52.204‐22 Alternative Line Item Proposal 52.204‐23 ‐ Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services Developed or Provided by Kaspersky Lab and Other Covered Entities 52.204‐24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment 52.204‐25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment 52.204‐26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services‐Representation 52.209‐6 Protecting the Governments Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment 52.209‐10 Prohibition on Contracting With Inverted Domestic Corporations 52.212‐3 Offeror Representations and Certifications‐Commercial Items 52.219‐6 Notice of Total Small Business Set‐Aside 52.219‐28 Post Award Small Business Program Representation 52.222‐3 Convict Labor 52.222‐21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities 52.222‐26 Equal Opportunity 52.222‐36 Affirmative Action For Workers With Disabilities 52.222‐40 Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act 52.222‐50 Combating Trafficking in Persons 52.223‐18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving 52.224‐3 Privacy Training 52.232‐18 Availability Of Funds 52.232‐33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer‐‐System for Award Management 52.232‐40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors 52.233‐3 Protest After Award 52.233‐4 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim 52.237‐2 Protection Of Government Buildings, Equipment, And Vegetation

252.203‐7000 Requirements Relating to Compensation of Former DoD Officials 252.203‐7002 Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights 252.203‐7005 Representation Relating to Compensation of Former DoD Officials 252.204‐7000 Disclosure of Information 252.204‐7003 Control of Government Personnel Work Product 252.204‐7004 DoD Antiterrorism Awareness Training for Contractors 252.204‐7008 Compliance with Safeguarding Covered Defense Information Controls 252.204‐7012 Safeguarding of Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting 252.204‐7015 Notice of Authorized Disclosure of Information for Litigation Support 252.204‐7016 Covered Defense Telecommunications Equipment or Services—Representation 252.204‐7017 Prohibition on the Acquisition of Covered Defense Telecommunications Equipment or Services— Representation 252.204‐7018 Prohibition on the Acquisition of Covered Defense Telecommunications Equipment or Services 252.204‐7020 NIST SP 800‐171 DoD Assessment Requirements.

252.225‐7048 Export‐Controlled Items 252.232‐7003 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports 252.232‐7006 Wide Area Work Flow Payment Instructions 252.232‐7010 Levies on Contract Payments 252.232‐7017 Accelerating Payments to Small Business Subcontractors‐‐Prohibition on Fees and Consideration 252.239‐7001 Information Assurance Contractor Training and Certification 252.244‐7000 Subcontracts for Commercial Items 252.247‐7023 Transportation by Sea

PROVISIONS and CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY FULL TEXT

Provision 52.212‐2, Evaluation ‐‐ Commercial Items, applies and specific evaluation criteria to be used are described below:

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

BASIS FOR AWARD: The Contracting Officer may only award a contract to a responsive, responsible Offeror whose proposal conforms to the requirements of this solicitation and offers the best overall value to the Government. Any Offeror's proposal that merely offers to perform work according to the terms of the solicitation or fails to present more than a statement indicating its capability to comply with the terms without support and elaboration as specified in the instructions will be rendered non‐responsive.

The evaluation shall be conducted utilizing Simplified Acquisition Procedures. In accordance with FAR 13.106‐ 2(b)(3), formal evaluation plans and establishing a competitive range, conducting discussions, and scoring quotations or offers are not required. The Contracting Officer intends to conduct comparative evaluations of offers. The Government also intends to evaluate responses and award without discussions. The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer later determines them to be necessary.

The Factors that shall be used to determine Best Value are Technical, Past Performance, and Price.

Non‐price factors (technical and past performance), when combined, are approximately equal in importance as price. As such, the Government may award to other than the lowest price or most highly evaluated technical proposal.

These factors are further described below:

1. Technical:

Personnel Resumes/CVs:

The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s resumes/Curricula vitarum of its proposed staff listed in paragraph

1.4.7.1 for experience appropriate for the requirements described in sections 1.4.7.1 and 5 of the PWS. The Government will evaluate higher proposed staff that meet or exceed the minimums stated in para 1.4.7.1 items

1‐4 in the most number of areas. The Government will evaluate significantly higher a proposed consultant that has experience with the National Guard.

Audit approach: The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s proposed audit approach for thoroughness and completeness for the requirements described at PWS paragraph 5.The Government will evaluate higher an Offeror whose proposed approach demonstrates a knowledge of National Guard personnel systems and data sources (both Army and Air). The Government will evaluate higher an audit narrative that demonstrates knowledge of diversity in the National Guard, National Guard recruiting and retention practices, and military promotion systems for commissioned officers and enlisted members.

2. Past Performance:

The Government will evaluate the Offeror's record of past performance in work relevant to the type as called for in the PWS. The Government will evaluate higher Offerors with relevant past performance who have perfomed as the Prime Contractor. The Government will evaluate higher relevant positive past performance serving the US Military, and both the Army and Air National Guards, in particular. Offerors are advised that, in addition to the Past Performance information requested in the Submission Requirements, the Government may obtain Past Performance information from interviews/questionnaires tailored to the circumstances of this acquisition and/or any other sources available to the Government. Sources may include, but are not limited to, the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) and direct contact and interviews with Government Program Managers and Contracting Officers.

3. Price:

The Government will evaluate the pricing proposed by the Offeror for fairness and reasonableness based upon pricing received from other Offerors.

(b) Options are not applicable to this contract action.

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful Offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of provision)

52.252‐1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The Offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the Offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the Offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): https://www.acquisition.gov/ (End of Provision)

52.252‐2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): https://www.acquisition.gov/ (End of Clause)

52.252‐5 Authorized Deviations in Provisions

(a) The use in this solicitation of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the date of the provision.

(b) The use in this solicitation of any Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (48 CFR Chapter 2) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the name of the regulation.

(End of clause)

52.252‐6 Authorized Deviations in Clauses

(a) The use in this solicitation or contract of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1) clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the date of the clause.

(b) The use in this solicitation of any Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (48 CFR Chapter 2) clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the name of the regulation.

(End of clause)

252.239‐7098 Prohibition on Contracting to Maintain or Establish a Computer Network Unless Such Network is Designed to Block Access to CERTAIN Websites—Representation (DEVIATION 2021‐O0003) (APRIL 2021)

(a) In accordance with section 8116 of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116‐260), or any other Act that extends to fiscal year 2021 funds the same prohibitions, none of the funds appropriated (or otherwise made available) by this or any other Act for DoD may be used to enter into a contract to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network is designed to block access to pornography websites. This prohibition does not limit the use of funds necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities, or for any activity necessary for the national defense, including intelligence activities.

(b) Representation. By submission of its offer, the Offeror represents that it is not providing as part of its offer a proposal to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network is designed to block access to pornography websites.

(End of provision)