08_DIR_TF_QuestionsAnswers_01_02.doc

HRSA-08-DIR-ORC-T&F-Meetings

1. What role does the Contract Review Administrator play in the conduct of web-assisted teleconference and field reviews?

ANSWER: The responsibilities of a Contract Review Administrator (CRA) are defined in Section G.4. The physical tasks performed will vary based on the type review. There will never be a CRA assigned to a field review.

2. Should chairperson travel (to HRSA) be factored into the costs for the web-assisted teleconference hypothetical scenario?

ANSWER: No.

3. In regard to teleconference reviews, are the Summary Statement Operators required to perform their responsibilities on-site at HRSA’s teleconference facility or can they fulfill their function from the contractor’s facility?

ANSWER: The Summary Statement Operator must be physically located at the site from which the teleconference is initiated. This will almost always be at HRSA facilities.

4. What is the typical page count for draft summary statements and final summary statements?

ANSWER: They are typically 6 to 8 pages in length.

5. Do applications need to be scanned for electronic distribution to reviewers for all reviews?

ANSWER: No.

6. In regard to teleconference reviews, please describe the approval process for draft summary statements prior to their use during review discussions.

ANSWER: The individual reviewer worksheets are consolidated into a draft summary statement with all strengths and weaknesses organized appropriately by criterion. No other edits are preformed prior to panel discussion.

7. Do field reviews require the same three-tiered approach to reviewer orientation, i.e., an initial reviewer orientation session, a chair orientation session, and a new reviewer orientation session?

ANSWER: No. There are no chairpersons for field reviews, hence no chair orientation.

8. Is HRSA’s teleconference provider (FTS) always used or is the contractor sometimes required to procure the services of a private teleconferencing service?

ANSWER: HRSA’s FTS is always used.

9. Are any data referred to in Task 2(d) to be entered into a database created by the contractor or will all data be entered into HRSA’s existing database?

ANSWER: The contractor will not be required to create a database to support any of the tasks identified in Task 2(d).

10. In regard to both teleconference and field reviews, are reviewers required to send the contractor their review forms electronically, in hardcopy, or both?

ANSWER: They are required to send both.

11. How far in advance are Requests for Services typically released from competition closing dates?

ANSWER: The Request for Service is sent once the Guidance for a particular grant program is published on the Internet. This occurs usually 2 to 3 months before the application due date.

12. Task 6(a) states that periodic demographic analyses should include “an evaluation of the reviewer on-line training modules…” however; on-line reviewer training is not mentioned elsewhere in the statement of work. Please clarify this requirement.

ANSWER: The contractor will not be required to perform analysis of the on-line reviewer training module.

13. How long are discussion sessions each day of a review? Please provide an outline of the daily schedule of a typical three-day review.

ANSWER: Web-assisted teleconferences generally are scheduled from 9:30am to 5:30 pm and include a break for lunch and several short breaks. The start and end times may vary depending of review participant’s needs. The first day will include an orientation that may last 60 minutes. Panel discussion and scoring average about one hour for each application reviewed.

14. On page 5, B.4 a Direct Costs item 3 indicates "Consultant fees or other payments to consultants required in the performance of this contract, provided that such fees or payments must not exceed the daily rate of $350 per day for Face-To-Face and Teleconferences Reviews, $140 per application for Field Reviewers..." QUESTION: Does this refer to the amount of honorarium paid to reviewers only OR does it apply to any consultant providing services to support the contract (such as SSOs)?

ANSWER: This refers only to the honoraria paid to reviewers and chairpersons.

15. In Section F.4 the description of the deliverables cites “Weekly Administrative and Monthly Financial Reports” while in Section M.5.2 Evaluation Criteria Section E Approach to the Hypothetical Project cites “Design weekly financial report.” QUESTION: What is the frequency of financial reports? Please clarify.

ANSWER: HRSA needs to determine as accurately and as quickly as possible the total costs we will incur for each task order. This will require weekly reporting of major cost items by task order as well as a monthly consolidated and more detailed financial report.

16. In Section L.1.4 the production specifications cite pagination front to back. QUESTION: Does this mean that both volumes should be submitted on double-sided copying? If so, then would the total page count be 45 pages (front to back) or 70 pages total?

ANSWER: Proposals can be submitted in hardcopy either as single- or doubled-sided. Regardless, the maximum number of pages allowed is 70.

17. QUESTION: For web-assisted teleconferences, will HRSA provide the web application (at its federal rate) or is the contractor responsible for securing the web application?

ANSWER: HRSA will supply the Web application.