ALL questions for Solicitation 11-250-SOL-00134.docx

Questions and Answers to SOLICITATION 11-250-SOL-00134

1. Do you require, or have a strong preference towards, a particular technology solution? Should current technologies in HRSA be considered? Is there a particular need, or preference, for interoperability with current HRSA technologies?

Answer: The technology solution selected should consider interoperability with current HRSA Office of Information Technology (OIT) capacity.

2. What level of access we will have to your servers and where are your servers are located? Can we get VPN access?

Answer: Current servers are located within HRSA OIT. VPN access will be contingent upon HRSA OIT policies and procedures.

3. What technologies do they currently use in the server environment?

Answer: The technologies used are those permitted by HRSA OIT server environment.

4. 508 compliance complicates many social networking and media features. What level of 508 compliance are you expecting across all features? Can we remove or modify features to maintain 508 compliant versions of the site?

Answer: Section 508 compliance must be aligned with HRSA OIT guidelines

5. Do you plan to outsource the archive videos at some point?

Answer: No

6. Is there an incumbent contractor performing a similar scope of work within HRSA?

Answer: The incumbent is the University of Illinois at Chicago.

7. Has HRSA contracted for social media or eLearning capabilities within the past 2 years?

Answer: MCHB has contracted for distance learning within the past 2 years.

8. For Task 5, Website Development and Maintenance, is the scope of work website content development and maintenance or IT services or both? If the work includes IT services, can the Government provide additional information regarding requirements due to the firm fixed price nature of the contract?

Answer: The scope of work is for website content development and maintenance.

9. Please clarify the due date of the proposal submission: Is it July 1, 2011 @ 10:00 ES as stated on Standard Form 1449 or July 6, 2011 @ 10:00 ES as stated on the solicitation notice?

Answer: The proposal due date is July 6, 2011 at 10:00 am EST.

10. Is there a particular software/program the Government would like the contractor to use for the conference video repository? i.e. SharePoint?

Answer: No

11. Will hosting of conference archive content on a HRSA.gov site or subdomain be provided, with appropriate space and bandwidth included (as has seemed to be the case with prior archives), or will contractor be responsible for hosting and server space at some to-be-determined domain?

Answer: The conference archive content must resolve to HRSA.gov.

12. Are there specific video format requirements, e.g., RealPlayer, or can we specify a more modern and universally accessible video format, such as H.264?

Answer: Video file format must be supported by HRSA OIT server.

13. For archiving of the webcasts, is the expectation to add new content to the existing archive located at http://webcast.hrsa.gov/postevent/ArchivedWebcasts.asp , or is the requirement to create a new archive area either just for the new webcasts or the new plus existing archive content at that address?

Answer: The expectation is to add new content.

14. Regarding archiving live conferences, in addition to gathering conference content (presentations, audio, video, etc.) and creating transcripts etc., will the contractor be responsible for recording the live event audio and video as well?

Answer: Yes

15. Regarding webcasts that include video, does the Contractor need to provide a video camera and operator or is that provided by MCHB?

Answer: The Contractor does not need to provide video camera and operator, but Contractor need be able to receive and broadcast video-feed.

16. Regarding audio only Webcasts, does the contractor need to provide audio engineering/capture or is that provided by MCHB?

Answer: Contractor need be able to receive and broadcast audio feed.

17. Is the Contractor expected to interface with Videoconferencing/Webcasting equipment currently used by MCHB? If so, can you list that equipment?

Answer: Yes, Polycom HDX 7000.

18. Will we be expected to develop a virtual conference archive, or merely provide additional content for the HRSA Web Archive found at webcast.hrsa.gov and mentioned under task 2.1 (with links to archive past conferences listed under 2.2 and 2.3)?

Answer: Contractor will be expected to develop a virtual conference archive.

19. Typically, hotels run their own audio equipment. Are we expected to provide audio and public address support for the three conferences (so that attendees can hear the events), or only webcast and archive the conferences for remote viewing?

Answer: Contractor will provide webcast and archive the conferences for remote viewing.

20. The table of sample conferences gives specifications for the past three conferences. Shall we price based on these exact specifications (number of days and sessions) and then if there are more days/sessions planned, plan to modify the contract?

Answer: Yes

21. Who is the target audience for the webcasts? (Government staff and grantees only, or also the general public, etc.)

Answer: HRSA staff, grantees and general public.

22. Will all of the audience be viewing the webcast remotely? If not, how many will typically be in attendance at the videoconference location?

Answer: Most of the audience will view the webcast remotely. If the webcasts originates from HRSA, there may be HRSA staff in attendance at the videoconference location.

23. Will the webcasts always originate from a DC-area location, or will there be any travel related to the webcasts?

Answer: The webcast may originate from DC or involve presenters in other parts of the country who will present remotely from their location.

24. How do you define “interactive” in this instance (interactive live webcasts)? In the past we’ve done simple video to the web all the way up to PPT slides and video side-by-side with an interactive chat room. Is the requirement to allow participants to pose questions via audio and text message interface the extent of the interactivity?

Answer: Participants should be able to actively interact in the webcast through posing questions via audio/text message interface.

25. Will the government host the webcasts or shall we price for hosting costs? If we should price hosting (which is based on length and number of viewers), shall we use “90 minutes and 300 viewers” to price each of the 51 webcasts (and additional webcasts listed under Option Task 2)?

Answer: The contractor will host webcasts based upon 90 minutes and 300 viewers. These numbers can be used to estimate the costs for additional webcasts listed under Optional Task 2.

26. What is the scope for the requirement to market and promote the webcasts to target audiences?

Answer: The marketing will primarily focus on electronic outreach.

27. Does the government or incumbent already market/promote the webcasts, and if so, how?

Answer: Marketing and promotion have been achieved through listserv emails and HRSA website.

28. Will we be expected to do more of the same or come up with a new marketing plan?

Answer: Innovative ideas for marketing will be considered in application review.

29. Should we plan to market primarily electronically, or leave open the possibility for print pieces like posters, direct mail, etc.?

Answer: The marketing should be primarily focused on electronic media.

30. May “online” technical help be provided via email, or are you looking for live chat?

Answer: Live chat.

31. Is the 508-compliant version of the webcast something to be provided after the event as part of the archived version, or must we caption each webcast live?

Answer: Each webcast will have live captioned.

32. Regarding administering a user satisfaction survey after each webcast, later in the RFP “VIII. Special Requirements, Section C” says “OMB clearance must be obtained if you intend to survey or interview more than 9 people outside of HRSA and/or the Department, including grantees.” Are these webcast audience members outside HRSA and/or Department? If so, can we get OMB clearance of the survey one time and use it after each of the 51 webcasts (and optional webcasts, if contracted)?

Answer: A majority of the webcast audiences will be HRSA grantees and general public.

33. Regarding uploading the materials to the HRSA Web Archive, will we have access to the web server to upload files, or will another party be involved?

Answer: Files will be sent to HRSA OIT staff for uploading onto server.

34. How long is the annual training session expected to be?

Answer: 90-120 minutes

35. Regarding the web presence the contractor is to develop, manage, and maintain for MCHB, is this the same as webcast.hrsa.gov that has already been developed? Will we have access to MCHB’s current server? Or will we need to host the web presence?

Answer: The web presence would be similar to the functions of mchcom.com. The contractor is expected to host the web presence.

36. Are there specific requirements of submission of technical and cost proposal for this RFQ? Any page limits for sections or font size etc.

Answer: The technical quote and price quote should be under separate cover. There are no page limits. Please refer to technical quote and price quote instructions for additional information.

37. What is the deadline of submission? There are two dates in the announcement, July 1 in the SF form and July 7th in the RFQ announcement.

Answer: The due date is July 6, 2011 at 10:00 am EST.

38. Who is the audience for this survey? Will OMB clearance be required?

Answer: The results of the survey will be reviewed by MCHB staff. OMB clearance is required if more than 9 people will be surveryed.

39. Regarding parts a (communication) and c (clearance), are the clearances referred to in these two sections referring to the same thing?

Answer: Clearance refers to specific HRSA communication products developed.

40. Section C indicates that clearance of external communication products takes four weeks. Are the conferences and webcasts considered external communication products? If so, we are required to archive these within two weeks of the live event. Will we be able to apply for clearance on the website TOPIC at least 2 weeks prior to the event, to ensure the 4-week clearance is granted within two weeks of the live events? Or will PAO need to review the full webcast before it can be posted to the web?

Answer: Clearance for communication products should follow HRSA Office of Communication guidelines.

41. Will this contract require the contractor to handle any sensitive data beyond webcast registrant information? (For example, will the content of the conferences and webcasts themselves consist of sensitive information?)

Answer: No

42. Will the contractor be required to caption the webcasts in real-time, or just for the archived versions?

Answer: Each webcast will be captioned in real-time.

43. Where is Appendix G, the “Government Product Accessibility Template”?

Answer: Appendix G will be posted on FedBizOps.

44. Are we required to arrange travel for sponsored speakers/participants, or only prepare their travel vouchers for submission to the Government?

Answer: No travel arrangements for sponsored speakers/participants are required.

45. Does FAR Clause 52.219-14 “Limitation on Subcontracting” apply to this solicitation or may a team of small businesses team and share the work (ie. is there a requirement that at least 50 percent of the cost of personnel be incurred by the prime contractor)?

Answer: Small businesses may team and share the work.

46. Task 3.2, First bullet. Is the Contractor receiving a videoconference feed that is produced by HRSA/NIH or is the Contractor producing the actual feed? Same question for when video is not requested.

Answer: Contractor is producing the feed.

47. Task 3.2, Fifth bullet. Do the live Webcasts need to be 508 compliant or does this bullet only refer to the archives of the Webcasts?

Answer: The live webcast has to be 508 compliant.

48. Is there an anticipated date of contract award?

Answer: The anticipated date of the contract award is approximately 30 days from the receipt of proposals.

49. Will all potential offeror’s questions and answers be posted?

Answer: Yes

50. Will a company who utilizes a sub-contractor that is SDVOSB received preference over those who do not? If so how will this preference be applied during evaluation?

Answer: No

51. We would like to confirm that this is UNRESTRICTED as shown on the SF 1449? There is a conflict with the FBO notice, which says that it is a $7.0M small business set-aside.

Answer: This a 100% small business set aside. The dollar threshold is determined by the NAICS code.