Q A for HSICC RFP by category 4 11 12

Questions and Answers for RFP 12-233-SOL-00174: Head Start Information and Communication Center

C.3.1 Task 1. Head Start Customer Services/Call Center

Call Center Response

The Head Start Customer Services call center currently receives between 1,500 and 4,000 inquiries per month. The successful Offeror must be prepared to respond to up to 50,000 inquiries per year.

The most frequently requested services are from families seeking programs that will meet their unique needs; these require templatized and personal answers based on the caller’s home address. Other inquiries may result in referral to an OHS Regional Office for response. Most Inquiry responses are based from our web-based knowledge repository that the successful Offeror will continuously develop and maintain to ensure consistency and continuity of message across all OHS assets. Approximately 5% of inquiries require staff to input items into an OHS database for workflow routing and response.

Approximately ¾ of the inquiries are by phone, and most others are from the ECLKC “contact us” form, with a few other sources including email and fax. LiveChat is not currently offered.

The majority of inquiries are from the public and from prospective parents seeking information about Head Start and Head Start services. There is no particular trend or spike pattern to the volume of inquiries received.

HHS cannot provide indepth information on the distribution of inquiries by day, week or month. HHS cannot offer an average handle time for these inquiries, as the nature of the inquiries dictates the amount of time it takes to respond to each inquiry; however, it is our goal to provide accurate and timely responses to our communities. While the current rate of inquiries averages about 30,000 per year, the Task Narrative indicates that the Offeror should be prepared to scale up to 50,000 inquiries per year in case there is a need to accommodate unforeseen spikes or growth.

Call Center Related Inquiries

1. What is the average handle time for each of the calls to the Call Center?

2. What are the frequency with which each type of inquiry occurs at the call center? What percentage are from the public? What percentage are grantees?

4. On page 7, it says the contractor must be prepared to receive up to 50,000 inquires per year. How many of those are estimated to be phone inquiries? How many are estimated to be email inquiries?

27. Section C.2, paragraph six: The solicitation states that the Head Start program receives between 1,500 and 4,000 inquiries per month. Can HHS please provide the following breakdown of the contacts if possible:

46. Section C.3.1, page 7: Of the approximately 1500 to 4000 inquiries received per month, what percent are received by:

· Mail

· Email

· Phone

· Fax

· Web

· Live chat?

47. Section C.3.1, page 7: Of the approximately 1500 to 4000 inquiries received per month, what percent require:

48. Section C.3.1, page 7: What is the nature of the majority of Head Start inquiries (e.g., request for materials, referrals, or technical assistance)?

99. For the call center and of the 50,000 inquiries per year you receive. How many are by phone? How many are by email? How many are through the ECLKC contact us? How many are through other means, such as live chat?

109. The volume of the call center inquiries is listed as 30,000 in the Background section of the SOW and 50,000 in the Task 1 narrative. Which of these is correct?

60. The RFP states three different numbers for the number of inquiries that should be handled by the call center: 1500 to 4000 inquires per month (p.4); 30,000 inquiries on an annual basis (p.5); up to 50,000 inquiries per year (p.8). What number should the Offerors use, as this has an impact on staffing levels, and by association, cost?

100. What is the average amount of time an inquiry takes to be handled: By Phone? By Email? Through ECLKC Contact us? Other means (such as live chat)?

101. The public phone line must be open from 8:00am to 7:00pm. What time(s) of day & throughout the week are the busiest times/days?

Language Response Approximately one third of inquiries are in Spanish. Spanish language inquiries are to be received, answered and resolved in Spanish. Other language proficiencies are not specifically required. The existing Head Start Spanish language Glossary of Terms, available on the ECLKC, will be maintained and expanded upon through this contract.

Language Related Inquiries

Timing of phone line response The public phone line must be open from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays. The phone line may be closed on Federal holidays.

Timing of phone line related inquiries

136. C.3.1. Is the public phone line to be open daily to include weekends or Monday – Friday only? Does ‘follow the federal schedule’ mean that the lines will not be open on federal holidays?

Equipment / software response

The successful Offeror will retain the 1-866-763-6481 number as transferred from the incumbent. The cost of the toll-free line is to be covered by the successful Offeror.

The existing knowledge base of standard and custom responses to historical inquiries will be made available to the successful Offeror as a data file.

Tracking software to manage the volume, nature and languages of inquiries will not be transferred to the successful Offeror. HHS cannot provide information on the current software being used. Offerors may propose effective solutions.

Procedures manuals, training plans, training tools and training will not be provided directly to the successful Offeror by OHS. The successful Offeror should have experience and expertise in Head Start that does not require further training on the part of OHS.

Equipment / software related inquiries

3. Does OHS/ACF expect to play a role in training customer service staff?

80. Is the following software mentioned in Task 1 and 2 part of what is expected to be “transferred” to awardee if not an incumbent win?

a. Call center tracking software

b. Knowledge base repository

c. Headstart Glossary

110. Is the software used to develop call statistics, monitor performance metrics and conduct trend analysis a commercial off the shelf product? If so, what product is being used?

112. Relative to Task C.3.1, does the government have required software tools for call center management, tracking & reporting, and live chat functionality or can the vendor propose what it believes is the most effective tool?

94. What tracking tool is currently being used for the customer services/call center?

140. TASK 1: What tracking software is used to manage the "volume, nature, and languages to inform the OHS and the development of training, technical assistance and ECLKC content"?

141. TASK 1: Will the existing software and the existing "knowledge-base repository" being used for the Customer Services/Call Center under the current contract be available to a new contractor if that contractor is no longer the incumbent?

113. Relative to Task C.3.1, will the successful vendor be able to transfer the registration for the 1-866-763-6481 number from the incumbent, or does the government expect a new 1-800 number to be registered for this project.

45. Section C.3.1, page 7: Who covers the cost of the toll-free line, i.e., the contractor or is it an ACF/DHHS line ported to the contractor?

Industry Standards Response Though OHS does not have specific benchmarked standards a vendor must meet, responses to Customer Service inquiries must be provided in a timely manner and exhibit a high level of accuracy, intelligibility, and plain language, and be consistent with general best practice standards for similar services.

Industry Standards Related Inquiries

30. Section C.3.1, paragraph 2: The solicitation states that the public phone line should operate within industry benchmarked standards of call center practice on a continuous basis. There are various and numerous ‘industry best practices and benchmarked standards ’ that span a variety of industries and verticals. Among the proposing vendors, HHS may receive a variety of proposed standards that will effectively set the customer expectations and satisfaction levels and be a driver of the cost of the service. This vendor seeks additional guidance and direction as to which standards HHS would like the vendor to propose, build, and operate the public phone line and contact center.

115. Task C.3.1 states that the public phone line must “meet best in industry benchmarked standards of call center practice on a continuous basis.” Does the government have any specific benchmarked standards that the call enter metrics or service levels which the successful vendor must meet?

116. Task C.3.1 states that “responses to inquiries e-mail and other forms of communication must be provided in a timely manner and exhibit a high level of accuracy intelligibility, plain language, and must be in compliance with Industry and government practice standards.” Does the government have a list of any Industry or government practice standards which apply to this requirement?

Other Response There is no Service Level Agreement in place related to the Call Center. The Offeror should propose call center performance standards.

The successful Offeror is not responsible for storing or distributing hard copy materials.

Other Inquiries

81. Will the government provide its recommended SLAs for call center performance or should the vendor recommend its own based on industry standard?

129. Is there a Service Level Agreement in place related to the Call Center and, if so, are you able to provide the terms of that SLA?

49. Section C.3.1, page 7: Is the contractor responsible for storing or distributing hard copy materials?

· If so, how many pallets are currently used to store materials? How many orders are processed annually? How many materials are disseminated annually? Is the contractor responsible for postage costs? If so, for budgeting purposes, what are the annual postage costs?

· If not, who stores the materials? How will the contractor coordinate with the distributor?

C.3.2 Task 2. Head Start Websites and Internet Presence General Response

The Office of Head Start (OHS) expects the successful Offeror to provide an up to date, functional online resource for the Head Start and early childhood community. Offerors should review the ECLKC (http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc) and ACF-OHS (http://transition.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs) sites to understand the type of content currently posted on the websites.

The successful Offeror will develop a minimal amount of content (in relation to the content currently available), with OHS Central Office being the primary driver of this content. Other contracts will develop most of the resources for the ECLKC, and the successful Offeror will provide technical and administrative support in posting content to the site in an easily navigable user-friendly way, guided by a strong knowledge of the ECLKC structure, taxonomy, functions and features, and of Head Start policies, regulations and comprehensive services. All proposed changes to the websites will have to obtain prior approval from OHS.

New content is fairly quick to post, and postings on the ECLKC vary from 10-50 per month. Various design changes are being implemented on an ongoing basis together with new content postings. The process for developing and posting content varies depending on the type of content, timeline, and level of complexity. Some content requires new functionality to be developed (either by the successful Offeror or in conjunction with other contractors), while other content is customized and prepared for posting through the Hyperwave distributed ownership workflow management system. Generally, priorities are determined by OHS based on a master collaborative project list which is informed by the content liaisons and technical staff. Standards of project management are employed to assure content is fully tested and approved by OHS prior to production posting. In collaboration with the technical contractor, WebTrends and Google Analytics are used to inform the design, content and relevance of the site structure, search, etc.

The Offeror should propose a review and evaluation plan that would assure the websites provide relevant, timely and accessible content. For example, outdated or broken links are not acceptable.

On the ACF-OHS site, the successful Offeror is responsible for the OHS content under the guidance of OHS, to ensure currency, completeness, and accuracy of the site’s content and compliance with ACF’s requirements, both currently and in future phases. The design and taxonomy of the site is determined by ACF in consultation with OHS, and can be determined by visiting the site.

The OHS has not developed any specific apps for the use of our community; however, OHS will like to explore the possibility of doing so in the near future if and when an opportunity presents itself, provided we can accommodate new functionality within schedule, budget, and resource constraints. All proposed changes and or enhancements to the websites will have to obtain prior approval from OHS.

Approximately 50 private communities are currently used by various stakeholder groups including federal staff, training and technical assistance groups, and others to share documents, schedules, and discussions. There is no per-user license fee for these communities; we have an unlimited agreement with the Hyperwave platform provider.

The ACF-OHS and ECLKC sites are viewed by Federal, State, Head Start Services Providers, and the public on a regular and on-going basis. All users are encouraged to report anomalies and other concerns when observed.

General Inquiries

39. SOW, Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center: The Contractor shall manage usage and trend data to continually in form management of the ECLKC. Does the contractor have permission to be able to trend usage data as it relates to early childhood users?

71. Could you send us the new taxonomy (topics, subtopics, and types) that has been created for the OHS program site that is being transferred into Drupal?

126. Is the design of the OHS website determined by ACF or can OHS work with the contractor to revise the design?

144. TASK 2: The RFP indicates that a task is to "Develop and Maintain the OHS Website" but within the description speaks more to "manage the content and maintain" the OHS website. Is the contractor required to do any development work (i.e. programming) on the OHS website or is the contractor using a content management system to manage the content and maintain the website? (see also 142under staffing)

146. TASK 2: The solicitation indicates that "New methods of reaching the user community, such as proposing 'apps', must be suggested and leveraged as they become available, as approved by OHS." Has OHS already developed "apps" along these lines? If yes, please description the purpose and the function of those apps.

83. Page 6 - Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center - the RFP states that the ECLKC "hosts private communities with members varying from ten to one thousand" please provide more detail regarding these private communities in terms of their purpose, type of members, how they use the ECLKC and the number of private communities.

Spanish Response The Contractor will be expected to translate documents that are generated by the OHS, such as Program Instructions, Information Memoranda, etc. Less often will the Contractor be asked to translate other content from National Centers and much of this content is created in two languages rather than translated after the fact.

The contractor may propose to implement, if feasible, in collaboration with the platform/technical contractor, user-based translation service software and other design changes to more effectively manage and provide the ECLKC en Español.

Spanish Related Inquiries

40. General: What percentage of documents should have Spanish translation available? Will contractor be able to have to implement the option of user-based translation service software into the platform for all other documents/content not already translated?

132. On the current contract under HSKIMS, there is a Spanish version of specific domains and content that mirror the ECLKC website. There was no mention of the technical requirements or tasks that supports the Spanish version. What are the specific requirements

133. On page 6, under the section titled “Information/Library Services” Spanish translation services are mentioned as provided on an as-needed basis. Will this task apply to the Espanol ECKLC?

Staffing Responses (see also personnel under M1) It is acceptable to propose individuals with strong help desk, Head Start and instructional skills to support the information services required under the contract. Offerors should note that the customer service/help desk activities are not primarily technical resources. From a site support perspective, only Tier 1 help is provided through this contract; highly technical matters are reviewed with the technical team available on the platform contract.

Some work in web development is done through this contract, and some through another contract. For example, the current contractor has collaborated on implementation of the Google search appliance. This contract is primarily responsible for style sheet development, front end work, and some more limited functionality. That is true in both ECLKC and in the OHS website.

The job of the Website Editor is to assure the continuity, connectivity, usability, plain language web writing and timeliness of the website and related communications is of high quality. Lack of attention to these matters results in poor quality web presence.

Staffing Related Inquiries

87. For Task 2, how many incumbent web site support personnel are employed? Is the web site editor mentioned also performing web development and administration, or are these two separate expected labor categories.

107. Paragraph C.2 provides and overview of Information/Library Services. What task do the master librarians support? The nature of the work described would seem to be easily performed by an information/content specialist. Does this work require master librarians or is it acceptable to propose individuals with strong technology skills that can effectively perform and monitor the described tasks?

50. Section C.3.2, page 8: The Government states: “The contractor shall employ a website editor as key staff.” What are the responsibilities of and requirements for the website editor?

142. TASK 2: Is the contractor required to do any development work (i.e. programming) on the ECLKC or is that being handled completely by the separate contract "to support the technical development and maturation of the site primarily using Oracle and Hypeware"? When the solicitation refers to "the development team" is the solicitation specifically referring to the contractor under the separate contract? Is this contractor also responsible for development of the OHS website or just the ECLKC?

Platforms Response The OHS plans to continue to use Hyperwave as its content management platform for the ECLKC for the foreseeable future. Offerors may propose alternative tools in collaboration with the platform contractor, but there must be no loss of service or capability. If another tool is selected and approved by OHS at the recommendation of the Contractor/s, the Offeror should assume that a transition of this scope could not be accomplished within the base period of this contract.

The ACF-OHS site is managed using Drupal.

Platforms Related Inquiries

20. Does the Office of Head Start plan to continue using Hyperwave as its content management tool?

42. Section C.2, page 6: Will the contractor for this procurement be required to develop using Oracle or Hyperwave?

51. Section C.3.2, pages 8 and 9: What content management system is currently used for the ECLKC?

91. What Content Management tool is currently being used?

86. For Task 2, what are the web site presentation, application, and storage layer technologies used (e.g. HTML or XHTML, RSS or Atom, PHP or ASP.NET, SVG or VML, JavaScript or VBS, Ajax, Oracle, etc.)

108. Is the OHS Web Site currently one of the ACF sites based on Drupal? Is there interest in moving the ECLKC site to Drupal?

130. Regarding the technology platform, do you require that the selected vendor continue with Hyperwave and Oracle or are you willing to consider alternatives if the benefits of such alternatives are demonstrated?

143. TASK 2: What is the software currently being used for content management of the ECLKC?

145. TASK 2: What is the software currently being used for content management of the OHS website?

Other Contractors Response The ECLKC infrastructure is currently supported through two separate contracts; one for the technical coding and another for hosting and monitoring. Both of these contracts are with Cleverex Systems, Inc. The Offeror should anticipate working with Cleverex or another follow on contractor in a highly collaborative fashion (constant communication) if there is to be success in the management and growth of the ECLKC. Testing duties are shared based on the types of technical coding changes implemented. Related deliverables regardless of contractor are expected to be of the highest quality with no significant impact to performance experienced by our users.

Other Contractor Inquiries

111. The RFP Background Section mentions two other companion contracts, one of which supports the technical development and maturation of the site. Does the hosting/technical contractor perform development and testing or is it the job of the HSICC contractor?

131. Page 6, under the section titled “Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center” (ECLKC) it states that OHS currently manages two additional contracts to support the ECLKC, are the technical requirements for these two contracts to be included in this solicitation? Who are the incumbents of these two contracts that support the ECLKC

Government Furnished Property (from C.4) Responses The Contractor must have strong knowledge of Head Start policies, regulations, and comprehensive services at the outset of the contract. Head Start is a complex, multi-layered program that takes years to fully understand. The successful awardee, as the national Information and Communications Center, is looked to by the Head Start community for answers to questions. While a knowledge base can keep “stock” answers, many of the questions require deeper knowledge on the part of the contractor so the OHS staff does not need to respond to every question. The purpose of this procurement is to have an expert entity capable of providing consistent and accurate responses that reflect the position of the Office without significant direction and training from OHS.

The awardee is not required to use all of the OHS-owned systems and software that transfer from the existing contract. However, Offerors should bear in mind that system replacement is costly and may not be the ideal competitive option.

Government Furnished Property Related Inquiries

d. On-line translation services

e. Workflow management system

127. What is the age and condition of the Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) for this effort?

147. TASK 2: The solicitation indicates that "OHS currently manages two additional contracts to support ECLKC; a technical infrastructure contract… and another to support the technical development and maturation of the site primarily using Oracle and Hyperware." It later states that "the Contractor shall, together with OHS Contractors responsible for data and information systems, maintain a complete inventory of hardware, software, licenses, certificates, accounts, and other configuration items necessary for the operation of the ECLKC." Does this inventory already exist? Will it be furnished to a new contractor that contractor is no longer the incumbent?

148. TASK 2: How often have infrastructure software/firmware updates been needed over the of the incumbent contract in order to "provide a current, supported, secure application platform"?

C.3.3 Task 3. Mass Communications Services Response The Offeror must indicate an understanding of the types of email lists and sub-lists the OHS would maintain by demonstrating their knowledge of the structure and organization of the Head Start community, and by demonstrating a familiarity with the ECLKC and the types of lists one can subscribe to. To assure email lists are real-time, the successful awardee should demonstrate the capability to manage web service feeds. Current lists would be transferred and must be in operation immediately. MagnetMail is currently being used and the lease is transferable; however, the OHS would consider other eblast services.

Mass communications services related inquiries

6. Whose email addresses are part of email list referenced in Task 3? Who is the primary audience for the email lists?

7. Does OHS segment its email lists to send targeted emails to sub-sets of the email list?

43. Sections C.3.1 and C.3.3, pages 7 and 10: Will the following systems/software be transferred to the awardee? If so, please identify the relevant hardware and software that are in use.

149. TASK 3: What software is used to manage and distribute the email lists?

150. TASK 4: How many "numerous large email lists" current exist? Are they managed using the same software or different software? Please specify and and all email lists and the software packages being used to manage those lists.

C.3.4 Task 4. NewsWatch Service

Response The successful Offeror will be provided the specific and multiple search criteria currently used to conduct the daily search of internet news. The Offeror should indicate some knowledge of the types of terms to be included to demonstrate their understanding of the local nature of Head Start programs and to demonstrate their ability to perform refinement and enhancements.

Current news stories are drawn from many web sources, including local and national newspaper and television outlets, as well as prominent blogs and research publications. On average four to eight stories are provided to the OHS each business day, depending on results.

NewsWatch Service Related Inquiries

5. On page 7, the RFP says that OHS currently conducts a daily search of internet news based on thousands of specific and multiple search criteria. Will these criteria be provided to the winner of the contract?

82. What does “local outlet” mean? (p.10)

102. On Page 10 the RFP on Task 4 it states – “The search must be current and must include as many local outlets as possible….” - Could you mention a few of the current local outlets that are being used?

151. TASK 4: How often does OHS currently receive NewsWatch Service summaries and updates? What is the typical size/length of an update?

C.3.5 Task 5. Head Start Expert Knowledge

Response The Offeror should propose the most practical role and/or activities based on the description in the SOW.

That’s a decision of the Offeror based on the duties described and the expertise of the candidates proposed, coupled with an understanding of the key National Center content areas of Head Start that can be easily viewed on the ECLKC.

A delivery schedule of “multiple times per day” is meant to indicate that the work is highly collaborative in nature and that strong communication with the OHS content leads and the National Centers is a primary function of the position/s.

The government will not directly provide specific early childhood lesson content. The Offerors are directed to the current lessons on the ECLKC (as found by searching “Lessons”) to see the design, structure, and to understand the target audiences of the current site. This procurement is intended to stretch the ECLKC and related apps into the future to best meet the needs of the Head Start community, so it is impossible to specify precisely what is needed.

Head Start Expert Knowledge Inquiries

9. What is the specific role or activities expected of liaisons in Task 5?

10. How many liaisons does OHS expects to have in Task 5?

14. What types of content will the liaisons be working with in Task 5?

35. Section F.3, Schedule of Deliverables - Task 5 states that vacancies for Head Start Knowledge Experts need to fill vacancies ‘within 45 days of the vacancy’ and that delivery is‘multiple times per day’. Could the Government please clarify on what is meant on multiple times per day for the delivery?

National Centers Responses The Offerors must review the ECLKC to understand the type of content posted. The current Contractor implements the design and the posting, and the liaison currently works between the National Center and the Contractor. Each Center has a different staff configuration and not all have technical staff on board. The level of involvement will vary depending on the capabilities within each National Center.

Offerors who lack a basic understanding of the role of the Head Start National Centers as described on the ECLKC and the OHS sites are asked to visit these sites for this information.

National Centers Inquiries

11. What is the specific role of the National Centers in Task 5? How do they interact with the liaisons?

97. On Page 6 – The RFP states “Numerous Federal and contract staff contribute to the content, including seven large national centers, each with specific areas of expertise.” Could you state the ratio of Federal/Contractor staff at these centers? Also, could you talk a little about the interaction that is necessary between the contractor and these seven large national centers?

134. Section C.3.5 Task 5. Head Start Expert Knowledge, are the content experts expected to create content or facilitate the development of content that will be submitted from the seven national centers?

C.3.6 Task 6. User Feedback and Analysis

Response Currently relevant site feedback is used to determine some changes to the site. Offerors should propose the types of surveys that would best inform the continued growth and relevance of the ECLKC, based on an understanding of the site and community, and the site’s level of maturity. Offerors are encouraged to review OMB requirements to determine whether this type of clearance is necessary.

User Feedback and Analysis Related Inquiries

C.3.7 Task 7. Project Management, Work Plan, and Project Reports

Response The OHS is not currently using a workshare management tool. The current contractor is using JobTrac. Shared access to a tool of this type is a desired function of this new procurement. The project has grown significantly in scope and size over the term of the current contract.

PM, Work Plan and Project Reports Related Inquiry

93. What Workshare Management tool are you currently using?

Transition Response

The current contract is due to expire prior to the award of the follow on. There is a transition plan in the incumbent’s current contract that involves handover of relevant materials and equipment. The Government has every reason to assume this will be handled professionally as there are no performance concerns with the current contractor. The Government expects a seamless transition with the work of the new Contractor beginning Day 1 of award.

The OHS plans to begin this work mid-May 2012. The Contractor will need to begin services immediately.

Transition Related Inquiries

21. What is target duration for the "tightly compressed timeframe" for the transition plan referenced on page 12?

118. With regard to the development of an “expedited” transition plan that shall be developed, does the Government have a maximum number of days that will be acceptable for transitioning the work for this contract?

137. C.3.7. Is there a transition plan in the incumbent’s current contract? If so will it be provided to the new contractor? Will there be an overlap and will the incumbent be required to work cooperatively with the new contractor to ensure a smooth transition?

34. Section F.1, Period of Performance : The solicitation states, “The period of performance shall be 6 months after contract award…” Q: Can HHS provide an estimate of the month they are looking to start this work?

Level of Effort Response

The estimated level of effort is an average of 63,440 hours per twelve month period (option year/s). The Government does not at this time anticipate any significant difference in level of effort from one year to the next. However, the Government reserves the right to exercise the options subject to availability of funds and other considerations. This is proposed for a base period of 6 months and four option periods of 12 months. This level of effort is not inclusive of ODCs.

Level of Effort Related Inquiries

26. Is the estimated level of effort 63,440 hours per option year or 63,440 for all the option years combined?

32. Section C.4, Level of Effort – The base period is estimated at 31,720 hours and an estimate of 63,440 for the remaining options. What work does the Government anticipate in the base period would take significantly much more effort than the option years? Considering all of the services outlined in the RFP, what does the Government foresee as to services needed for the option years? For the option years what is the breakdown of the work hours per task area?

63. Is the estimate of 63,440 hours inclusive of all four (4) option periods or is it 63,440 hours for each of the four (4) option periods?

64. RFP Reference: C.4, pg. 12 Question: The estimated level of effort is 63,440 hours. Is this LOE and resulting total contract value inclusive of ODCs?

72. Would you confirm the estimated hours for the base period and the duration of the base period

73. Confirm the estimated annual number of hours

74. Confirm the number of option periods

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

Contract Administration Data Response The Offeror should propose annual travel costs that they feel are necessary to fully execute the tasks outlined in the SOW. It is not appropriate to provide these details from the current contract as the Offeror may be planning a varied approach.

Contract Administration Data Related Inquiries

57. Section G.3, page 20: For budgeting purposes, will the Government please provide annual travel costs?

L.3 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Technical Proposal Instructions Response All proposals should be submitted electronically in PDF via email. Multiple copies are not required. Font size that is smaller than 11 point, excluding tables and figures, will not be accepted. Margins of all documents must be 1-inch wide (top, bottom, left, and right).

Technical Proposal Instructions Related Inquiries

23. Page 37 says the proposal must be submitted via email. Page 38 references original and copies of the proposal to be submitted. Are offerors to submit responses electronically? If yes, do you require multiple copies of the same document?

67. RFP Reference: L.1, pg. 36 and L.3.B, pg. 38 Question: Page 36 of the RFP advises we are to submit our final proposal in PDF, via email. But page 38 provides direction on hard copy submission. (“Each volume of the original proposal must be marked “Original” on the outside cover.” “Also, each copy must be sequentially numbered with the copy number and the total number of copies (e.g., Volume 2, copy 1 of 8.”) Please confirm the Government is expecting PDF copy via email only and that each volume can be part of the same email submission or if they need to be sent in separate emails.

122. Section L.3 indicates offers must offer proposals covering all labor categories. Can the government provide a listing and description of the labor categories to be covered in the proposal?

36. Section L.4.f, Accounting System: Q: As the prime contractor, we have adequate accounting system/practices as determined by HHS/CMS, and we have numerous current cost reimbursable contracts. Our subcontractor has not performed on a government cost reimbursable contract, and we would therefore issue a T&M subcontract. The subcontractor will present backup/justification of rates. Is this acceptable? No Volumes Volume Response Resumes can be included separately. The Personnel will be scored on the resumes.

Volume Inquiries

68. RFP References:

L.1, pg. 36- “Offerors should submit separate technical and price proposals.”

“Full resumes and project descriptions should be provided in a separate volume, which will not count against the page limit.”

L.3.A, pg. 37- “All Offerors shall submit a proposal consisting of a separate Technical Volume, Past Perf Volume, and Business Volume.”

Question: Please confirm submission requirements in that there is one Technical Volume, one Past Performance Volume, and one Business Volume. And should Resumes be included as a fourth and separate volume?

Section L.3, Volume 2 – Past Performance / M.1 TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA Past Performance Response Three Past Performance references evaluations shall be submitted from the most recent three Federal Contracts. A Past Perfomance Questionnaire has been added as Attachment E to the solicitation amendment. The questionnaire’s can be sent to the Contract Specialist, Fred Thomas at Frederick.thomas@psc.hhs.gov. Offerors must also submit a list of references for on-going contracts or contracts completed not more than three years ago that demonstrate performance relevant to the solicitation requirements.

Past Performance Inquiries

22. How many past performance references must be submitted?

33. Section M.1, Past Performance: The Government states that offerors submit past performance from the most three ‘recent Federal Contracts’ – this vendor’s questions is: can a vendor submit a past performance for similar work from a non-government, commercial client?

37. Section L.3, Volume 2 – Past Performance: The solicitation states, “..offerors must submit past performance evaluations from the most recent three Federal contracts, in sequential order, not more than three years hence.” Q: Will the Government provide the performance evaluation template they would like for us to use?

58. Past Performance, pages 37-38: For on-going contracts or contracts completed within a 3-year window, can the Prime include references from principal subcontractors along with its own references?

59. Past Performance, pages 37-38: Would the Government clarify the meaning of “the most recent three Federal contracts, in sequential order, not more than three years hence”? How do these references differ from relevant on-going contracts?

66. RFP Reference: L.3.A, pg. 38 Question: “Past Performance Evaluations” are required in our Technical proposal, but no Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) was included in the RFP documents. Is the Government providing a PPQ in an amendment? What will the submission requirements be for those PPQs? If the Government is not providing PPQs, what “evaluations” should we submit with our proposal?

105. For the Past Performance requirement, could you please state exactly what details you need from us in the proposal?

123. Does “most recent Federal contracts” mean strictly those that were awarded in date closest to the RFP date irrespective of Federal agency (i.e. Department of Defense, not HHS)?

M.1 TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA (pg49)

Technical Evaluation Criteria Response Section L.3 addresses provides standardized instructions on how to organize the solicitations while Section M.1 provides information about how the contents of the solicitations will be scored. The information in Section L.3 allows the reviewing agency to determine if the solicitor has complied with the requirements for organizing the information to be evaluated. These instructions are provided in order to assist the evaluation process by incorporating a consistent structure for organizing information for all candidates. Having an organized structure better ensures a more transparent process and also eliminates or minimizes opportunities of oversight whereby the solicitors’ information is not considered. Section M.1 gives the reviewing agency the opportunity to apply a comprehensive weighted score to the specifically identified elements of the solicitation provided by the solicitor for the agency’s consideration. These scores are used to inform the agencies recommendation of well qualified candidates.

Technical Evaluation Criteria Related Questions

65. RFP Reference: Sections L.3 and M.1 Question: Could the Government please provide some direction on how best to align the proposal instructions of L.3 with the evaluation criteria of M.1? For instance, the Government advises that we will be evaluated on our Understanding of the Project (worth 30 Points) but there is no direction for writing to Understanding within the instructions for section L.3. Additionally, the Transition Plan is a subtask of Task 7 Project Management, Work Plan, and Project Reports; however in Section L.3 it is called out as a specific section for Volume 1. How are the other sub-tasks under Task 7 being evaluated?

While these are examples, there are other instances of seeming lack of alignment between sections L and M. Can you please clarify?

119. The outline of the technical…