Questions _Answers_Updated_As_Of_15Feb22.pdf

USDA-FS Eastern Zone Staffing Support Services Solicitation #12445022Q0005

Questions & Answers as of 15 Feb 22:

1. Can you please provide some clarification information for these positions? These positions include Drafter/CAD Operator II, Maintenance Trades Helper, Admin. Assistant, Media Specialist III, Technical Writer III, Drafter/CAD Operator IV, Timber Sales Forester, Receptionist, Switchboard Operator, Janitorial, Engineering Technician VI, Forestry Technician, Grounds Maintenance Laborer, Environmental Technician, and Data Entry Operator I, and Customer Service Representative II. Are these positions individualized locations or does each location require these positions?

Answer: These are just examples of positions that have been placed under the current contract across many locations. There are a large number of potential locations. No single location uses all the listed contracted positions.

2. Is this a new or follow-on contract? If a follow-on, who is/are the incumbent(s) and what is/are the contract #(s)?

Answer: This is a follow-on contract in which Leading Solutions is the incumbent. The contract number is AG-4568-C-17-0019.

3. Can you provide the previous/current contract value?

Answer: The current maximum contract ceiling is $5,250,000. $5M for the base + 4 option years, and $250K allocated to the current extension period from 1 Jan – 31 Mar 2022.

4. To efficiently provide staffing support to the USDA we would also like to request the contract length of each position and specific details of them allowed time to fill each position?

Answer: Specific positions/locations are unknown. Examples were provided based on historical data, but this follow-on contract is greatly expanding in scope (dollar value and geographic areas supported).

5. Will this be a single award or multiple awards?

Answer: This is to establish a single-award IDIQ contract

6. Are there any staffing job titles that will require a drug test?

Answer: Drug testing has not been a requirement in previous Task Orders. Most services require personnel to undergo background checks and a security screening process before allowed unsorted routine access to USDA facilities or information systems.

7. For the Special Contract Requirements Section on page 25 of 39, can the Government provide an estimate of how many personnel may require the personal protective equipment each year? Such as: chain saw chaps, foot protection, hard hat, eye protection, and hearing protection.

Answer: Any required PPE would normally be provided by the Government. If there is an instance where contractors are required to provide PPE, that would be included in the Task Order as an additional cost. This section will be revised prior to issuance of the solicitation.

8. Will applicable area wage determinations be provided with the final solicitation?

Answer: Wage determinations will not be established at the IDIQ level. Each TO will be issued with the applicable wage determination based on TO issuance date and location of performance.

9. In order to provide the most accurate fringe/markup rate, we would need to price out each specific labor category by location?

Answer: Labor categories are not priced at the IDIQ level. Mark-up rates do not include base wage rates or H&W rates. Mark-up rates are a multiplier onto labor category minimum wage rates/H&W rates that apply to each TO.

10. The Wrap-Rate Detail table in the draft solicitation file, Volume II – Price, has each of the pricing elements except the holiday, vacation and sick hours. Should that be included with the buildup?

Answer: Holiday, vacation and sick hours needs to be part of the wrap-rate. The term, “all leave allowances” in the Pricing Exhibit is meant to address this.

11. Can you provide historical hours ordered under any predecessor contract(s)?

Answer: Information not readily available/verifiable.

12. Can you provide historical contract values for the previous 5 years?

Answer: Between 25 Jul 2017 and 31 Dec 2021, 127 TOs have been issued against the current IDIQ. Total current obligation value of all TOs is $4,300,789.84. Note that the geographic areas/locations supported is increasing under the current solicitation.

13. Is this contract for existing Full Time Equivalent (FTE) contract positions that the new contractor will be taking over or is it for project-specific positions that will be used on an as-needed basis?

Answer: Many of the Task orders are expected to continue under the new IDIQ but that is not definite until a requirement is submitted by the requiring activities.

14. In the Pricing Exhibit, can you elaborate the purpose of the Base Value? Can the dollar amount be changed, or should the vendors leave those intact and only fill out the All- Inclusive Wrap Rate column?

Answer: Base Value is not to be changed. It is unknown dollar amount of task orders that would eb issued in any given state/territory for any given contract year. This is used as an estimate for evaluation purposes only and is to ensure vendor proposed wrap-rates are evaluated consistently.

15. What are the rates of the current vendors providing Staffing Support?

Answer: Current contract wrap-rates are not being provided.

16. Can we get copies of current contracts the USDA has with vendors currently providing

Staffing Support services?

Answer: We are not planning to publicly release a copy of the current contract or task orders issued against this contract. Offerors are welcome to search for contract information (AG-4568-C-17-0019) available at https://www.usaspending.gov/

17. It occurred to me that we may be sending signed teaming agreements, surveys, and possibly other documents as part of our past performance submission. Right now, it appears only CPARs reviews may be exempt from the 2-page limit for each contract citation. Can you please make the additional documents exempt from the page limitation as well?

Answer: The Government believes that the maximum page count of 25 pages for the Past Performnce volume is sufficient. 2 pages per each of the 5 past performance references still allows for an additional 15 pages than can be used for information such as teaming agreements.

18. What should be included in the term "OVERHEAD” in the Wrap-Rate Detail table on page

31 of 40 under Volume II Price? Please clarify whether or not "OVERHEAD" includes our Fringe Benefit (i.e., Sick, Vacation, Holiday, Health & Welfare) and our other Overhead.

Or is it only for other overhead.

https://www.usaspending.gov/

Answer: This contract has established fully burdened “wrap-rates” for each ordering period (inclusive of all labor burden other than applicable SCLS wage determination base rate and health & welfare costs, overhead, G&A, and profit), and for each state/territory supported under the contract.

These fully burdened “wrap-rates” are added to the applicable area SCLS wage determination base rate and health & welfare rates in effect at the time each task order is placed.

(SCLS WD Base Rate + H&W rate) x Wrap-Rate = Task Order Hourly Rate used in calculation of Task Order amount.

19. Section 1.3 states the prospective offerors shall concurrently submit four separate documents:

a) Volume I - Past Performance

b) Volume II – Price

c) Completed SECTION F - REPRESENTATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS

Question a) What is the fourth document that the government requires bidders to submit?

Answer: Solicitation when issued will instruct Offerors to submit 3 attachments and not 4.

Question b) The government makes no mention of a technical proposal. Is one required for this procurement?

Answer: No.

20. Section 1.5 states the past performance volume shall not exceed more than 25 pages;

section 2.1.2.1 states that each past performance shall not exceed 2 pages for a total of 5 past performance citations. Is the government able to clarify whether each citation can be no more than 5 pages long, or if the total number of pages cannot be more than 10?

Answer: There can be up to 5 past performance citations, and each cannot exceed 2 pages in length. The total Past Performance volume cannot exceed 25 pages. This allows additional pages for teaming agreements or other relevant information determined by each offeror.

21. Section 2.1.2.1 states to provide a list of no more than five (5) of the most relevant contracts performed for Federal agencies or other customers, having performance within three (3) years of the solicitation issuance date. Is there a minimum number of past performance citations that the government will accept for this proposal?

Answer: There is no minimum requirement.

22. Request the Government to confirm that whether we can have an Executive Summary/Cover Letter exclusive of the page count. If yes, Would the Government agree that the same be included in the Past Performance volume?

Answer: Executive Summary/Cover Letter could be included with the Past Performnce volume but will be included as part of the 25-page count.

23. Request the Government to please confirm that whether in the Wrap-Rate Detail table: the column 'OVERHEAD' includes our Fringe Benefit (i.e., Sick, Vacation, Holiday, Health & Welfare) and our other Overhead costs? OR it refers to only other overhead costs?

Answer: OVERHEAD was not intended to include sick, vacation, or holiday pay requirements for staffed positions under this contract. Some companies may be accounting for home office and contract management expenses as overhead while other account for expenses as G&A. A separate category has been added for sick, vacation, or holiday pay expenses for positions staffed under TOs. Minimum Health & Welfare costs identified in each TO wage determination are included in the TO pricing, in addition to minimum hourly rates identified in each TO.

24. OFFEROR SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS - SECTION 1.3. Per Section 1.3 para b (iii), it states that "Schedule of Items/Price Schedule" is located on pages 4 thru 8. However, we are not able to find such detail in this Draft Solicitation released on Jan 03, 2022.

Answer: Will be revised/clarified when solicitation is issued.

25. Please clarify whether "Schedule of Items/Price Schedule" is the table, which is present on

Page 33 of 39, the one containing FICA, FUTA, SUTA, etc.?

26. OFFEROR SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS - SECTION 1.3. The Solicitation document does not list "Offer Submission Package" anywhere. Recommend paragraph 1.3 - b (ii) be removed.

27. Would the Government confirm that an offeror is required to submit 4 separate files

(mentioned in para 1.3) including:

Volume I - Past Performance (Word/PDF), Volume II - Price (Word/PDF - this one contains SF1449, Schedule of Items/Price Schedule), Volume III - Attachment 2 - Pricing Exhibit (Excel file), and Volume IV - Reps & Certs (Word/PDF)?

Answer: Only 3 attachments will be required. Attachment 2 Pricing Exhibit will be included as a Volume II required item.

28. Section 1.1 states: "Emails should contain 3 separate attachments (Past Performance Volume, Price Volume, and Completed Representations and Certifications) in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format." Would the Government specify that whether the given Attachment 2 - Pricing Exhibit needs to be submitted as PDF and not Excel document?

Answer: Solicitation will read, “Past Performance and Representations and Certifications attachments shall be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Price Volume submission may be in Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, or Microsoft Excel format.”

29. On page 20 of the solicitation, insurance coverage is required for Aircraft Public and

Passenger Liability. Please advise how often and under what circumstances contract employees would be subject to this provision.

Answer: No known instances. The following language has been added in the solicitation:

“(This can be priced as an Other Direct Cost (ODC) for any Task Order where aircraft are used in connection with performing the contract. There are no currently known instances where this would apply.)”

30. We advise issuing all task orders on a labor-hour basis. It is generally the most cost-effective approach for the government and can be easier to manage from the contractor and COR perspective.

Answer: Labor Hour task orders should be by exception, not the standard. The Contracting Officer must prepare a determination and findings that no other contract type is suitable when issuing a Labor Hour task order. This is not practical at the IDIQ contract level due to the wide variety of task order requirements this contract would support.

31. Please advise if HUBZone certified firms can receive a pricing preference.

Answer: No.

Updated Answers for Question #17 and #20

17. It occurred to me that we may be sending signed teaming agreements, surveys, and possibly other documents as part of our past performance submission. Right now, it appears only CPARs reviews may be exempt from the 2-page limit for each contract citation. Can you please make the additional documents exempt from the page limitation as well?

Revised Answer: Forthcoming amendment will indicate a separate volume for Teaming Information with no page limitation. Completed CPARS should not be submitted, these will be pulled by the Government as warranted. Surveys and/or past performance questionnaires should not be collected by Offerors and submitted specific to this solicitation. Past Performnce questionnaires will be collected by the Government, from Past Performance POCs provided and as warranted during past performance evaluation of the ten (10) lowest priced offerors. Solicitation amendment will include the following language, “Provide any previously existing, and independently verifiable performance information other than completed CPARS”. Page count for the Past Performance volume will also being increased from 25 to 30 pages in forthcoming amendment.

20. Section 1.5 states the past performance volume shall not exceed more than 25 pages;

section 2.1.2.1 states that each past performance shall not exceed 2 pages for a total of 5 past performance citations. Is the government able to clarify whether each citation can be no more than 5 pages long, or if the total number of pages cannot be more than 10?

Revised Answer: There can be up to 5 past performance citations, and each cannot exceed 2 pages in length. A forthcoming amendment will increase the total page limitation for the Past Performance volume to 30 pages. The amendment will also clarify that pages of an executed JV or Teaming Agreement will not be considered against the page count and requested in a separate volume. Please also see the answer to question 52.

32. Does the Government have a required font size and additionally for tables and graphics?

I.e., 12-point for proposal text and 10-point for tables and graphics.

Answer: 8.5 x 11-inch document size; 10 pitch or larger, Arial or Times New Roman Font. Instructions will be updated in forthcoming amendment.

33. Per RFP section 2.1.2.1, can the Government please describe major subcontractor/teaming partner for past performance references?

Answer: Any proposed major subcontractor, JV, or other teaming partner that is proposed to perform at least 25% of the contract dollar value in any contract ordering period.

Instructions will be updated in forthcoming amendment. This will be clarified in forthcoming amendment.

34. After reviewing the solicitation, we understand that each position will be considered SCA services where the SCLS Wage Determination apply. We have located all of the job classes for each position, except Timber Sales Forester and Forestry Technician. Can you please advise which SCA Labor Category these two job classes will fall under?

Answer: Please see answer to question 1. Additionally, after further review, the Timber Sales Forester position referenced will be removed in a forthcoming amendment, for the listing of typical staffing needs at PWS section 3.3. Please note that there is a non-standard SCLS Wage Determination (Forestry and Land Management Services) with positions that could be utilized under this contract. Positions identified under that non-standard wage determination are as follows:

08010 - Brush/Precommercial Thinner

08040 - Choker Setter

08070 - Faller/Bucker

08100 - Fire Lookout

08130 - Forestry Equipment Operator

08160 - Forestry/Logging Heavy Equipment Operator

08190 - Forestry Technician

08200 - Forestry Truck Driver

08250 - General Forestry Laborer

08280 - Nursery Specialist

08310 - Slash Piler/Burner

08340 - Tree Climber

08370 - Tree Planter

08400 - Tree Planter Mechanical

35. In regard to the pricing Wrap-Rate Detail table listed on page 29, are the offerors required to fill out the table for each state in addition to the Attachment 2 Pricing Exhibit?

Answer : Yes, however all states/territories that have identical information can be consolidated on a single Wrap-Rate Detail table.

36. Per RFP section 2.1.2.1, where companies have IDIQs and multiple task orders and CPARS is provided by task order for every period of performance it creates a massive number of CPARS per the RFP. Can we provide one CPARS by task order and the Government can then go in and find all the other CPARS by task order?

Answer: CPARS do not need to be provided and will be retrieved by the Government during evaluations as warranted. Instructions will be updated in forthcoming amendment.

37. Reference Volume 2 (a). Can the Government please provide the data for 15, 16, and 18 on the 1449 as offerors do not have that information?

Answer: Solicitation will be amended to indicate blocks 17a, 30a, 30b, and 30c.

38. Reference Volume 2 Price Wrap rate detail table – If a company uses pool costs in accordance with an acceptable / approved accounting system according to DCAA, we would only have one fringe, Overhead, G&A and Profit. Where the fringe precent would include all taxes, holiday, PTO, and WCI. Will the Government consider one table regardless of state since most contractors use a pool cost where we would show only Fringe, Overhead, G&A and Profit to arrive at our wrap rate?

Answer: Only one table is required if a single total wrap rate is being proposed for use in all states/territories. Offerors should provide information in accordance with their approved accounting system. If modifications to the table are needed, make those adjustments as needed when submitting the offer and provide a supporting narrative as needed.

39. Reference Volume 2 Price Wrap rate detail table. Since every county in every state on a wage determination can have difference numbers of required holidays, will the Government please provide guidance on how to price that since the RFP and Attachment 2 only gives you a state? I.e., Illinois has multiple counties with 14 holidays. Should Offerors price the highest number of holidays in a county in the state?

Answer: Offerors should propose wrap-rates that account for highest possible costs (# of holidays, etc.…) within that state/territory since only a single wrap-rate will be used for the entire state/territory when issuing task orders.

40. Can the Government confirm that Section F contains provisions 52.204-24, 52.209-7, and 52.212-3?

Answer: Correct

41. Will the Government accept Times New Roman as the font type?

Answer: Yes

42. In reference to Q&A 3: $5M is for the Base year+4 options or is that amount for a single year?

Answer: $5M was for the maximum for the combined amount of the base and all option years.

43. Minimum and Maximum Contract Award Clarification Page 17/37 of Solicitation: The Government shall place orders totaling a minimum of $25,000.00, but not in excess of $7M. Is the $7M ceiling per year or over the course of base + 4 options years?

Answer: $7M is the ceiling over the course of 5, 1-yr ordering periods, maximum for the entire 5 yrs.

44. How many of the 127 TOs on the current contract are less than a 6-month duration and how many are more than 6+ month duration?

Answer: 29 of the 127 TOs were less than 6 months in duration.

45. If research is showing that the market rate is above WD, will the contractor be able to request an additional amount to include in the base rate for the employee to be more current with the market demands?

Answer: Allowance for this is not so much based on the market rate, but rather there needs to sufficient justification to show a qualified candidate cannot be recruited at the base WD rate. With minimum wages increasing to $15 per hour this should rare, given that professional services are not authorized under the contract. In limited instances, it would be allowable for some specialized services with unique certification or experience requirements.

46. What is the required response rate for task orders by the awarded contractor?

Answer: Awardee must respond to all Task Orders Requests within scope of the contract. Even for short duration/low dollar requirements. Will be clarified in SOW with forthcoming amendment.

47. Will the Government please provide the validity period for pricing, i.e. at least 90 days?

Answer: Forthcoming amendment will indicate offers shall remain valid for 90 calendar days after the established offer due date.

48. Can all the extra info that offerors can submit, i.e., CPARs, Letters, etc. be submitted in a separate document as this can turn into a very large document?

Answer: Forthcoming amendment will indicate CPARS should not be submitted, these will be pulled by the Government as warranted. Page count for the Past Performance volume will also being increased from 25 to 30 pages.

49. Can the government please identify the intended phase-in time period length for each task order?

Answer: There is no specific phase-in. It is unknown if there will be follow-on task order requirements. Task Orders are allowed to be issued under the current contract until March 31st, 2022 and may continue under the current contract until November 30th, 2022.

50. Will the government allow an entry on duty (EOD) determination of new hire personnel to ensure they can immediately work and do not fall outside of the government's determined phase-in period timeline, for which the contractor may be penalized?

Answer: There is no specific phase-in.

51. Question 9 (follow-up) Offeror's wrap rates include the cost of workers compensation and general liability insurance. These costs are directly determined by the occupational code and value of each workers wages in a given year. Because of the potential for extreme variance in the cost between positions in terms of wages and risk class codes will the government allow for an equitable adjustment at the TO level to right size for those WC/GL costs factors?

Answer: Wrap-Rates will need to account for maximum contractor costs. There has not been a need for equitable adjustments at the Task Order level related to WC/GL costs over the last 3 contracts of the type being solicited.

52. The Government is limiting the PP Volume to 25 total pages and that includes Teaming Agreements with proposed subcontractors. Our standard teaming agreement is 16 pages long and we are proposing 3 subs. That's 48 pages of teaming agreements not counting the actual past performance. Would Government consider excluding Teaming Agreements from the overall page count and then limiting PP page count to not more than 10 pages?

Answer: Pages of an executed JV or Teaming Agreement will not be considered against the page count and requested in a separate volume. This will be clarified in a future amendment. Page count for the Past Performance volume is also being increased from 25 to 30 pages. Please also see Revised Answers to questions 17 and 20.