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Q & A for Solicitation 12639523Q0267 Amendment 3

1. Background: PWS Section 1.3.1.1 Subtask number 7 states – “Conduct exercise After Action Meetings, may involve travel, 2 annually (3 travelers per trip on average, for 4 nights).”

Question: Can the government clarify why an After Action Meeting (AAM), would require 4 nights of lodging? Well planned AAMs never take more than 1 day. More often AAMs only take a few hours. Are there additional contractor responsibilities outside of the conventional HSEEP methodology that apply to VS NTEP AAMs? Answer: See Amendment 0002, Revisions to 1.3.1.1 Subtasks.

1. Background: In section 1.3.1 A the government clarified that “The average is a functional or full scale each year and 5 or more discussion‐based exercises per year.” This guidance identified that APHIS VS NTEP conducts at least six exercises per year. However, the Government’s response in section 1.3.1.1 Subtask 7 identifies that only two AAMs are required per year. Question: Can the government clarify whether AAMs are required for each exercise? Are AAMs required for each exercise? Answer: See Amendment 0002, Revisions to 1.3.1.1 Subtasks.

1. Background: Section 1.3.1 A in the government-amended SOW states that the contractor would be responsible for conducting at least one operations-based exercise and at least five discussion-based exercises (DBEs). However, section 1.3.1.1 subtask 5 states that the contractor would only facilitate and assist in evaluating up to 3 exercises annually.

Question: Can the Government clarify which roles the contractor will play in each exercise?

Are there DBEs where the contractor would not provide the facilitation? Answer: When we pilot these, if discussion based, Contractor does facilitate. If an operations based, they would manage the Controllers and Evaluator volunteers. Are there exercises where the contractor would not assist with evaluation? Yes, we do try to get volunteers whenever possible to support evaluation and work in the SimCell. See Amendment 0002, Revisions to 1.3.1.1 Subtasks.

1. Section 1.3.1.1 Subtask 4 identifies required exercise products. Absent from the list are some critical HSEEP products for operations-based exercises such as a Controller/Evaluator [C/E] Handbook and critical HSEEP products for discussion-based exercises such as the exercise briefing and Player Handout or “Placemat.” Question: Are products like the player handout, briefing, C/E Handbook, and others excluded from VS NTEP exercises? Answer: No, you should consider that we typically do abide by HSEEP guidance for all exercises. See Amendment 0002, Revisions to 1.3.1.1 Subtasks.

1. The Price Schedule states that CLINs 0001, 1001, 2001, 3001, and 4001 (i.e., Design and Conduct State level exercises (workshops, tabletops, drills and functional) as determined by the VS NTEP Working Group (WG)) should be priced on a monthly basis, but the number of exercises to be conducted each month will vary, meaning that the monthly price/cost would vary as well.

Question: Please provide greater clarity regarding how offerors should price CLINs 0001, 1001, 2001, 3001, and 4001. Should they, for example, provide a per-unit price for each type of exercises, perhaps further subdivided by the size of each exercise? Answer: See Section 4.0 Type of Contract. Consider the size of each exercise and that the Contractor will be leading an event working group that meets monthly do develop these from scratch. Consider the difference in documents needed for each type and that we work on multiple exercise development ‘events’ at the same time.