12FPC419Q0006a__Amendment_0001_8_Aug_2019.pdf

Hawaii 12FPC419Q0006a

- Is this replacing an existing contract? If so, please provide contract number, awardee, POP, and amount? No\

- In para 4, the POP for this contract is from 1 September to 31 December 2019. Later in the solicitation it says that the Government will award one base year and four option years. Can you clarify which is correct?

- There are not any options; that is a mistake on my part. POP can be adjusted to 01OCT19 -

31JAN20 or to 01NOV19 – 29FEB20 if need be due the longer duration of selecting a candidate

- We understand that the Government will NOT provide IT support or access to government IT equipment. Will the Government provide workspace(s)? YES

- Is it expected that the interview reports, meeting minutes, plan drafts, etc be stored/maintained on Government servers? Yes

- The solicitation indicates that public WiFi will be available – since the work will involve potentially sensitive information, please confirm that using public WiFI is acceptable for performing this contract. NRCS WiFi

- Instruction to offerors:

o Resume – solicitation requires a CV – is there an incumbent No Incumbent o – if so, is it acceptable for the awardee to replace that incumbent with a new person identified in our CV? N/A, No Incumbent o If we do not use the incumbent, will that result in a lower technical evaluation rating?

N/A, No Incumbent o Price proposal – refers to CLINs in (v) above. There is no (v) in the solicitation – can the

Government provide the missing section? Yes

- Solicitation includes the service contract act clause – please provide the relevant WD I will delete the service clauses

- Solicitation includes statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires, but the corresponding information is not provided. Please provide the missing information. Disregard

- 1. We have found that a mobilizing a multidisciplinary team yields benefits in term of the quality of preparation and insights gleaned, and clarity of the work product in preparing a strategic plan.

Is the agency open to a teaming approach, vs. a sole practitioner? TT - Yes, we are open to a team approach.

- 2. Have you established either a budget range or a range of expected billable hours for this project?

- TT - Our anticipated budget was around $36k, I believe, and he had an estimated amount of billable hours. I don’t have access to the proposal right now, but the numbers should be in our methodology document.

- 3. We note that the RFP is fairly lean with respect to a request for a project approach or methodology. Are you anticipating that bidders will include information on their approach and method? Yes.

- 4. We note that the level of detail in the current strategic plan is fairly constrained. Are you anticipating a similar level of detail for the next plan, or is it meant to go into greater depth? TT -

I’m not sure I understand this question; my intention is not to have this plan drive a future plan. I anticipate future plans will be developed to this level, but I would need to understand more about the question and background to give a solid answer.

- 5. Are metrics, output, and outputs desired components of the Strategic Plan? TT - Yes.

- 6. Do you have specific expectations about the split between in person interviews and telephone, Zoom, or Skype interviews? TT - No expectations regarding the split between in person interviews other methods; I’m more focused on the data rather than the method. I’m open to proposals.

- 7. Have you identified an essential "core" group of stakeholders to be centrally involved in the strategic planning process? TT - Yes. The Leadership Team and DAB will be the core stakeholders, with partners and field staff providing input through interviews.

- 8. Under Section 3 ’Scope/Deliverables’ on p. 2 of the Solicitation, it states‘Use a template from

NRCS PIA and/or example provided by NRCS PIA as the framework for developing the strategic plan.’ Is the client open to considering alternative frameworks for the strategic plan, based upon the insight and experience of the contracting team? If not, will the template be roughly similar to those used by other NRCS State and Regional Offices for their Strategic Plans? TT - Yes, we are open to other frameworks developed by the contracting team.

- What are the chances that a non-US consultant securing this work. There are no restrictions but there will be times you are required to come to Hawaii.

Is the All-Hands NRCS PIA pre-meeting onsite at an NRCS facility or virtual? If onsite, will the government please confirm the location.

Virtual – Webinar / Telecon;

Is the two-day Strategic Planning session with NRCS PIA onsite at an NRCS facility or virtual? If onsite, will the government please confirm the location.

Onsite – 300 Ala Moana Blvd, Suite 4-118, Honolulu, HI 96850

Is the half-day Strategic Planning session with NRCS PIA Partners onsite at an NRCS facility or virtual? If onsite, will the government please confirm the location.

Virtual – Webinar / Telecon

Is the meeting with the NRCS PIA Director and Leadership Team to discuss, refine, and finalize the strategic plan at an NRCS facility or virtual? If onsite, will the government please confirm the location and the anticipated duration of the meeting?

Onsite – 300 Ala Moana Blvd, Suite 4-118, Honolulu, HI 96850

The Solicitation states that locations of interviews to be conducted as part of this requirement will be provided by NRCS; most are expected to take place in Honolulu, HI. The NRCS will accommodate scheduling of interviews with employees and partners. Will the government please confirm:

- the estimated number of interviews,

- anticipated duration for each interview,

- location of interviews, and if

- virtual interviews are an acceptable alternative Virtual – Webinar / Telecon amount TBD

The Solicitation states that the “Contractor's employees must sign a NRCS Conservation

Cooperator Certification form and comply with privacy of personal information relating to natural resources conservation programs in accordance with Section 1619 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008…”

a. Will the government please provide a copy of this form?

b. Will the government please confirm if the form to be submitted with offers?

Yes, Yes

The Description of Requirements references the following document: “FISCAL YEAR 2017

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE STATEMENT OF WORK FOR NATIONAL

RESOURCES INVENTORY GRAZING LAND ON-SITE DATA COLLECTION (hereinafter “SOW”) for details. The Statement of Work is attached.” Will the government please confirm if this document is relevant to the solicitation and if so, please provide a copy?

No, N/A

The Solicitation states that “Offerors should submit unit and extended pricing for each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) listed in (v) above. Pricing must be provided for every CLIN.” There is no section (v) in the Solicitation. Will the government please provide the CLINs?

There will only be one line item. Please give me one price cover the entire project

Will the government please confirm if travel is an allowable cost under the Joint Travel Regulations for this contract?

Yes

The Solicitation states that Offerors should submit one copy of the proposal technical/past performance and price proposal. Will the government please confirm if the Technical/Past Performance Proposal and Price Proposal are separate documents or combined?

There needs to be two volumes

The Solicitation lists “FAR Clause 52.229-10 State of New Mexico Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax.” Will the Government please confirm if the Place of Performance or Delivery includes New Mexico?

Please disregard, the entire program is in Hawaii