Questions and Answers.pdf

# Offeror Question Government Response

Can you please clarify on the base period start date of the contract? The table "8. Contract Line-Item Number (CLIN) Structure" shows that the start date is May 4 2023, which is already past due.

Please refer to the Solicitation section vi. Period(s) of Performance, p.1. The dates referenced in the table are not current. The start date will be determined at the time of award.

2 Is the Incumbent is eligible to rebid? Yes, if they meet the 8(a) status.

Is the USDA open to an 8a and SDVOSB partnership for this re-compete, or is the USDA willing to change the set-aside to another specific set-aside?

Prime & First Tier Subcontractors must all be 8(a) companies.

4 Can the sub provide past performances, or is it only the prime that is able to provide past performances?

8(a) subcontractor past performance will be considered. Reference amendment #1 posted on 8/10/2023.

5 What is the contract period of performance? Please see the answer provided to Question #1.

6 Does the contract experience need to be submitted by the prime contractor? Please refer to the Solicitation p.6

7 How many contracts need to be submitted by the prime contractor? The Offeror is to provide up to five relevant and recent past contracts.

8 Can the organization submitting the proposal be submitted by a Joint Venture? Please refer to 13 CFR 125.9

9 Can the organization submitting the proposal be submitted by Collaborative Team Arrangement (CTA) ? Reference amendment #1 posted on 8/10/2023.

Could you please provide any insights into the number of interested parties that are currently considering or planning to bid on this collaboration opportunity?

No.

11 Are there any known companies or organizations that have previously expressed interest in similar projects within the USDA RD Mission Area? Please see the answer provided to Question #10.

12 Is there a specific avenue or resource through which we can learn more about potential bidders and partners for this collaboration opportunity? No.

Are there any incumbent employees associated with this opportunity?

And if so, will the incoming contractor be granted access to these employees?

Yes, please refer to FAR 52.237-3 Continuity of Services.

14 Does the sub-contractor has to be 8a certified to meet the solicitation required past performance and experience.? Yes.

15 Can the prime use the past performance of any designated subcontractor or must the subcontractor be an 8(a)? Please see the answer provided to Question #14.

The solicitation states the "IDIQ maximum if all options are exercised is $40,000,000." This amount appears to represent a significant increase in the incumbent contractor’s current burn. Does the government anticipate that this contract iteration will have a broader scope or other major changes from the contract?

The tasks for this contract are outlined in the PWS. Please refer to the PWS when preparing your proposal.

The CLIN structure described seems to be at the contract level. Our understanding is there will be discrete task orders awarded under this contract. a) Should the CLIN structure represent task level. b) The sample tasks covers multiple focus areas; how do we represent the task pricing in this structure? c) Should the offeror complete Section 8 and return with the response. If so, we need clarification on how to complete it.

A) Yes, the CLIN structure represents the corresponding Focus Area.

B) CLIN pricing must encompass all related tasks within that particular focus area.

C) Please refer to the Solicitation section (ii) PRICE PROPOSAL- Volume 2, p. 5.

All unit/rate pricing must be rounded to two (2) decimal points.

Instructions, Proposal Submissions Requirements - Instructions say to submit two files, one with tech and two for price (narrative and Excel file).

Will the government consider amending the total file count to 3?

Yes, a complete proposal may consist of three electronic files in total.

The solicitation states "The government will award a firm fixed price contract." Please confirm it is the government's intent to award an IDIQ with FFP type task order awards.

Yes, please refer to the Solicitation section v. on p. 1.

20 In order to provide the right personnel for this requirement, would the government please provide an LOE for this work? No, the tasks for this contract are outlined in the PWS.

a) Please confirm it is the prime's discretion to identify key personal labor categories. b) Please confirm since task orders will be awarded at on this IDIQ, that key should be identified at the task order level.

a) Yes.

b) Key Personnel are to be identified at the IDIQ and the included Task Order level. Please refer to Solicitation section (iii) Key Personnel-Resumes, p. 9.

The government is asking for pricing at the IDIQ and TO level. This is very confusing as a) work is being indicated at the task order level b) government is saying this is an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity and has not provided specific details on now to price services at the IDIQ level and how the addition of task orders may impact that amount. To provide pricing at the IDIQ level, exact detail regarding systems to be supported and/or a description of all forthcoming task orders would be required.

Question: 1) Does the government anticipate providing this information?

Question: 2) Does the government anticipate the offeror should include pricing totals for TO1 in the total IDIQ amount? Suggestion: We think the government should request a rate card from offerors at the IDIQ level and specific pricing at the TO level. This would permit the government to assess reasonableness/ realism and project total contract value for evaluation purposes.

CLIN pricing must encompass all related tasks within that particular focus area as outlined in the PWS. Please refer to Solicitation section 3. Price - Factor 3 – for both the IDIQ and the Task Order,

p. 12.

Please confirm all EVMS data is entered into the RD EVMS, and therefore the contractor is not required to use/have a contractor provided EVMS. Please confirm the offeror shall provide a file in an MPP format for EVMS reporting data?

EVM is a requirement for capital planning. MPP format is not required for EVM reporting.

24 Are we able to utilize key resources/resumes to meet the past performance? No.

25 Can teaming partner(s)/sub-contractor(s) work be used to meet the past performance requirements?

8(a) subcontractor past performance will be considered. Reference amendment #1 posted on 8/10/2023.

26 Will the submission due date be extended to accommodate for Q&A response/reconsiderations? Reference amendment #3 posted on 9/6/2023.

The section numbering seems out of order. Section 3.1 on page 5 comes before section 3 on page 6. Will the government please clarify the subsection numbering in II.2 and II.3?

The numbering was corrected.

TAB B: Technical (Page maximum is 23 pages. There is no minimum page count.)

• PRIME’s Prior Experience (5-page max)

• PRIME’s Technical Approach for IDIQ PWS and also Task Order One PWS (5-page max)

• PRIME’s Technical Qualifications (5-page max)

• PRIME’s Quality Control (3-page max)

Would the government please clarify if the extra 5 pages are meant to cover response for the Task Order One PWS, i.e., 5 pages for Technical Approach IDIQ PWS and 5 pages for Task Order One PWS?

Yes

Sub-section two for both IDIQ and Task Order reference " A brief Deliverables-Schedule Pricing Example is provided as an attachment.''

Would the government direct where this attachment is located?

Please see Attachment 11- Deliverables-Schedule Pricing Example.

In the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation, the CLIN structure states that CLIN 1 is aligned with Focus Area 1: Cybersecurity Support Services.

However, in the PWS for Task Order 1, the CLIN structure states CLIN 1 is aligned to Focus Area 2: Compliance Support Services.

Should both of these files match to show that CLIN 1 is Focus Area 1:

Cybersecurity Support Services, CLIN 2 is Focus Area 2: Compliance Support Services, CLIN 3 is Focus Area 3: Quality Assurance Support Services, and CLIN 4 is Focus Area 4: Surge Support Services for Modernization Efforts?

Due to system limitations, the task order CLIN structure will vary.

31 When is the expected start date/month/year for Task Order 1? Task Order 1 will be awarded to the successful Offeror at the time of award of the IDIQ contract.

As described in the IDIQ Cybersecurity Combine Synopsis Solicitation and PWS CCQS Task Order 1, as written, the contractor must determine the relevant experience, skills, and domain knowledge to perform and build the desired product to the government's satisfaction. This provides a significant advantage to the incumbent over other bidders. Would the Government please provide clearly defined Job Descriptions/Responsibilities for each of the Key Personnel?

No.

In the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation section (i) states that Offeror’s brief description of Offeror’s capabilities, background, and relevant information will be evaluated to determine if Offeror’s stability and strengths and evidence of ability to perform the services of this PWS are sufficient.

Would the government please confirm if our response for this section should focus on our staffing and retention capabilities and if not, what does the government desire to see in this section?

The Offeror should focus on its ability to meet the requirements of the PWS.

The list of Key Personnel on both the IDIQ and the TO1 doesn't match.

Would the government please provide the correct list of Key Personnel?

Also, are Key Personnel Resumes required for both IDIQ and TO1?

The lists of Key Personnel were only provided as examples.

Regarding Key Personnel Resumes, please see solicitation p.9.

35 TO1- Section 4. Onboarding, Transition In and Transition Out and its subsections are miss numbered. The numbering was corrected.

Reference TAB B: Technical (Page maximum is 23 pages. There is no minimum page count.); PRIME’s Technical Approach for IDIQ PWS and also Task Order One PWS (5-page max) and PROPOSAL EVALUATION/ SELECTION CRITERIA, page 45, 1. Technical - Factor 1, Technical Approach (5-page max), (i) Offeror is to provide a narrative that details your company’s technical approach towards successfully fulfilling the PWS requirements (providing FY23 Cybersecurity, Compliance, Quality Assurance Services and Surge Support Services for Modernization Efforts).

In order for us to submit a compliant response, please clarify if our response should follow the Task Order One PWS requirements (providing FY23 Cybersecurity, Compliance, Quality Assurance Services, and Surge Support Services for Modernization Efforts)?

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

37 Would the government please consider extending the due date by at least 14 working days? Please see the answer provided to Question #26.

38 Does the government intend to fund the full $40M of the IDIQ ceiling or does Task Order 1 represent the majority of the scope? Please reference Attachment 12- IDIQ PWS p. 6.

Again even if we consider 23 page limit as per your section allotment that total count is just 18. Please let's know if the remaining 5 pages are to be adjusted in the Technical section of Volume I of the response.

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

40 Also please let's know if this has been a Direct 8(a) award or a Multiyear award previously.

This procurement action has previously been competed, and has been a Direct 8(a) award.

As per Contract Line-Item Number (CLIN) Structure Base period is mentioned as 12 months from May 4, 2023-May 3, 2024. Please let us know what is the actual expected date of the start of this contract.

Please see the answer provided to Question #1.

42 Is this a new requirement? No.

If this is not a new requirement, please provide the name of the incumbent contractor, the period of performance for the current contract, and the total value of the current contract.

Reference amendment #1 posted on 8/10/2023.

Will the Government consider awarding two or more IDIQ contracts?

Rationale: To give more contractors an opportunity to serve USDA and to give the Government more competition and potentially better pricing and solutions for each task order.

No.

Section numbering skips from 2 (p. 3) to 3.1, then back to 3 on p. 6. Then on p. 10 the numbering skips to 4.1 followed by 4 and then 5.1. The misnumbering continues through p. 13. Will the Government consider correcting the section numbering? Rationale: To improve clarity for Government reviewers when offerors cite requirements by section number in their proposals.

The numbering was corrected.

46 Please confirm that the actual solicitation number is 12SAD123R0001, despite the number listed in the name of this file. Reference amendment #1 posted on 8/10/2023.

The page maximum for Tab B is 23 pages, but the maximum page limits within Tab B add up to 18 pages. Please confirm that offerors may use the remaining 5 pages to communicate additional value regarding Technical.

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

Technical Approach is intended to respond to all 4 Focus Areas and is limited to 5 pages. Please confirm that offerors may use up to 5 additional pages (of the maximum 23 pages) for the Technical Approach, i.e., a total of 10 pages.

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

49 Please consider excluding diagrams and visuals from the page limits. No.

50 Please consider allowing offerors to use proposed subcontractors’ relevant experience in addition to their own. Please see the answer provided to Question #4.

For Item 10 (“Contracting Officer requests business size recertification from each Offeror”), please confirm that this is required after award and not as part of the proposal.

Please see the solicitation p.4.

For Item 10, what is required as proof of recertification? Does the Government expect a statement from the offeror? Please specify the nature, format, etc., of the expected deliverable.

If the Offeror's Certified Business type is not certified in SAM.gov, they must provide a certified letter from the SBA with their proposal.

The certified letter from the SBA will need to be included in the Technical Proposal under Tab A.

For the requirement “Contracting Officer requests business size recertification from each Offeror,” please specify the volume in which offerors should include proof of recertification, and whether it belongs in an appendix or within the body of the response.

Please see the answer provided to Question #52.

For both Volumes 1 and 2, TAB A is described as starting with the cover page. Please confirm that the Government does not intend that offerors should insert a TAB A page in front of the cover page.

The TAB A page should be inserted in front of the cover page. The TAB B page should be inserted in front of the Prime's Prior Experience. The TAB pages do not count towards the page count.

55 Can the Government share the planned evaluation criteria and weightings for the technical versus management sections of the proposals?

Please see solicitation section EVALUATION FACTORS AND

CRITERIA FOR AWARD.

56 Are there any agency-specific cybersecurity frameworks, compliance requirements, or preferred tools we should align our approach with?

Please refer to PWS section 17. Compliance with IT Security Policies.

57 Can the Government provide an overview of the ordering and work allocation process under the IDIQ vehicle? Please refer to Attachment 12- IDIQ PWS, p.6.

58 Is there an annual ceiling or a maximum dollar value defined for the IDIQ contract?

Yes, please refer to AGAR 452.216-73 MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM

CONTRACT AMOUNTS (FEB 1988)

Technical page maximum is 23 pages – although the page limit breakdown provided comes to 18 pages. Will the Government please provide the accurate page limits for TAB B and related subsections?

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

The entire PWS has “Draft” stamped through it. Will the Government please say whether the PWS, as provided, is a draft or was this an error when the solicitation was published?

Reference amendment #1 posted on 8/10/2023.

61 If the PWS is a draft, when can Offerors expect to have access to the final version? Reference amendment #1 posted on 8/10/2023.

For each listed referenced contract, if the listed POC(s) cannot be reached, the proposal will be downrated under this section, because that contact reference(s) cannot be reached. It is advised to check your references before you list them.

Will the Government please explain how many times it will attempt to contact the reference’s POC, how this contact will be made (via phone a/o email), and how many days it will provide the POC to respond before declaring “a no response from the POC and subsequent downrating the proposal”?

Please see the revised solicitation section 2. Past Performance – Factor 2.

63 Will the Government identify the incumbent contractor and current contract number? Please see the answer provided to Question #43.

Issue: Experience (i) - The PRIME Offeror is to provide up to five relevant and recent past contracts.

Will the Government allow an Offeror’s teaming partner (i.e., subcontractor) to provide a relevant and recent contract reference that best relates to the tasks in the PWS?

Please see the answer provided to Question #4.

The Prime offeror is required to provide up to five relevant and recent past contracts.

Is there a minimum number of prior experience examples? How will the number of prior experience examples be evaluated among competition?

Ex. Company A provides 2 prior experience examples vs Company B provides 5 prior experience examples.

Please see solicitation section 2. Past Performance-Factor 2.

Would the government consider allowing offeror's subcontractor prior experience examples in addition to the prior experience examples from the offeror?

Please see the answer provided to Question #4.

A contract of this magnitude (size and scope) necessitates quality in performance and deliverables. We believe that USDA would benefit from a best value tradeoff where Technical and/or past performance is considered more important than cost. Would the government reconsider the proposed evaluation criteria?

No.

Technical volume states a total of 23 pages is allowed however, the sections included in the technical volume only add up to 18 pages. Can you please clarify the number of pages that should be allocated to each section of the technical volume

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

IDIQ Pricing, how are bidders to price the IDIQ CLIN structure? Should bidders just estimate possible Level of Effort by Focus Area over the lifetime of the contract yearly or use the information from Task Order 1 for this submission?

Offerors will need to price the base and option year IDIQ CLINs, and the Task Order 1 CLINs.

IDIQ instructions Tab B price. There is not enough detail information provided to complete the level of effort for the “Deliverables- Schedule Pricing Chart & Breakdown for IDIQ” and “Vendor is to submit a Deliverables-Schedule Pricing chart to reflect anticipated accepted deliverables for each anticipated invoiced time period.” Please provide guidance on pricing for the IDIQ.

Please see the answer provided to Question #17.

71 IDIQ CLIN structure is just Yearly. Shouldn’t the CLIN structure utilize a Unit of Month and Quantity of 12 versus just a yearly cost?

Please refer to Attachment 12- IDIQ PWS, section IV. Payment and Invoicing.

Task Order 1 CLIN structure is just Yearly. Shouldn’t the CLIN structure utilize a Unit of Month and Quantity of 12 versus just a yearly cost? Or should the Task Order 1 CLINs just utilize the total of the Deliverables- Schedule Pricing Chart & Breakdown for Task Order One?

Please see the answer provided to Question #17.

The Government's instructions state: " A complete Proposal submittal shall consist of two electronic files in total.

• One MS Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF file containing a Technical Proposal.

• One completed MS Word and Excel for the IDIQ CLIN Pricing Workbook (no Adobe Acrobat) file containing a Price Proposal.

For ease of submission and evaluation, please confirm that the Offeror can embed an Excel spreadsheet into the Word document for Vol II - Price Proposal.

Please see the answer provided to Question #18.

The pages for the Proposal Preparation and Evaluation Information are not numbered. We respectfully request that the Government number all the pages in the Evaluation Criteria.

Page numbers were corrected.

The Government states: "Mark each page in your proposal as "Source Selection Information -See FAR2.101 and 3.104. For Government Use Only". Additionally the Government indicates "any proprietary information must be marked as such either in the page footer or header." Please clarify if the Offeror is required to add BOTH "Source Selection Information -See FAR2.101 and 3.104 And "For Government Use Only" in the header or footer or if one or the other disclaimer is sufficient.

The statement, "“Source Selection Information-See FAR 2.101 and

3.104. For Government Use Only” should be added to the either the header or footer section.

In Section 3- Price Factor 3, Subsection 2., i., a, and Subsection 5., iii.,a., the Government states: "A brief Deliverables-Schedule Pricing Example is provided as an attachment." There was no attachment provided in the RFP. Please provide the Deliverables-Schedule Pricing Example attachment.

Please see the answer provided to Question #29.

The Government provided a snapshot of a "Sample Schedule of Payments and Deliverables" on page 282 of the USDA's Rural Development Visual Identity Guidelines. This sample is not labeled as a Deliverables- Schedule Pricing Example nor was it listed as an attachment. We respectfully request that the Government provide the Offerors the Deliverables-Schedule Pricing Example attachment for this solicitation.

Please see the answer provided to Question #29.

78 The Government states " Recent is within the last 3 years". Please confirm the timeframe is 3 years from the date of proposal submission.

For Experience "Recent" is defined within the last 3 years, p.6. For Past Performance, "Recent" is defined within the last 5 years, p.12.

The Government states "…Technical-Factor 1: Sub-Factor 2 Experience".

There is no reference to a Sub-Factor 2 in Technical - Factor 1. The Government does not label items as Sub-Factors in the B. Evaluation Criteria section. The evaluation criteria under each Factor are listed with bullets, numbers or roman numerals. We request the Government standardize how they reference items within the RFP, PWS and Evaluation Criteria. This will enable a more efficient evaluation of the Offeror's proposal and ensures the Offeror's proposal follows the Solicitation instructions and proposal organization as outlined in B.

Evaluation Criteria.

The "Sub-Factor 2" label was removed.

The Government is asking for a Past Performance (Experience) submission within the Technical Factor 1 and includes Past Performance as Factor 2 with no submission requirements.

The Government does not provide a timeline for initiating and/or completing their outreach interview with the Offeror's POCs. Establishing a timeline will allow the Offeror ample opportunity to notify their POCs and provide them with the 'experience' information USDA will be asking from them.

Please see the answer provided to Question #62.

The Government requested both a contact number and email address for the Offeror's POC(s). With the negative impact to the Offeror's proposal (downrated if a POC cannot be reached) is it the intent of the Government to both call and email the Offeror's POCs to ensure they make every attempt to reach the POC(s)? Will the Government notify the Offeror if they are unable to reach the POC(s) prior to applying any negative downrating?

Please see the answer provided to Question #62.

The Government outlines two evaluation criteria that pertain to the same submission information for Experience in Technical Factor - 1 and Past Performance Factor -2. Since the information provided in "Experience" is about the Offeror's relevant and recent past performance, we respectively suggest the Government move the requirement for Technical Factor - 1 , Experience to the Past Performance- Factor 2 section where it can be appropriately evaluated against the existing Factor 2 criteria.

No.

83 Please confirm that the information provided in Tab A: General Information is not page limited. TAB A. General Information does not have a page limit.

The Government includes "appearance" as an evaluation criteria. Without more definition, "appearance" can be subjective. Please confirm what criteria the Government will evaluate the Offeror's proposal on "appearance".

"Appearance" refers to the format of the proposal.

Many companies are structured with multiple divisions or multiple legal entities that individually perform Prime Contracts but fall under a broader corporate umbrella. Recognizing such corporate structures exist across the industry, the procurement rules and numerous GAO decisions have made clear that procuring agencies may evaluate and credit an offeror with the past performance and corporate experience of sister subsidiary companies where the offeror’s proposal demonstrates that the resources of the sister subsidiary (e.g., workforce, management, facilities, or other resources) will be meaningfully contributed to contract performance. See GM–Bulltrack, B- 414591.6 (Comp. Gen. Oct. 30, 2018) (holding that an agency may properly attribute the experience or past performance of a sister subsidiary), and Iyabak Construction, LLC, B-409196 (Comp. Gen.

Feb.6, 2014) (holding that the agency failed to articulate a rational basis for solicitation’s refusal to consider experience and past performance of sister subsidiaries).

Would the Government please clarify that the Offeror may cite the prime contract past performance and corporate experience of a sister subsidiary company so long as the Offeror demonstrates how the resources of the sister subsidiary will meaningfully contribute to the performance of the opportunity?

Yes

The Solicitation requirements state that “TAB B: Technical (Page maximum is 23 pages. There is no minimum page count.)”. However, when Prior Experience (5-page max), Technical Approach for IDIQ PWS and also Task Order One PWS (5-page max), Technical Qualifications (5-page max) Quality Control (3-page max) are tallied together, it equals 18 pages. Did the Government intend to allocate 5 pages EACH for Technical Approach to IDIQ PWS, AND 5 pages for Task Order One PWS, thereby reading as follows: Technical Approach for IDIQ PWS and also Task Order One PWS (5-page max EACH)?

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

87 Can the government please confirm that this is a Single Award IDIQ? Please refer to solicitation section v. Requirement and Background,

p. 1.

88 Can the government please confirm Task Order 1 will be awarded to the successful Offeror and that it is not a hypothetical task order?

Please refer to solicitation section v. Requirement and Background,

p. 1.

89 Can surge support be quoted using time and materials pricing vs. FFP? No.

90 Will the government accept commercial past performance? Yes.

91 What is the minimum amount of past performance that the Government is looking for?

Please refer to the Solicitation section 2.Past Performance-Factor 2, p. 12.

Will the Government provide at least a three-week extension from the date questions are answered so that the Government can receive the best value propositions for their program?

Please see the answer provided to Question #26.

93 What is the minimum amount of past performance that the Government is looking for? Please see the answer provided to Question #65.

The four sections identified in TAB B total 18 pages total count and not

23. Should there another section that represents 5 pages or do the remaining five pages include the cover page and table of contents?

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

95 Are resumes to be included with this IDIQ proposal? Yes, please see solicitation p.9.

96 Are the Cover Page and Table of Contents excluded from the page limitation? Yes.

Please clarify. Are the Technical Approach for the IDIQ PWS and the Technical Approach for Task Order One PWS allowed five pages each, for a total of ten pages?

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

If the Government will allow past contract submissions from the Prime offeror's subcontractors, how many of the 5 total references may be provided by a subcontractor?

Please see the answer provided to Question #4.

99 With a ceiling of $40M - is this per contract year or overall cost for term of agreement?

Please see the solicitation clause AGAR 452.216-73 MINIMUM

AND MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNTS (FEB 1988)

100 What is the projected count of Task Order Proposals? Please reference Attachment 12- IDIQ PWS, p. 6.

101 This is not a four plus one period of performance; however, the final "four" can be one-year PoP, which equates to five years - is this accurate? Please reference Attachment 12- IDIQ PWS, p. 8.

SAM.gov lists this as an 8(a) opportunity; however, 8(a) is not mentioned in the request for proposal, can USDA clarify this key component because (as USDA is aware) 8(a) firms work with limited resources until they successful cross into larger firms - preparing solutions where the 8(a) is mentioned on SAM.gov but not in the solicitation leaves one to question what the contingency is and how 8(a) is identified for the USDA RD's solicitation response and solution enhancement.

Please reference solicitation section iv., p.1.

One location in the Request for Proposal cites 23 pages for the Technical Volume One; however, pagination that is cited is at 18, is there a section missing or is the 23 pages to include other materials (i.e.:

Executive Summary, etc.)?

Please see the answer provided to Question #28.

104 Is it possible for the government to add some pagination to Volume One? No.

105 Is the USDA "just" requiring talent cost for acquisition and full pricing being reserved for Task Order Proposals (TOPs)? Please see the answer provided to Question #17.

The solicitation reads as an IDIQ and a Task Order methodology with differential indicators for talent and skills and/or products; is the USDA identifying this solely as an IDIQ to fulfill in a Task Oriented co-efficient to the IDIQ?

Please see the answer provided to Question #87.

It appears there is a request for a "sample" Task Order Proposal (TOP) solution with cost - is this accurate? (It is loosely defined and want to clarify.)

No, please see the answer provided to Question #88.

Page 44 of 283, Experience (5-page max), (i) states, “ The PRIME Offeror is to provide up to five relevant and recent past contracts, in which the Offeror was either a Prime contractor or subcontractor, that best relate to the tasks in this PWS. Recent is within the last 3 years. "Page 48 of 283, 2. Past Performance - Factor 2, paragraph 6 states, “ For this section, Relevant performance means projects of similar scope and in similar or greater magnitude as described in the PWS. Recent means within the last five years. "Would the Government please clarify whether recent is defined as 3 years or 5 years?

Please see the answer provided to Question #78.

109 Can you confirm the LOE?

Please see the answer provided to Question #20.

110 Can you confirm whether a subcontractor’s past performance can be utilized? Please see the answer provided to Question #4.

I recently read that USDA has suspended 8(a) set-asides for the rest of the FY. Can you confirm whether or not this particular opportunity is still active?

This competition is still set aside for 8(a) participants. Please follow SBA 's interim guidance for re-certification https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/8a-business-development-program.

We intend to submit a proposal on the above opportunity however today news has come to our attention that due to recent legal decisions, some or all 8(a) opportunities are being pulled back off the street. Before we expend additional time and resources on this opportunity could you clarify if this opportunity will remain as and be awarded under 8(a) or if the plan is to pull it back.

Same as above.

113 Are the tasks the same between the existing contract and the contract/proposal underway?

The tasks for this contract are outlined in the PWS. Please refer to the PWS when preparing your proposal.

Since this contract provides security and testing services, please confirm there would be a conflict of interest for companies who perform development or enhancement support of the systems and therefore they should be ineligible to bid

Please solicitation section Organizational Conflict of Interest, p. 11.

The solicitation indicates that the services should be provided "On-Prem and Salesforce environment." Please provide information on the Salesforce environment - is this hosted by Salesforce and if so, how will access be provided?

Salesforce is hosted by Salesforce. Access to all RD resources will be provided by the government.

Would the government please provide an estimate as to the number of systems will be tested and the builds of the tests required under this contract?

RD recently reduced the number of system boundaries from 20 down to approximately 15. Currently there are approximately 15 system boundaries for Compliance and Assessment tasks either on prem enterprise data center or on a cloud provider.

117 What level/type of clearance is required for the resources to work on this contract?

Please refer to Attachment 04- Background Investigation Requirements.

118 Are non-US citizens (green card holders and/or work visa holders) authorized to work on the contract?

Please refer to Executive Order 11935, Citizenship Requirements for Federal Employment (September 2, 1976) restricts appointing non-citizens in competitive service positions covered by Title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.).

119 What are the types of hardware/software used in the environment, and how many/which require Cyber Security protection?

RD applications are hosted on-prem (includes windows, Linux, AIX, UNIX), Mainframe, and Cloud (Salesforce, AWS).

120 Is there any hardware or software hosted in cloud? Yes

121 Is the contractor expected to recommend the tools for compliance scanning or are tools provided?

The Government will provide all tools required to do the work in support of the PWS. Please refer to representative tools listed in Attachment 12-IDIQ PWS, Task 6: Security Vulnerability Support.

122 Who is completing the other steps of the RM, the government or another vendor? The Government.

The deliverables in this section exceed NIST SP 800-37 RMF Step 3.5 by including deliverables completed in RMF steps 3.1-3.4 and potentially

3.7. Will the government clarify the NIST SP 800-37 RMF steps in scope?

RMF Steps in scope are listed under Task 2, with the scope being RMF Step 3.5

The description of tests and deliverables indicates the government's intent that the contractor will perform both cybersecurity related and non-cybersecurity related (functional) testing of software. Will the government confirm this and if yes, will the government describe the application development stack used for the portfolio of applications to be tested and provide a count of the number of applications?

Yes, both cybersecurity and quality assurance testing are under Focus Area Three. RD has approximately 100 applications hosted in either the on prem enterprise data center or on a cloud provider.

The application stack ranges from mainframe to low code.

In the first paragraph, please confirm that the intent is that the contractor should complete all Compliance and Assessment Tasks, as opposed to all Cybersecurity Tasks.

The PWS focus areas outline the tasks to be performed under this contract.

Offerors aim to align their staffing efficiently with the technical approach.

Are there any flexibilities regarding the required number of personnel and the proposed skill mixes?

Yes

Offerors want to emphasize areas that will provide maximum value to USDA. Can the Government provide insight into the most critical capabilities or outcomes it wants to see addressed in technical responses?

The PWS provides the focus areas of this contract.

128 Can the Government share specific reports, metrics, or program management deliverables required for contract administration? Please refer to the deliverables listed in the PWS.

Will the Government share existing issue or risk areas related to the USDA’s current cybersecurity support that need to be addressed under this new contract?

All RD resources must meet federal information security requirements.

130 Are there any personnel security clearance requirements, such as public trust, needed to perform work under this contract? Please see the answer provided to Question #117.

131 Are there any service level agreements, performance metrics, or planned incentives/disincentives under the contract that we should be aware of?

Please refer to Attachment 12- IDIQ PWS, section V.1 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.

TAB B: Technical Approach for IDIQ PWS and Task Order PWS has a 5-page limit – limiting the technical approach to 5 pages presents a challenge when the combined PWS for the IDIQ and TO exceed 9 pages

– in addition to responding to the section requirements on page 45.

Will the Government please increase the page limits for the Technical Approach from 5 to 10 pages?

If additional pages are permitted, will the Government allow the Offeror to use the XX-pages as they see fit to address IDIQ PWS and Task Order 1 PWS tasks (as opposed for example 5-pages for the IDIQ and 5-pages for TO 1)?

No

133 Will the Government identify the number of FTEs on the current contract? No

134 Will the Government confirm Offerors are not required to submit a Transition Plan (In/Out) with their proposal response?

Please refer to Attachment 12- IDIQ PWS, section Deliverables/Schedule Chart.

Will the Government confirm Offerors are only required to submit a Quality Control Plan (QCP) as opposed to an overarching Quality Management Plan that also includes a Quality Assurance Plan (QAP)?

Please refer to the deliverables listed in the PWS.

If the Government does want Offerors to submit a Quality Assurance Plan (in addition to a QCP) will the Government provide additional pages for the QAP?

Please refer to Attachment 12- IDIQ PWS, section V.1 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.

Key Personnel (ii) - Experience (iii) - Offeror’s Key Personnel need to have the necessary qualifications and certifications.

Will Government please explain the requirement for key personnel “to have the necessary qualifications and certifications” as there are no Government ID’d Key Personnel positions nor are any qualifications and/or certifications provided?

The Government expects key personnel to have the security knowledge, skills and experience to perform accurate security assessments with adherence to the NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 technical methods and techniques, as well as the communication and writing skills to effectively convey the results of the assessment to an audience with varying levels of technical skills.

138 Is the current IDIQ PWS scope similar to the current work of the incumbent in the last 3 years?

The tasks for this contract are outlined in the PWS. Please refer to the PWS when preparing your proposal.

139 As the technical is rated equal to cost, would the government consider providing the total number of FTEs on the current contract? No

Under Section L, the government mandates 5 pages for IDIQ PWS and 5 pages for Task Order One PWS. Considering the evaluation criteria listed, would the government consider increasing the page limit for the IDIQ PWS by 5 additional pages?

No

The quality control plan is limited to 3-pages. A thorough quality control plan, including a performance requirements summary, will require an increase page limit to provide a “quality” QCP.

Will the Government increase the page limit for the QCP to at least 10-pages?

Please refer to Attachment 12- IDIQ PWS, section V.1 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.

The Task areas are mentioned as almost 11-12 pages long and if we respond to every bulleted item that is over 100 in number. You have set the page limit for the response is just 23 pages. Please justify.

Please see the answer provided to Question #132.

143 What software products are currently in use and available within USDA for automated testing in the Quality Assurance process?

Jenkins, AIO Tests, JIRA, Selenium, Selenium IDE, Cucumber, Eclipse, Confluence, Bitbucket, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome.

This list is not fully inclusive.

Have common control providers been identified for USDA systems or will all controls applicable to a NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 Moderate/Low baseline be included in the assessment?

RD systems follow the NIST 800-53 rev 5 control sets for Moderate and Low baselines. Yes, common control providers are identified for USDA. New systems may include High, will be required to address all applicable controls in an initial ATO assessment, and any updates to the federal guidelines must be adhered too

145 How many of the 20 RD systems are hosted in the cloud? 2

146 Historical Level of Effort, is there a historical staffing by role and location for this work?

The tasks for this contract are outlined in the PWS. Please refer to the PWS when preparing your proposal.

The PWS appears to be excerpts from the IDIQ PWS but the numbering within the Task Order One's PWS appears to be out of order. Examples:

TO PWS Section 3.1 - There is no Section 3.0, 4.1 Quality Assurance and Testing Related to Deliverables (pg. 10 of 18) but Section 4. Onboarding, Transition in and Transition Out is on (pg. 11 of 18), Section 6.1 Non- Conforming Deliverables (pg. 14 of 18) but there is no Section 6.0. We respectfully request that the TO One's PWS be numbered in sequence.

This will enable a more efficient evaluation and ensure the Offeror's proposal follows Solicitation instructions and proposal organization as outlined in B. Evaluation Criteria, 1 Technical - Factor 1.

Please see the answer provided to Question #27.

The Government states the following in the evaluation criteria in (i):

(providing FY23 Cybersecurity, Compliance, Quality Assurance Services and Surge Support Services for Modernization Efforts). It is clear from the information in the parenthesis within (i) the technical approach will be evaluated on the Offeror's ability to fulfill the IDIQ PWS requirements. It is unclear that evaluation criteria outlined for Technical - Factor 1, Technical Approach applies to the Task Order (TO) One PWS response.

The PWS requirements for TO One are not the same as the IDIQ PWS.

There are areas outlined in (iv) that are not included in the TO One PWS.

Please provide the specific evaluation criteria upon which the Offeror's TO One Technical Approach will be evaluated. This will enable a more efficient evaluation and ensure the Offeror's proposal follows Solicitation instructions and proposal organization as outlined in B. Evaluation Criteria, 1 Technical - Factor 1.

RD will evaluate the Offerors technical proposal against the overall IDIQ focus areas. TO 1 is the initial subset of tasks that will be awarded. All other focus areas are subject to future potential awards.

In Section B. Evaluation Criteria, the Government specifically states if the evaluation criteria is just for the IDIQ or both the IDIQ and the TO.

The Technical Approach does not indicate IDIQ, or both IDIQ and the TO. Please provide that distinction on all the evaluation criteria listed in Evaluation Criteria. This will enable a more efficient evaluation and ensure the Offeror's proposal follows Solicitation instructions and proposal organization as outlined in B. Evaluation Criteria, 1 Technical - Factor 1.

Please see the answer provided to Question #38

The Government indicates that the Qualification Section which includes Key Personnel will be evaluated only for the IDIQ. However, in (iii) Key Personnel - Resumes paragraph 2 the Government states: "For the included Task Order, the Contractor must provide... Name of Key Personnel employee, Title,..." Please confirm that the Offeror does NOT need to provide Key Personnel information for TO One within their proposal response.

The Offeror does need to provide Key Personnel for the Task Order. Please refer to the solication p. 10.

The language in Bullet 2 (i) of the evaluation criteria indicates Offeror's will be evaluated on their methods and approach to performing all aspects of the scope of work, specifically the PWS tasks. In the IDIQ PWS there are 4 Focus Areas and the TO One PWS there are 2 Focus Areas. All the Focus Areas have multiple Tasks associated to them and the PWS for each have additional scope of work requirements.

Please confirm that the Offeror's Technical Approach narratives for the IDIQ and Task Order One will be evaluated specifically on their ability to demonstrate proven methods and techniques result in successful completion of the tasks outlined in the respective Focus Areas (IDIQ and TO One) and not the entire PWS' scope of work in each.

Please see the answer provided to Question #148.

152 Please clarify if the QCP and QASP are due 14 days after the POP or 14 days after the Kick Off meeting. The QCP and QASP are required 14 days after the POP.

The Government states "The mutually agreed upon PRS shall be incorporated…" Please clarify if the PRS is a contractor proposed document or does the contractor need to use the sample provided in the

RFP.

After contract award, the Contractor is required to establish and maintain a PRS. The solicitation includes an example of a PRS.

What percentage of this work will be performed on-site?

Washington DC Missouri Customer Site(s)

None

155 What percentage of this work will be performed remotely? All work is remote.

Please confirm the USDA does not expect contractors to perform work onsite at government locations unless requested to attend in-person meetings, which would be infrequent.

Confirmed

157 What is the highest level of security clearance anticipated for task orders? Please see the answer provided to Question #117.

Will the government please provide the additional attachment, “PWS Background Investigation Requirements” mentioned on page 13, section 15?

Please see the answer provided to Question #117.

How many systems are in scope for this contract? Can the government give additional information on the risk level (low, moderate, high) of the systems?

Approximately 20 systems containing 100 applications.

160 What does the government anticipate for the average task order value and period of performance? Work and period of performance will vary per Task Order.

161 Are the majority of systems on a 3 year ATO cycle? Yes

162 Are annual 1/3 control reviews in scope for compliance and assessment? Yes

163 Are there incumbent personnel that the Government would like to transition to the new contract? If yes, how many? Please see the answer provided to Question #13.

How many Key Personnel is the Government expecting to perform on this contract, what are their job titles and job descriptions? Does the Government need a resume for these Key Personnel, or can representative resumes be given?

Please see solicitation section (iii) Key Personnel-Resumes.

165 The Government discussed signing an NDA to perform work, at what tiered level security does the Government anticipate the TOs to be?

Please see the answer provided to Question #117.

The documentation indicates an annual assessment of 20 systems. Can you provide a sample or description of the typical scale or size of these systems? Understanding this will help us estimate the number of professionals required.

Approximately 20 systems containing 100 applications.

Considering the typical depth of information required in a Quality Control Plan, and the fact that the Quality Control response is limited to three pages, is a Draft Quality Control Plan or a Quality Control Plan Overview acceptable?

Please see the answer provided to Question #141.

If an Overview/Draft Quality Control Plan is not acceptable, would the Government consider increasing the page limitation for the Quality Control response so Offerors can provide a more robust response to the QCP requirement?

Please see the answer provided to Question #141.

169 How many systems will be a subject of the cybersecurity tasks? Approximately 20 systems containing 100 applications.

170 What are the systems that are envisioned to be assessed by "cyber tasks" general support, application, network? RD mission and business applications

171 Does that mean Cloud Plus, the government instance of Sales Force? Yes

Assuming that the systems in questions are already in Cloud Plus, would Cloud Plus ATO documentation be available for determination of the security controls inheritance?

RD works with the USDA to establish inheritance models.

"Compliance, Quality Assurance " Does Compliance means FISMA compliance? Is QA applicable for on prem operation, or includes Cloud Plus?

Yes. Compliance means FISMA compliance. QA is applicable to on prem and cloud hosted applications.

174 Cloud Plus is a platform-type cloud. Does that mean the USDA users will run the applications on-premises?

RD has applications both in cloud hosted environments and in the on prem enterprise data center.

175 Will on-prem operations be conducted from a single or multiple locations?

If multiple, how many sites, users?

One primary and one back up site. All work associated with this PWS will be performed remotely.

176 Is there a good presentation slide deck that can be referred, which speaks to USDA RD among Cybersecurity for Modernization Efforts? No.

177 How can we best support and provide aid to agency staff - what are the areas most requiring solid contractor support?

Please refer to the PWS focus areas that outline the tasks to be performed under this contract.

178 Which location is primary for fulfillment under this contract? Remote

179 Is remote / virtual quality assured cybersecurity innovation part of the fulfillment for this opportunity? Please see answer above.

180 If so, is…