1331L519R13OS0005_Response_to_Inquiries_Follow-up.pdf

BAS RFP 1331L519R13OS0005 Responses to Inquiries_Follow-up

No. Document Section Page Question Response

62 N/A N/A N/A Will the Government allow offerors to use font size Times New Roman 10 pt for body text versus Calibri 12 pt?

*Revised Response*

The proposal instructions will be updated to allow for Times New Roman or Arial 12 pitch type or Calibri 12 pitch type font.

*Revised Response*

127 J.4B_Attachment_04B Rows with ID M01, M02 and M03

Interfaces to NOAA

MARS

system

In attachment J.4B (Non-CBS interfaces) there are three interfaces listed between non-BAS systems.

M01 – NFC to MARS M02 – GSA Vehicle to MARS M03 – Grants online to MARS

There are comments in these rows from DOC that indicate uncertainty regarding the scope of MARS in BAS. In attachment J.10 (PWS) there is no mention of MARS being in scope for BAS.

Will DOC clarify if interface development (or any other type of service) for the NOAA MARS system in scope?

*Revised Response*

MARS is the data warehouse currently in use at NOAA. This data warehouse is in scope to be decommissioned as part of BAS so these interfaces specifically (from these systems to MARS) would not be needed. However, the interfaces themselves are in scope for the new EDW as part of BAS. The new EDW must connect to NFC, GSA, and Grants Online for NOAA (the same way that MARS connects to them today) so that access to these systems and their data is maintained.

*Revised Response*

186 1331L519R13OS0005_BAS_Final_RFP L.5.2 Tab 1, b. Element #2:

Solution, ii

This section requests a narrative demonstrating the offer's proposed BAS Solution Set meets or exceeds all requirements of the PWS, including Attachment 1. Please confirm that the completed Attachment 1 is to be included in the submission. If so, may Attachment 1 be included as an appendix and excluded from the 75 page limite for Volume I?

In addition to the requested narrative, offerors shall include the completed Attachment 01 (Final BAS Core Financial, Acquisition, and Property Management System Requirements) as an attachment or exhibit to Volume I. The completed Attachment 01 will be excluded from the 75 page limit for Volume I.

187 1331L519R13OS0005_BAS_Final_RFP L.5.2 Tab 1, b. Element #2:

Solution, v

This section requests a data rights assertion table. May this table be an appendix and excluded from the 75 page limit for Volume I?

The 75-page limit will exclude the Data Rights Assertion table. The Data Rights Assertion table shall be provided as an attachment or exhibit to Volume I.

188 1331L519R13OS0005_BAS_Final_RFP B.2 9

We appreciate the Government's desire to find a long term solution partner for the BAS modernization program. However, providing firm fixed pricing for technology solutions over a 20 year timeframe places an unreasonable risk on offerors. There is no single published or otherwise commercially available catalog/price list/index associated with the BAS Solution Set, forcing offerors to speculate on the impacts of technology innovations over an extremly long period of time. Given the Government's "total price"evaluation criteria, the Government will be challenged at the outset to determine fair and reasonable pricing for this effort.

Accordingly, would the Government consider amending the solicitation to:

a. specify a budgetary Not-to-Exceed (NTE) amount for all bidders for years 11-20; and

b. include FAR 52.216-5, Price Redetermination-Prospective with 5 year re-determination periods.

As described in section 1.1 of the PWS (Attachment 10), the BAS project's primary objective is to implement and integrate a suite of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) business systems. As COTS systems the applications to be included in the BAS Solution Set may include products already priced on a long term basis within the market place including on General Services Administration, Federal Supply Schedule contracts and Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts for IT products and services with periods of performance spanning up to 20 years with options. Section H.19, Dynamic Pricing Terms, as amended incorporates a mechanism for negotiating potential increases in Firm-Fixed- Price hosting and O&M costs to mitigate vendor risk associated with unforeseeable, extraordinary changes in market conditions. Inclusion of a budgetary NTE amount was not considered appropriate given the objective of obtaining best value pricing through competitive procedures, and inclusion of FAR 52.216-5 or other price redetermination clauses is not considered feasible due to the commercial nature of this acquisition and the absence of cost accounting system requirements necessary for proper accounting of cost redeterminations.

BAS RFP 1331L519R13OS0005 Responses to Inquiries_Follow-up

No. Document Section Page Question Response

189 1331L519R13OS0005_BAS_Final_RFP H.19 33

H.19 Dynamic Pricing Terms has been revised to permit the review of pricing terms based on "unforeseeable, extraordinary changes in market conditions." It is highly likely over the course of a 20-year program that legislation, functional and technology requirements will change. Is it correct to assume these types of changes would be viewed as unforeseeable?

The contractor should provide a solution that is flexible and able to be adjusted when a new federal requirement is released, and that accounts for functional and technical improvements inherent in software lifecyle maintenance at the firm fixed pricing proposed for hosting and O&M for full scale, steady state operations. However, in the event that unforseeable, extraordinary changes in market conditions occur, price impacts may be negotiated consistent with the terms of section H.19. Identification of specific examples of unforeseeable, extraordinary changes in market conditions is not possible in this context because such a determination would be highly dependent on the facts and circumstances.

190 1331L519R13OS0005_BAS_Final_RFP F.5 14, 15 Would the Government consider amending the Solicitation to clarify that only non-segregable portions of data or deliverables containing PII are subject to 52.227-17 Rights in Special Works?

FAR 52.227-17, Rights in Special Works, will apply to any data and/or deliverables containing PII.

191 1331L519R13OS0005_BAS_Final_RFP L.5.1 62

The government clarified in the answers to questions the following: "The proposal instructions will be updated to allow for Times New Roman or Arial 11 pitch type or Calibri 12 pitch type font." However, in the solicitation, the government stated "Printing shall be easily readable (12-point Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial or larger)." Can the government clarify that Times New Roman and Arial 11 point font are considered compliant as previously stated?

The answer originally provided to question number 62 in the Responses to Inquiries posted on 5SEP2019 has been corrected as shown in the updated response included with this posting.

The proposal instructions were updated in amendment A001 to allow for Times New Roman or Arial 12 pitch type or Calibri 12 pitch type font, but not for Times New Roman or Arial 11 point font.

192 1331L519R13OS0005_BAS_Final_RFP L.5.2 Tab 1, b. Element #2:

Solution, ii

The government indicated in Q&A the following: "A new spreadsheet will be uploaded on which the vendor community should provide responses in the new columns provided (blank spaces for responses). We are providing a choice (via a drop down menu) where vendors can provide what degree they are proposing." In the update solicitation, the updated spreadsheet was provided; however, there are not instructions on how the vendor should include the spreadsheet. Can the government confirm that the spreadsheet should be included as an appendix and is not included in the 75 page count?

The offeror completed Attachment 01 shall be provided as an attachment or exhibit and will be excluded from the 75 page limit for Volume I.

Sheet1