140A1624Q0046_Questions_and_Answers_0001.pdf

Questions for 140A1624Q0046 Comment Processing Support for OIG

1. What is the frequency of commenters to be categorized either via transcript or written?

(i.e. daily, weekly, monthly?)

a. This is a ‘per project’ contract based on public comment periods for fee-to-trust for gaming applications primarily in conjunction with NEPA. The comment periods normally run between 30 and 60 days but may be extended. The Department considers each comment period to be a “project” for the purposes of this contract.

2. There is a break down on the price sheet per UOI, is this per project with that suggested listed amount of commenters? In addition, how many projects are to be expected at once?

a. The pricing is ‘per-project’ based on the number of comments received.

b. The Department expects as many as 3 projects with overlapping comment periods and will work with the contractor to identify project priority and timelines.

3. How are comments to be transmitted to the contractor for processing? Please identify the specific systems, formats, and protocols used in this process. (SOW Task 1)

a. Comments will be transmitted using email or if necessary due to file size through a secure one-drive or similar file sharing service. Comments are generally considered public but some may contain confidential Tribal business information.

4. Please clarify if the 'standardized' responses are to be prepared for each type of comment or for each individual comment received. (SOW Task 3)

a. Comments will be divided into comment snippets to separate key themes from each comment, then grouped by type of comment snippet and similar standardized responses will be provided for each comment snippet.

5. Please define the number of comment summaries expected per project. For example, how many applications are included in a project? (SOW Task 2)

a. This is a ‘per project’ contract based on public comment periods for fee-to-trust for gaming applications primarily in conjunction with NEPA. The Department considers each comment period to be a “project” for the purposes of this contract.

b. The Department expects one ‘comment summary’ document per project.

c. The Department expects the Contractor will maintain a database of prior comment summary and responses for each project which will enable the contractor to compare comments across different stages of an application as well as across applications.

6. Who is the incumbent for this work?

a. This is a new contract, however Hayiika LLC performed similar work during the

Department’s rule making process for 25 CFR Part 151 and 25 CFR Part 292.

7. How many staff (FTE - contractor and federal) are currently performing comment processing within the scope of this solicitation?

a. The comment processing work is being performed at the BIA Regional level often by one or two FTEs. The intent of this contract is to facilitate more timely and consistent processing of comments on fee to trust for gaming applications.

8. Can the government provide an approximate average number of pages or words per comment to allow vendors to price their estimates more accurately? (SOW Task 1)

a. We generally see four types of comments and have provided samples of each.

i. The first is the most detailed type and usually submitted by an opposing

Tribe or other relatively sophisticated opposition group. We may see 1 to 4 of these in a comment set.

ii. The second are substantive targeted comments from federal, state, or local governments which are usually focused on a specific issue or issues in the NEPA document. We may see 5-10 of these types of comments.

iii. The third are basic comments of impact, support, or opposition, usually written by local citizens. This and the fourth type make up the bulk of the comments received.

iv. The fourth and final are form letters which are usually identical or nearly identical but may include some minor variations across the letters.

9. Is an estimated value available for this potential requirement? Will it be greater than $250,000?

a. This type of information is not shared.