Attachment_4_-_Q_A_5_11_2023_0002.pdf

140A2323Q0134 WebET Questions and Answers

5/11/2023

1. (Attachment 1 - PWS, pg 17) Please clarify if the Government will be providing off automation equipment such as computers, software, etc. and if the automation equipment will be part of the BIE network.

Yes, we will provide Government Furnished Equipment with Microsoft Office 365 and appropriate licenses. Yes, it will be on the BIE network, although it may also be on the BIA network as we migrate changes to the Azure Active Directory.

2. (Attachment 1 - PWS, pg 16) As the contract will be providing software as a service off-site, please clarify if background investigations are still required.

We will be following https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-presidential-directive-12.

Background investigations will be determined by the contractor personnel’s required access and availability to information.

3. (Solicitation and Attachment 1- PWS) Please further clarify the PoP and contract start date. The solicitation indicates the base PoP starts June 1, 2023. Attachment 1 specifies the bases PoP starts September 30, 2023. If the PoP is June 1, this leaves only 2 months to fully develop the application and complete all the associated tasks and does not allow for training sessions to begin 3-4 months on the new system.

The PoP will begin upon award of the contract and clearance of the contract staff through personnel security.

4. (Attachment 1 – PWS and Attachment 3 – Pricing Schedule) Will the government be providing plan and/or guide templates to follow for the many plans and guides required to meet requirements?

No, the Government will not be providing a plan and/or guide templates.

5. Who built the current system and are they an ISBEE?

Paul Charbonneau, it is unknown if he is an ISBEE vendor.

https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-presidential-directive-12

6. Does the BIE (or the DOI) currently have any guidance or overarching “approvals” of any cloud environment or a particular low code/no code platform?

No, the BIE or the DOI does not use any low code/no code environments at this time.

7. Is the August 2023 availability deadline firm, given we are currently in the 3-4 month testing-phase timeline?

No, please identify your proposed timeline in the project schedule.

8. (Attachment 2, page 7, Introduction) Is the application used/users input data outside the dates of September 1 and December 1 each year?

Currently, all the data input is taking place during this time for the student count week.

There are additional cost data points as described in 25 CFR Subpart G, Student Transportation, that are required to be reported by August 1st each year that are not being reported in the current system. We expect the new system to meet all requirements of 25 CFR Subpart G, Student Transportation, which would allow for input of these additional data points. The new system should be available for use year-round.

9. Is it required for the WebET application to be in Production mode before the start of the 2023 school year in August 2023?

See answer 7 above.

10. What is the estimated number of internal users for the WebET application?

Approximately 125-150

11. What is the projected number of external users for the WebET application?

Approximately 250-300

12. Should we include the licensing costs of the proposed solutions in our quotation?

Yes, all costs associated with the development and hosting of the application should be included.

13. Reports, pg. 8:

a) How many canned reports currently exist in the current WebET application?

There are 2 current canned reports.

b) Are all these canned reports to be replicated in the new WebET application?

Yes.

c) How many new canned reports are required in the new WebET application?

There is not a defined number at this point but we do anticipate additional canned reports in the future

14. Pg 11, lists the deliverable: “Deliver 5 live online trainings within 30 to 60 days leading up to count week the in first year to all 100% BIE and Tribal end users.” Please clarify if this timeline refers to the Jul-Aug 2023 period.

Please identify your proposed timeline in the project schedule.

15. Is the contractor required to be on site?

"The Federal Task Lead will work with the BIE project manager and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to provide technical oversight for the activities and tasks to be performed by the contractor, and to establish work priorities as set forth in this Performance Work Statement (PWS). DOI/BIE will work with the contractor’s on-site project manager to establish and clarify any questions and technical issues."

No, the contractor will not be required to be on site.

16. Do resumes count toward page count?

No, the resumes do not count toward the page count.

Questions and Answers 5/11/2023

17. Attachment 1, Performance Work Statement, Section 7 “Specific Tasks” subsection

“Develop New WebET Application” (bottom of page 7) states “The newly designed WebET system must also collect other data points as outlined in the Indian School Equalization Program, CFR 25 Part 39”.

a. Is the new WebET application intended to handle only the data points included in CFR 25, Part 39, Subpart G “Student Transportation”?

The data points as described in 25 CFR, Part 39, Subpart G will be required.

Other data points as listed in the requirements document will also be required.

b. Will the Government provide offerors a complete list of data points?

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart- G/subject-group-ECFR11c2a6be2b8f416/section-39.710 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart- G/subject-group-ECFR11c2a6be2b8f416/section-39.711 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart- G/subject-group-ECFRa77d5ee9c750d9e/section-39.721 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart- G/subject-group-ECFRa77d5ee9c750d9e/section-39.722

18. Performance Work Statement, Page 3 section 4 “Period of Performance” states the following: “Side by side operations and training should begin 3-4 months before August.”

a. Is the government expecting the training to last 3-4 months?

The government is expecting multiple in-person sessions in addition to virtual which will take place in an agreed upon schedule so that all users receive training.

It does necessarily have to last 3-4 months.

b. Who will be participating in the training? In what locations?

All users will be participating in training at the various BIE regions in person as well as online training.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart-G/subject-group-ECFR11c2a6be2b8f416/section-39.710 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart-G/subject-group-ECFR11c2a6be2b8f416/section-39.710 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart-G/subject-group-ECFR11c2a6be2b8f416/section-39.711 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart-G/subject-group-ECFR11c2a6be2b8f416/section-39.711 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart-G/subject-group-ECFRa77d5ee9c750d9e/section-39.721 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart-G/subject-group-ECFRa77d5ee9c750d9e/section-39.721 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart-G/subject-group-ECFRa77d5ee9c750d9e/section-39.722 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-39/subpart-G/subject-group-ECFRa77d5ee9c750d9e/section-39.722

19. Does the Government intend to enhance or add new capabilities to the modern WebET application during the “software maintenance & service” period during the 9-year option periods?

The application will need to have the capability to be upgraded should CFR 25, Part 39, Subpart G “Student Transportation” be updated and require new data points. New updates will be added as required by regulation or other BIE requirements.

20. Attachment 2, Appendix D - Excel Document Use Cases, pg 88, states: “A clean version of the Excel Tool has been also attached below for reference: BIE ISEP Transportation Mileage”. The Excel Tool is not available through the document. Please provide this Excel Tool file.

Attachment has been added to this amendment.

21. Attachment 3, Pricing schedule, Column B, rows 10-17, lists several items.

Does the Government expect these items to be part of Labor for the Base Period and to be included on row 9 of the pricing schedule?

Or, are these items deliverables viz. Documents – Implementation Plan document, Client Implementation Plan document, etc.?

It is the Government’s intent to award the contract as a Firm-Fixed Price contract. The Pricing Schedule is broken up into different areas should the Government need to gain a better perspective of the contractor’s understanding of the requirement. It is the contractor’s choice where these costs are documented.

22. WebET Data:

a. What is the current volume of the legacy data?

There is data dating back to 2005 for 188 locations

b. Does all the legacy data need to be migrated to the modern WebET application?

Yes

c. If not, what is the volume of the legacy data that needs to be migrated?

N/A

23. Will the government accept alternate proposals?

The Government will not accept alternate proposals at this time.

24. To enable offerors to provide comprehensive proposals, will the government extend the proposal due date by one week?

Yes, the quote due date has been extended.

25. Attachment 3 – Pricing Schedule, ATO cost are identified only in the first year. However, an ATO is reviewed every year and there is a cost associated. Should we identify out years as an “Overhead cost”, roll into Maintenance and Tech Support or adjust the spreadsheet to capture it every year, to ensure full disclosure of the cost.

Yes, please identify the out years as an overhead cost.

26. How should we account for the different plans & ATO costs and separately account for the labor when normally these are one in the same cost?

See answers 21 and 25 above.

27. What specific labor costs, outside of the “Level of Effort” of deliverables for the first year, is the government intending to capture in line C-9 of Attachment 3?

See answer 21 above.

28. Attachment 3 – Pricing Schedule, ATO cost are identified only in the first year. However, an ATO is reviewed every year and there is a cost associated. Should we identify out years as an “Overhead cost”, roll into Maintenance and Tech Support or adjust the spreadsheet to capture it every year, to ensure full disclosure of the cost.

See answer 25 above.