S09_A0001_140D0418R0004_1_-_Q&A_02272018.pdf

RFP 140D0418R0004 External CADR – VENDOR Q&A

(1) QUESTION

The EXCEL pricing file is named "B08 R0004 Att J-1 Contract Labor Rates" what is the second tab of that file considered to be used for? Attachments J-2 and J-3, the wage determination pricing template, do not appear to be provided with the other released documents, can the government please provide these? These attachments are part of page 113, section 3 Cost / Price b) but not part of page 109, Section L.12 “Proposal Organization…”.

ANSWER

Attachment J-1 was updated to delete the extra tab. The first and only tab of Attachment J-1 is now titled “Sheet 1” which has columns for hourly rates for the five contract years and the extension. This is the tab that offerors are instructed to fill out.

Additionally the following changes were made to Attachment J-1.

• Per question 11 below, Attachment J-1 was revised to allow from zero to seven years of experience for the Junior labor categories.

• Per questions 9 and 15 below, the title of Attachment J-1 was revised to state “Off-Site Hourly Labor Rates $”

The revised Attachment J-1 file is titled “B08 R0004 Att J-1 v2 Contract Labor Rates.” This is a complete replacement of the original Attachment J-1 file.

All the attachments including Attachments J-2 and J-3 were present on the FedBizOpps website when the solicitation in its entirety was posted. The CO confirmed that these attachments are still attached. If you’re still having a problem opening these documents or any other documents, please contact us at dana_price@ibc.doi.gov and louis_gilden@ibc.doi.gov, and we will work with you to resolve the issue.

The purpose of including the wage determinations in Attachments J-2 and J-3 is to provide offerors a reference for determining their own Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) non-exempt labor rates. There is no need for offerors to include these wage determination documents in their proposals.

(2) QUESTION

Page 109 of 120 f) states that the pricing data shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel with formulas included. Is it not the government's desire to have a fully burdened labor rate proposed? What information shall be included in the formula? The provided attachment appears to be asking for a fully loaded rate.

ANSWER

Offerors are only required to submit their fully burdened labor rates in Attachment J-1 in an EXCEL spreadsheet. The requirement for the EXCEL spreadsheet is in order to facilitate the government’s price analysis of labor rates.

(3) QUESTION

Attachment J-6- Why is it necessary to provide the Social Security Numbers of personnel on Attachment J-6 form? This seems to be an unnecessary step. Contractors can validate employees by other methods than their Social Security numbers.

The government is only requesting the final four digits of the SSN on Attachment J-6.

Please note, offerors are only required to submit a signed Attachment J-6 upon a Task Order award, for those personnel working on the Task Order. Offerors are NOT instructed to submit a signed Attachment J-6 document with their proposal. Future Task Order awards will be made after the IDIQ contract award.

(4) QUESTION

The Small Business Subcontracting Plan is included as part of the Technical Proposal. The plan must comply with FAR Subpart 19.7, which includes a requirement that the Plan include "A statement of the total dollars planned to be subcontracted and a statement of the total dollars planned to be subcontracted to small business."

The RFP also states that all pricing information is to be omitted from the Technical Proposal. Will the Government consider shifting the Small Business Subcontracting Plan to be submitted as part of the Pricing Proposal to avoid this conflict in requirements?

No change to the proposal. A separate team will be evaluating the Small Business Subcontracting Plan apart from the team that evaluates the rest of the Technical Proposal, so that Technical will still be evaluated separately from Price.

(5) QUESTION

Clause 1452.228-70 Liability Insurance. Will the government consider new language for this clause as follows:

a) The Contractor shall procure and maintain during the term of this contract and any extension thereof commercial general liability insurance in written on an ISO or equivalent form satisfactory to the Contracting Office by an insurance company having a rating of at least A-, VII or better by AM Best which is acceptable to the Contracting Officer. The named insured parties under the policy shall be the Contractor. and Tthe United States of America shall be included as additional insured for damages caused by Contractor."

$100,000.00 each person* $500,000.00 each person* $20,000.00 each person*

(b) Each policy shall have a certificate evidencing the insurance coverage. : "The insurance company Contractor shall provide an endorsement to notify the Contracting Officer 30 days prior to the effective date of cancellation or termination of the policy or certificate or modification of the policy or certificate which may adversely affect the interest of the Government in such insurance. The certificate shall identify the contract number, the name and address of the Contracting Officer, as well as the insured, the policy number, the name and a brief description of contract services to be performed. The contractor shall furnish the Contracting Officer with a copy of an acceptable insurance certificate prior to beginning the work.

*These amounts to be set by the Contracting Officer. (End of Clause)

Since the amounts have an asterisk (*) and state “amounts to be set by the Contracting Officer”, the Contractor would like to have the right to mutually agree to any new amounts.

This clause cannot be tailored (changed).

The established coverage rates per the solicitation are listed below, and the government anticipates no changes to these established coverage rates.

• $100,000.00 each person

• $500,000.00 each occurrence

• $20,000.00 property damage

(6) QUESTION

Section L, pages 105 to 106, sections L.1 and L.2 appear to be missing as the section starts with section L.3.

L.1 is listed on page 93. L.2 was left out by mistake. No change to the proposal.

(7) QUESTION

Section B.7 Ordering Contract Line Item Number (CLIN)- the government is starting with CLIN 00010 for labor, ODCs, and Travel as the total for the five year ordering period at the IDIQ level. Other than CLIN 00020, guaranteed minimum, how will the other CLINs, 00001-00009 and 000011-00019 be used?

The established CLINs are 00010 and 00020. The Government anticipates issuing future Task Orders and ordering only against CLIN 00010 (labor, ODCs, and travel). CLIN 00020 will be used only once to satisfy the guaranteed minimum. The government anticipates using no other CLINs.

(8) QUESTION

Section C.3.5 Task 5 C., Page 14 of 120 "Systems design" Will the government provide more information with regard to the System Design requirement? Is this requirement referring to a tracking system or is this designing conflict management processes?

This requirement refers to the development and/or implementation of a system for a conflict management process. Note, on its face this is not necessarily a software solution.

(9) QUESTION

Section B.8.1 states that "the fully burdened hourly labor rates shall reflect that all services performed are on a Government site and the Government is providing all necessary equipment, materials, and other items necessary to perform these services." Similarly, Section L.14, Paragraph 3)k) states that "Hourly labor rates shall reflect that all services are performed at a Government site or facility." Does the Government intend to provide office space and Government-furnished equipment to all staff that may perform services on this Contract on a full-time basis?

ANSWER

Almost all services are performed off-site, not at a Government facility. Sections B.8.1 and Section L.14 will be changed accordingly. The Government will request only one set of off-site rates.

(10) QUESTION

Can the government provide any information about potential responders to this RFP that I could approach to be a subcontractor to? I am a startup, woman-owned, veteran-owned small business with expertise in areas related to this RFP.

The government will provide a listing of all the organizations who have identified themselves as Interested Parties for this solicitation on the FedBizOpps website.

(11) QUESTION

(RFP page 11) The proposed labor categories are different than those published in the draft PWS and sources sought notice. Would the government consider amending the descriptions to match what was included in the draft PWS or adding another labor category that allows those with less than two years of work experience (i.e., recent college grads) to work under this contract?

ANSWER

Attachment J-1 will be revised to allow from zero to seven years of experience for the Junior labor categories.

Also, Section C.3.1 paragraph C was similarly revised.

(12) QUESTION

(RFP page 112, Factor 2) Many of the task orders issued under the CADR contract have a period of performance of less than one year. Would the government consider amending the requirement of a one-year period of performance for our subcontractors’ past performance references?

The solicitation will be amended to allow for less than one-year of performance for subcontractors.

(13) QUESTION

May we include a suggestion for managing the approval of travel expenses in lieu of using the included travel authorization form?

ANSWER

The travel authorization form remains in the solicitation. Operationally, we may decide to manage the approval of travel expenses which may or may not involve the travel authorization form.

(14) QUESTION

May we include an alternative approach to managing sensitive but unclassified information and personally identifiable information in lieu of requiring a non-disclosure agreement from all subcontractors?

ANSWER

Offerors may include in their proposals an alternative approach for managing sensitive but unclassified information. However, Attachment J-6 Non-Disclosure Agreement will remain in the solicitation.

(15) QUESTION

Given that much of the work takes place at a contractor’s facility, would the government consider removing the assumption that onsite rates be provided?

See question and answer #9 above.

(16) QUESTION

Is this a renewal and rebidding of a contract already in place, and if so, what firm(s) hold the existing contract?

ANSWER

This is a re-compete of a previously awarded requirement. The incumbent contractor is Kearns & West, Inc, awarded January 7, 2013 as IDIQ contract # D13PC00174.