Questions_and_Answers_(Amendment_0008)_0008.docx

Amendment #0008

RFP# 140F0521R0003

Questions & Answers

General Information: The Government has received a lot of questions about the funding, list of projected projects, how these MATOCs will be used, contract values, which agencies/bureaus will use them, etc.

· GAOA funding yearly estimations are provided in the solicitation along with the estimated amount each bureau/agency will receive. These estimated amounts is the funding that each bureau/agency will have each year over the next 5 years to fund all GAOA related projects/goods/services.

· No publicly available list of projects for the coming years will be made available through this solicitation. Each bureau/agency will make their own determinations on how they handle their project lists and if they get distributed to the public.

· These MATOCs will be used for BOTH GAOA and non-GAOA funded projects as determined by each bureau/agency. It is important to note that while these MATOCs are an acquisition tool with the intent to support the GAOA funding they are also available to ALL DOI BUREAUS AND USDA FOREST SERVICE to be used for other requirements that are not funded by GAOA. Thus, GAOA funding will not be the only funding available to be used for these MATOCs.

· The maximum contract values listed in the solicitations are estimated ceiling amounts for each IDIQ contract award. For example, the A&E estimated ceiling is $50 million over 5 years. This does not guarantee $50 million worth of work over the 5 years. This provides an estimated maximum dollar amount that is allowed to be awarded through task orders against the IDIQ contracts over the 5-year period.

· ALL DOI BUREAUS AND USDA FOREST SERVICE will have the contracting authority to use these MATOCs for any of their project requirements at their discretion.

136. Section K within the solicitation documents requires representation and certifications but the submission is not listed within section L or M. Are representations and certifications under section K required in the proposal submission? If so, where in the proposal would you like them placed?

Response Yes, but only if they are not completed as part of your SAM record. If your representations and certifications are already completed and part of your SAM record no submission is required.

137. Regarding solicitation # 140F0521R0003, the request asks for a signed SF33 which we assume the offeror is to fill out all information excluding the “Award” section, block 14 asks to acknowledge all amendments but only provides four spaces to do so. How would the Government like offerors to acknowledge all seven current amendments on the form? Is adding an additional page acceptable to do so?

Response Yes

138. Question #97 in the Q&A mentions that a response to L.5.1 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated By Reference (Feb 1998) should be provided after appendix D and will not count towards the overall page count.

Response Correct

139. Question #75 in the Q&A asks if teaming agreements between the Prime and team members need to be included in the response. Does this only apply to Joint Ventures? With 30+ subconsultants it seems unreasonable to require this for each individual subconsultant at this stage, particularly because our approach is to create an AIA contract that includes our prime agreement with the owner by reference. With this in mind, we cannot have agreements with the subconsultants without first having a task order and agreement with the owner. Please advise.

Response Offerors do not need to submit an agreement with each of their sub-consultants or sub-contractors. These agreements are for official teaming, partnerships, or joint ventures that plan to submit a proposal as the Prime. Any teaming, partnerships, or joint ventures, offerors shall comply with any SBA requirements and/or FAR Subpart 9.6.

140. Subsection L.3 SUBMISSION FORMAT REQUIREMENTS: a. L.3.1 SF330 Document Content Format (p. 30) states, “All pages submitted will be considered as part of the page count with the exception of the following; cover page, table of contents, amendments, CPARS/PPQs, geographical location selection form, dividers and divider pages/tabs, pages defining acronyms, Part II – General Qualifications, Partnership or JV paperwork, licenses and proof of A-E firm registration.” i. Please consider omitting these from the total page count for the submittal, especially since teaming agreements can run upwards of seven (7) to eight (8) pages in length each (and primes will likely put in place multiple teaming agreements).

Thank you for reaching out. What you are asking to be omitted has already been omitted. Teaming agreements would be considered Partnership or JV paperwork.

141. Are offerors permitted to include more than 5 projects on Section E resumes?

Response Please adhere to the solicitation requirements

142. For the required discipline of Fire Protection Engineer, does the key personnel need to have taken and passed the NCEES Fire Protection Engineer exam or can a Professional Engineer with years of experience in fire protection and suppression design be listed as the key personnel?

Response The preference is that the Fire Protection Engineer be an NCEES-recognized registration via exam. However, a satisfactory key personnel will be one that has well documented and demonstrated experience in this area beyond that of Code familiarity, and that has complimentary professional registration.

143. Will proposal information, such as references, be published publicly?

Response No. See FAR Subpart 15.5 for the information that can be provided both pre-award and post-award.

144. Are there any specific qualifications for hydrologist? Does this person need to be a licensed engineer?

Response No, Hydrologists are not professionally licensed. Rather, this is a scientific/technical area that is part of Civil Engineering, but also its own technical area – similar to ecologists, biologists, etc.

145. Please confirm whether the following disciplines should be included in the submission: Landscape Architecture, LEED/Sustainability, Archaeology, Lighting Design?

Response These disciplines can certainly be listed on the SF-330 and if the key personnel for the proposing firm are design professionals in this area, they should be noted. Landscape Architecture, Archeology, and Lighting Design will be treated as subcontract or team member specialties. Designation as LEED professionals is common to Architects and Engineers and current LEED designations should be noted on the resumes.

It is clear that any of our Civil Engineers with LEED credentials should note this on their resumes. Similar to Archeologists our team has several Ph.D. Scientists (Biologists, Ecologists and Oceanographers). We also have an Economist with extensive federal experience. We often need these key personnel to deliver quality projects. May we include them as Key Personnel? May we include their resumes in section E?

Response The proposing firm can present key personnel that they feel are important to conveying the firm’s qualifications in Section E. However, the proposing firm should be mindful of the overall proposal page length and other rules as present in the solicitation instructions.

Could you please define what is meant in this answer by "subcontract or team member specialties"?

Response The terms “subcontract or team member specialties” is simply a reference to the fact that not all firms will be of similar organizational depth and breadth for size and capabilities. These terms acknowledge that fact and that “teams” of professionals may be formed and submitted for evaluation.

146. Q#29 – Does a project that is closer to $20M have more of a preference vs a project at $250K? It would seem that was the reason you raised the limit.

Response No

147. Q#34 – Lists the required disciplines. Sec. M.3.2 has all categories listed with an *, except the Cost Estimator. Does the Cost Estimator need to be a certified cost professional (CCP) or similar certification?

Response No. However, if the Cost Estimator is certified or credentialed in some way, that should be noted as that could be a benefit to the overall strength of the proposing team.

148. Qs#47, 80, 81 and 82 all allow 11X17 sheets, but Sec. L.3.1 did not change from 8 ½ by 11. Please clarify that the answers to these questions allow the 11X17.

The answers provided to the questions being referred to are accurate.

149. The Q&A have been part of the Amendments, which would make the answers part of the amendments. However, if there was a discrepancy or possible room for interpretation of the answer to a question that did not get amended in the Attachment #1, Solicitation T&C, which would take precedence?

Response The answers provided in the Q&A are the most up to date responses.

150. Our question is: If Firm A shows that their personnel has 50% of the licenses required in their selected ten states, but Firm B, which has selected the same ten states, has all of their personnel licensed in the ten states, does the evaluation favor Firm B, since it has “registration in the states shown interest”?

If a Firm, or one of their key personnel, is not licensed or cannot provide evidence of the ability to get licensed in a state then the Firm will not be considered for that state. The intent is the individuals responsible for the design and/or oversight of a set of construction documents, and who will be stamping or sealing the drawings, or portion thereof, be legally licensed as an Engineer or Architect within the particular state where the work is being performed. The same individual must be able to seal the construction documents as licensed Engineer or Architect within that state.