Attachment H Questions.Responses_0001.docx

RFP 140G0120R0040 - Questions.Responses Government response is in italics Amend 0001

1. Factor B: Past Performance directs vendors to submit PPQ to their client. Vendors with current CPARS, can we please request a PPQ waiver?

A past performance evaluation report from CPARS will be considered in lieu of a completed Past Performance Questionnaire submitted by the offeror’s client. To be considered, the offeror must complete the first section (items 1 – 12) of the Past Performance Questionnaire at Attachment F and submit this completed section and the applicable CPARS report. The offeror shall combine the completed first section of the Past Performance Questionnaire and the CPARS report into one file. The file name of each CPARS report file shall be: Vol II CPARS (insert 1, 2, 3 etc) (insert offeror name).

Example file name: Vol II CPARS 1 John Doe LLC

2. What Labor Categories fall under the SCA Wage Requirements?

In the pricing spreadsheet at Attachment A, column B indicates which categories are subject to the SCA wage requirements.

3. The Attachment A Excel file for pricing shows a Black Box that prevents pricing to be added. Can this be replaced?

Any cell with black shading should not be priced.

4. Is there an estimate on the number of hours that this effort is budgeted for?

No, there is no estimate of the quantity of hours budgeted for this effort.

5. Is subcontract work acceptable as past performance?

An offeror’s past performance of work they performed as a subcontractor is acceptable. The offeror’s responsibility under the former contract must be clear. Also, it must be clear on the PPQ which offeror the questionnaire applies to.

6. Who are the incumbents, if any?

The incumbent information is provided on page 2 of the RFP.

7. Do you have a burn rate history or forecast for the different locations?

There is no usage history or predictions available for any of the locations or labor categories.

8. Page 6, F.4 Hours of Work. The RFP states that personnel should be available between 6:00am and 7:30pm. Does this mean on-call support, or are there actual personnel who remain onsite during these hours?

The intent of this statement is that personnel employed under individual task orders may be needed to work during these hours, as required within the task order. If work times are critical, such hours would typically be stipulated within the task order statement of work.

9. Page 12, Page 48 H.6 Key Personnel, L.10 Submission of Offer. Please verify that the only key personnel required for submission with the bid is the IDIQ Program Manager?

The number and titles of key personnel are determined by the contractor. Key personnel are those personnel responsible for the overall and daily management/administration of the IDIQ contract and its task orders.

10. Page 32 Section K. Does the government require a copy of our completed Section K Representations and Certifications with our proposal response?

The government will obtain the offeror’s representations and certifications from SAM.

11. Page 47 L.8 Joint Venture Agreements. The RFP states that the JV agreement must be received prior to the proposal due date and approved before award, however the new SBA regulations that went into effect on November 14th state that SBA is no longer approving JV agreements prior to award. Would the government consider removing this language?

The language requiring the JV agreement to be submitted prior to the proposal due date and approved before award is removed from the clause.

12. Page 48 L.10 Submission of Offer. Can the government confirm that it intends to receive 3 files directly from the offeror (Volume I, Volume III, and the Attachment A worksheet)?

Separate files for the documents within each volume, labeled as shown on pages 48-49, are preferred.

13. Page 48 L.10 Submission of Offer. Given the fact that we are sending via email, is there a limitation on the size of files we are able to send in one email?

Email size limitations for USGS should not be an issue when submitting an offer. If so, offer may be submitted in multiple emails.

14. Page 48 L.10 Submission of Offer. In order to more easily combine the SF 1449 with the other required material in Volume III, may our files be submitted as PDFs?

Any file may be submitted as PDF with the exception of Attachment A for Factor C Price Labor Categories (should be submitted as Excel file).

15. Page 48 L.10 Submission of Offer, Volume I, Subfactor A-3. Please confirm, is the 1-page limitation for the signed statement of availability only, or is there a 1-page limitation on the resume as well?

There is a 1-page limit for the resume.

16. Page 48 L.10 Submission of Offer, Volume III, Factor D. Given the number of professional employee positions that must be addressed within the PECP, and to provide a description of our full benefits, would the government consider increasing the page limitation from 3 to 10?

The page limit for the plan is increased to 10 pages.

17. Page 47, Page 50 L.5 Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees, L.11 FACTOR D. In section (a) of section L.5 it says that there must be a Total Compensation Plan provided with our response, however in section L.11 FACTOR D it requires a Professional Employee Compensation Plan. Does the Government intend for the Total Compensation Plan and the Professional Employee Compensation Plan to be the same document, which is required as a part of FACTOR D?

The plans referenced in these locations is the same plan.

18. Page 49 L.11 Subfactor A-3 Key Personnel. The RFP requires that we provide the name and resume for the person(s) proposed to fulfill each key personnel position. At this point, as there are only requirements for the IDIQ program management, is the government only asking us to name key personnel proposed to manage the IDIQ as requirements for on-site program management would be defined in future task orders against the IDIQ?

Yes

19. Page 50 L.11 Subfactor B Past Performance. Can the government confirm that where it refers to Section A on the questionnaire, it means items 1-12 of the questionnaire?

Yes, Section A refers to items 1-12 of the questionnaire.

20. Attachment A, Labor Categories Attachment A, Labor Categories. Contract Labor categories for Writer/Editor I, II & III are all mapping to SCA Code 29480 which we believe to be in error as they don’t exist in the WD provided schedules. Should the SCA code mappings instead be 30461, 30462, and 30463 respectively?

Yes, the SCA codes for Writer/Editor I, II, and III are revised to 30461, 30462, and 30463 respectively.

21. Attachment A, Labor Categories Attachment A, Labor Categories. Should we assume that if labor category, or family of labor categories are blocked off within the pricing sheet, that there is no intention of using this labor cat for the duration of the contract for those individual sites?

Yes, any labor category blocked off within the Attachment A pricing sheet is not intended to be used under the contract. If that changes after contract award, pricing for individual labor categories/locations would be negotiated and added to the pricing sheet by contract modification.

22. What is the current incumbent contractor’s name, contract number, and contract expiration date?

The incumbent information is provided on page 2 of the RFP. The contract number is G16PS00005. It expires on 03/31/2021.

23. RFP 1449, Page 1, Block 10. NAICS Code. Please consider assigning NAICS Code 541519 to this USGS procurement. NAICS Code 541990 is a mismatch to the PWS core requirements of computer-related and scientific services.

After analyzing the RFP PWS, SFI strongly believes the NAICS Code 541990 is inappropriately assigned to the USGS procurement based on the solicitations primary purpose. NAICS Code 541990 specifically excludes computer systems design and related services; management, scientific, and technical consulting services; and scientific research and development services. The USGS RFP Attachment B PWS identifies the following PWS tasking areas for the prospective contract.

Review of the PWS Tasks 1-8 indicates the USCG PWS specifically includes computer systems design and related services (Tasks 4-7), management (Tasks 2 and 8), and scientific/scientific research (Task 4) services. That is, 7 of 8 of the USGS PWS Tasks are specifically excluded from the NAICS Code 541990 which is currently assigned.

More detailed review of the RFP Attachment B PWS reveals the description of Task 4-7 (computer related services) takes up 4 of the 6 pages, or two thirds, of the PWS total narrative description. In addition, RFP Attachment A indicates the preponderance of labor categories are computer systems/services or scientific/engineering in discipline.

Given the mismatch of NAICS Code 541990 and the preponderance of computer systems and related services, we respectfully request USGS assign NAICS Code 541519 which more appropriately represents the core requirements of the USGS PWS requirement.

A general review of the labor categories most often ordered indicates that science and research labor categories are required over administrative and computer-related services. Therefore, the NAICS code is changed to 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services. The small business size standard remains $16.5 million.

24. RFP L.10 Instructions, Page 48 – Page Limits Subfactor A-1, Management Plan. Subfactor A-1 Technical Approach, Management Plan requires a discussion of multiple, layered management processes, relevant experience implementing those processes on similar contracts, and demonstration of success implementing the same processes. We do not believe the 8 pages allowed is sufficient to provide more than generalizations of these topics. Please allow 16 pages so that offerors can provide the details needed to support an appropriate evaluation of capabilities and experience by the government.

The page count limit remains 8 pages.

25. RFP L.10 Instructions, Page 48 – Page Limits Subfactor A-3, Key Personnel. At L.10 Instructions – the page limits for Subfactor A-3 Technical Approach, Key Personnel is stated as “4 pages (page limitation does not apply to resume(s) or signed statement(s) of availability, which are limited to 1 page each)” is confusing.

a) Please clarify if the 4 page limit is for the narrative portion of the section, with the resume(s) and statement(s) of availability having a separate page limits.

b) Please allow up to 3 pages for the resume(s) to allow offerors to provide sufficient detail that government evaluators may thoroughly evaluate the key personnel qualifications.

Yes, the 4-page limit is for the narrative portion of the section, with the resume(s) and statement(s) of availability having separate page limits.

The page limit for each resume remains 1 page.

26. RFP L.11. Instructions, Page 49-50 - Subfactor A-3, Key Personnel. Page 49 of the RFP requests offerors to, “Provide brief position descriptions including major duties, authorities, qualifications and experience requirements for the key personnel who will be responsible for the overall AND daily management and administration of the IDIQ contract and its task orders. Provide the name and resume for the person(s) proposed to fulfill each key personnel position. Attach a signed statement of availability for each person.”

a) Please clarify if offerors are to identify a Program Manager (as identified in the Attachments A Labor Categories) for the IDIQ contract as Key Personnel.

b) Please clarify if and how offerors are expected to identify specific individuals as Project Managers (as identified in the Attachments A Labor Categories) for Task Orders issued under the IDIQ contract as Key personnel. We don’t understand how we can do this before the Task Orders are issued and the management requirements of the TOs are known to the offeror.

c) If we have misunderstood this Key Personnel RFP requirement, please clarify so we may be responsive.

For Key Personnel, offerors are to identify the contractor representative(s) responsible for the overall and daily management and administration of the contract and its task orders. This person(s) operate outside of the labor categories on Attachment A, which are intended to provide services under specific task orders.

Contract management costs, including those related to management and administration of the contract and its task orders, should be built into the overhead of the labor categories. USGS does not intend to order Contract Manager or Project Manager services separately for management and administration of the contract and/or its task orders.

27. RFP L.11. Instructions Page 50 – Factor B-Past Performance Questionnaires. Please allow offerors to submit valid CPRAs in place of the requested Past Performance Questionnaires. We request this because CPARs are a recognized valid source of contractor past performance information and it is mid-December. Many government employees will be taking paid time off during the coming holidays between now and the USGS proposal response deadline, increasing the likelihood that some responsible for completing Past Performance Questionnaires may miss them in their email or be unavailable to complete them timely to proposal submission.

A past performance evaluation report from CPARS will be considered in lieu of a completed Past Performance Questionnaire submitted by the offeror’s client. To be considered, the offeror must complete the first section (items 1 – 12) of the Past Performance Questionnaire at Attachment F and submit this completed section and the applicable CPARS report. The offeror shall combine the completed first section of the Past Performance Questionnaire and the CPARS report into one file. The file name of each CPARS report file shall be: Vol II CPARS (insert 1, 2, 3 etc) (insert offeror name).

Example file name: Vol II CPARS 1 John Doe LLC

140G0120R0040 Attachment H Questions.Responses