140G0124Q0011_Q_A_Combined_12-1-23_0002.pdf

140G0124Q0011 Amendment 02 - Question & Answer (Q&A) Combined 12-1-23

# Question Doc. Page Section Answer

1 If a respondent chooses Option

Two, would the government allow all three responses in one single package, or do they want individual submissions per topic?

RFQ 27 L.7 Individual submissions per topic.

2 Why is USGS requiring an NDA for these studies?

RFQ N/A N/A The NDA requirement has been removed. Awardees will not have access to non-public or sensitive information. All information/data needed for the studies is (or will be) posted publicly. Therefore, the NDA is not needed.

3 If a company participates in

Landsat Next MOC studies will it preclude them from competing on the anticipated Landsat Next MOC

RFP at a future date?

RFQ N/A N/A No. Participating in a study under this solicitation will not prevent a company from competing on the anticipated future Landsat Next MOC procurement.

4 If awarded a study under this contract action, will the contractor's employees executing the awarded study be precluded from participating in the future Landsat

Next MOC procurement?

RFQ N/A N/A No. If awarded a study under this solicitation, the contractor's employees will not be precluded from participating in the anticipated future Landsat

Next MOC procurement.

5 As stated in the solicitation, {the

Government anticipates adequate price competition under this solicitation, and because offerors are providing detailed staffing plans, including estimated

(assumed) hours in their technical quotations, offerors are not requested to submit detailed cost or pricing data with their quotations.}

Please confirm that the government requires only hours and staffing plan with a total cost quotation only.

RFQ 28 L.9

GS2180

Price

Quotation

Instructions

(August

2001)

Confirmed. Note, the

Government is requesting price quotations, not cost quotations. Awarded contracts will be firm fixed price.

6 The RFP states: "Format and

Specific Content. Your quotation shall at a minimum contain the information specified below in accordance with the following general format:

(1) Table of Contents.

(2) List of Tables and Drawings.

(7) Supporting Data and Other

Information"

Do the Table of Contents, List of

Table and Drawings and Supporting

Data count against the page limits?

RFQ 26 L.7.b No.

7 The RFP states: "Quotation length must not exceed 25 pages for

Option 1 or 10 pages for Option 2 studies, not including the title page and key personnel." and requires

"Personnel Qualifications" (L.7.b.5) but excludes "key personnel" from the page limits. We assume that the excluded "key personnel" information is the L.7.b.5 Personnel

Qualification information. Please confirm.

RFQ 27 L.7 NOTE “Key Personnel” language has been removed from “L.7

NOTE”.

8 The RFP states: "Quotation length must not exceed 25 pages for

Option 1 or 10 pages for Option 2 studies, not including the title page and key personnel."

If key personnel requirements are not "Personnel Qualifications", can the Government provide key personnel requirements and evaluation criteria?

RFQ 27 L.7 NOTE “Key Personnel” language has been removed.

9 The RFP states: "The quotation format requirements also include one-inch margins with 12-point font, paper size of 8 1/2" by 11"."

Our cover pages typically include several required FAR statements related to proprietary information and technical data/export which can be lengthy and difficult to fit in 12 point font. Do the margin and font requirements apply to the cover page?

RFQ 27 L.7 NOTE No. Margin and font requirements do not apply to the cover page.

10 The RFP states: "The quotation itself should include the names of key personnel and the names and affiliations of all other project personnel."

While we will list names of those primarily participating in the study, we will have multiple individuals that will contribute only a handful of hours for such tasks as pricing support for the generation of the

Cost Estimate (SOW 3.3, deliverable item 4). These individuals are typically assigned from a resource pool and specific names are not known at the time of this proposal. Can the Government clarify the expectations for list of names and affiliations of project personnel?

RFQ 27 L.7 NOTE This section has been amended to state the following: “The quotation itself should include the names of individuals expected to be assigned to the primary scope of work”.

“Key personnel” and “names and affiliations of all other project personnel” language has been removed.

11 Study deliverables in the SOW include a Cost Estimate of our candidate architecture. We are assuming that the Cost Estimate

(study deliverable) of the candidate architecture is a non-binding budgetary estimate (NBBE)/rough order of magnitude (ROM). Please confirm.

J.1 9 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section

3.3.4

Correct. The cost estimate deliverable is a non-binding

ROM (budgetary estimated).

12 Please provide clarity on provision

GS2170 sub-paragraph C (2)

(financial resources).

RFQ 27 L.8 This section has been removed. Financial resources documentation

(certified financial statements, balance sheets, etc.) is not required under this solicitation.

13 Will the Government confirm if awards are issued to the same contractor for multiple Option 2 study areas, that the period of performance for each study area would be concurrent? That is, would all awarded study areas run from 2/1/2024 to 5/31/2024?

RFQ 1 SF18 Confirmed. If awarded multiple study areas under

Option 2, all awarded study areas would run on the same period of performance for each study area (estimate

2/1/24 – 5/31/24).

14 Will the Government confirm that the following items are excluded from the page count: (1) Table of

Contents, (2) List of Tables and

Drawings, and (7) Supporting Data and Other Information.

RFQ 26-27 L.7(b) Confirmed.

15 Paragraph 3.3, section 2, states vendor shall deliver “A candidate

LNext MOC architecture solution or specific technology (end-to-end for Option 1 or targeted areas for

Option 2) and its relevance/potential benefits to the

LNext MOC (MOC performance, efficiency, and/or operations costs).

This may be delivered as a white paper or a set of slides along with associated artifacts (diagrams, documents) and may be combined with the final report. 3. Optionally, a system demonstration/prototype and associated presentation materials (end-to-end for Option 1 or targeted areas for Option 2).”

Will the government confirm that by providing a comprehensive study meeting these requirements will NOT create an Organizational

Conflict of Interest (OCI) to pursue follow on Landsat Next MOC contracts?

J.1 9 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section

3.3.2

Confirmed. See similar

Q&A on this topic above.

16 “Quotation length must not exceed

25 pages for Option 1 or 10 pages for Option 2 studies, not including the title page and key personnel.”

Will the government confirm that

Key Personnel listing is not included in page count?

RFQ 27 L.7 NOTE This section has been amended. “Key Personnel” language has been removed.

See similar Q&A above.

17 “Quotation length must not exceed

25 pages for Option 1 or 10 pages for Option 2 studies, not including the title page and key personnel.”

Does the government want resumes for key personnel and if so, will the government confirm that resumes are not included in page count?

RFQ 27 L.7 NOTE This section has been amended. “Key Personnel” language has been removed.

Resumes are not required.

See similar Q&A above.

18 “Quotation length must not exceed

25 pages for Option 1 or 10 pages for Option 2 studies, not including the title page and key personnel.”

Will the government confirm Table of Contents, list of tables and drawing, and list of acronyms are not included in page count?

RFQ 27 L.7 NOTE Confirmed.

19 “The quotation format requirements also include one-inch margins with

12-point font, paper size of 8 1/2" by 11". Will the government allow

11” by 17” pages for large graphics or tables?

RFQ 27 L.7 NOTE Yes.

20 “The quotation format requirements also include one-inch margins with

12-point font, paper size of 8 1/2" by 11". Will the government allow

8-point font in tables and graphics?

RFQ 27 L.7 NOTE Yes.

21 “After award of the contract, one copy of each unsuccessful quotation will be retained in the contract file and all other copies will be destroyed. Additional copies of the successful quotation(s) will be retained only as needed for contract administration and monitoring.”

The following paragraph states

“Offeror shall submit an electronic copy of their quotation via email.”

Will the government please confirm this is an electronic submission and that only one copy is required.

RFQ 25 L.6(c) Confirmed. This RFQ necessitates an electronic submission via email. Only one copy is required. All submissions must be submitted via email to the email address specified.

22 “The Government seeks to better understand the cost basis for development and implementation

(Phases B-D) and long-term operations and sustainment (Phase

E) predicated on an LNext MOC constellation architecture concept recommended by vendors at the conclusion of this study.” Will the government please confirm the definitions of Phases A-D and E?

How does the government see the phasing of this project regarding time and what events start and stop each phase?

J.1 7 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section 3.1

See Phase definition per

NASA SE process as described in reference document: NPR 7123.1D.

Landsat projects use the

NASA Single-Project

Program Life Cycle for space flight programs. See Figure

5-3 - NASA Single-Project

Program Life Cycle on p.35 of NPR 7123.1D for phase diagram.

23 What criteria is used for achieving milestone/phase A-D, E defined in the previous question (Question 7).

Event, product or schedule driven

(entrance/Exit criteria)?

J.1 7 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section 3.1

See Entrance and Success

Criteria per NASA SE process as described in reference document: NPR

7123.1D

24 What challenges are being faced with the current MOC/FOT design or operations? Is there an intent to move other components supporting the ground operations for a more centralized or dispersed design? Is there a strategic goal to move the

MOC, back up MOC?

J.1 5 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section

2.4.2

See Section 3 for RFP challenge statement. Note

Section 2 represents the boilerplate mission overview. The Government is considering MOC concepts and technologies which are optimized for

LNext constellation operations, which supports concurrent combined flight operations for three spacecraft and the autonomous onboard mission planning ops con as described in the referenced

LNext mission synopsis.

Additionally, the

Government is looking for optimal/efficient approaches to Phase E operations and sustainment yielding lower long-term costs.

25 “The Government has not yet determined the location of the

LNext MOC. The L8/L9 LMOC is located at NASA GSFC and there are benefits of being located in a government facility. Assume a

MOC implementation at NASA

GSFC but include considerations in your conceptual design for a potential vendor location as well (if applicable), highlighting the areas of efficiency and risk (including vendor location lock-in) to be considered. Ideally, architectures are flexible enough to be location agnostic, but highlight any location constraints and considerations.” Are there any specifications or requirements that a vendor provided facility must meet?

J.1 8 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section

3.2.2

Nothing specific, but this can be explored in the process of the study. A contractor facility would need to meet

USGS (and NASA)

IT/network security and physical access requirements, similar to what would be required for a

MOC facility on the

NASA/GSFC campus.

26 Are vendors allowed to make multiple submissions? Examples:

Submit a solution under Option 1 and additional proposals for Option

2. Submit 2 proposals under option

2 to cover more than 3 technologies or subsystems

J.1 7 Vendors

Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section 3.1

Offerors may submit a quotation package for Option

1 or up to three quotation packages for Option 2 study areas but not both option 1 and option 2.

Vendors proposing option 1 should provide a comprehensive MOC proposal that discusses all aspects of the scope including the technology/approach they propose. Option 2 is intended for proposals covering only specific areas of the MOC as laid out in the various Option 2 areas of study. Vendors can only make multiple (up to 3) submissions if selecting

Option 2. Each submission under Option 2 shall be limited to one technology.

27 Does the statement "...transition the mission to USGS following on-orbit commissioning." imply that all

Launch and Early Operations functions and check-out will be performed by NASA using NASA systems or will the MOC be allowed or expected to perform

Launch Early Operations and check-out?

J.1 4 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section 2.4

The LNext MOC system will be used for Launch, Early

Orbit & Commissioning

(LEOC) operated by the

USGS Flight Operations

Team, augmented by both project and space segment vendor staff through the conclusion of on-orbit checkout. NASA will have primary mission responsibility until handover to USGS.

28 Similar Question to Paragraph 2.4:

Does " For the cost estimate, please consider timeframe and resources needed to achieve steady-state operations. " imply that the MOC will perform Launch and early

Operations check-out and verification or will this be part of the Launch Segment?

J.1 8 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section

3.2.4

The LNext MOC system will be used for Launch, Early

Orbit & Commissioning

(LEOC) operated by the

USGS Flight Operations

Team, augmented by both project and space segment vendor staff through on-orbit checkout.

29 Should the architecture concepts address scalability and extensibility for potential future missions beyond

LNext?

J.1 5 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section

2.4.1

There have not been any missions beyond LNext defined at this time, but as articulated in the SOW, modularity, and flexibility as well as efficient long-term sustainability are objectives of a LNext MOC concept/approach

30 What level of security assessment or certification is required for the candidate architecture?

J.1 5 Attachment

J.1 (SOW)

Section

2.4.2

A formal security assessment or certification is not required, but understanding of what would be required for a proposed MOC concept/approach to receive

Authorization To Operate

(ATO) should be explored

(discussed) as part of the study work. For the purposes of planning and estimating these studies, please assume FIPS 199 moderate security level for a high-value asset (HVA) will be utilized.

31 In light of the limited scope of this solicitation, would the Government accept proof of a DCMA Financial

Capability Determination to be provided in lieu of two years of financial documents to demonstrate adequate financial resources are available for performance of the resultant contract?

RFQ 27 L.8.c.2 N/A. This requirement

(section) has been removed from the solicitation.