B09-Final_Questions_and_Answers_140M0121Q0062_0001.pdf

Questions and Answers Solicitation 140M0121Q0062

1. Could you please tell me if this is a new requirement, or if there is a current or previous contractor who has performed similar services? If available, can you please send along the incumbent contract or task order number?

Answer: This is a new requirement.

2. Will Consultant be provided with more details on the objectives and/or an orientation on the

BOEM?

Answer: BOEM is trying to be more responsive to tribal concerns. This requirement is one of the ways BOEM is attempting to increase tribal visibility and engagement in our Regions.

3. Will the webinars be a collaborative effort between the Consultant and BOEM?

Answer: Yes, BOEM is building capacity in creating an Office of Native American Affairs.

4. How will the participating tribes be identified? Will this be the Consultant responsibility?

Answer: Yes, BOEM has four (4) Regions of the OCS that tribal engagement may occur:

Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and Alaska. Tribal Liaisons in each of those Regions engage with certain tribes and have regional tribes identified.

5. How many attendees are anticipated to attend the Tribal Cultural Exchanges?

Answer: Two (2) members from the Wampanoag Tribes will meet with Inupiat Communities, as identified.

6. Are dates and locations to be researched and set by BOEM or the Consultant?

Answer: Dates and locations will be coordinated with BOEM and Consultant.

7. How will the stipend be facilitated?

Answer: Consultants will pay the stipend.

8. This opportunity quotes a $7 M size standard for the NAICS 541620. Is this correct? The current standard for this NAICS is $16.5 M. Assuming this might be a typo?

Answer: The current size standard for NAICS 541620, Environmental Consulting Services, is $16.5 million.

9. Under document B08 – Final Combined Synopsis, paragraph 3, sentence 4 – it indicates that this solicitation is coming out under NAICS code 541620, Environmental Consulting Services, with a small business size standard of $7.0 million. Is this a $7.0 million set aside or a $16.0 million set aside?

Answer: The current size standard for NAICS 541620, Environmental Consulting Services, is $16.5 million.

10. Page 5 of the Solicitation under Task #3 – Tribal Leader Council of Advisors states: Set up Travel and Logistics for two (2) Tribal Cultural Exchanges… How many individual Tribes are expected to be involved in these Cultural Exchanges?

Answer: One (1) Tribal Council member from Aquiannah and Wampanoag Tribes will travel to Inupiat Villages as invited by the villages.

11. Page 5 of the Solicitation under Task #3 – Tribal Leader Council of Advisors states: Set up ten

(10) virtual meetings including stipend. Is this stipend intended for labor and what is the anticipated amount?

Answer: The stipend is intended for participation to compensate time. It is anticipated to be $300.00.

12. Page 27 of the Solicitation under 4.3.2.3 Past Performance states: Offerors shall complete

Attachment 2 entitled “PAST PERFORMANCE REFERENCE INFORMATION FORM” with information on contracts performed during the last six years with private companies or Government agencies that are the same or similar in nature to the work required under the contract. However, page 31 states: In assessing relevance of past performance, the Government will consider relevant contracts as those contracts that are ongoing or completed within the last three (3) years having comparable level of size, scope, and complexity to the requirements of the solicitation. Please clarify if Past Performance should be shown for the last six years or the last three years.

Answer: Past performance should be shown for the last three (3) years.

13. Is BOEM contemplating renewable energy projects for the offshore environment of the Alaska North Slope? This would help communicate BOEM’s intentions to the North Slope Tribes.

Answer: No renewable projects are currently being proposed on the Alaska North Slope.

During previous Environmental Studies, North Slope Inupiat Communities identified subsistence areas for protection or avoidance. The Wampanoag Tribes also identified culturally important areas and asked to work with other tribal groups to brainstorm on how to protect areas from a tribal point of view, without government interference. BOEM’s intention is to help these groups meet and give us proposals on how to best help their communities.

14. Should the Native Village of Nuiqsut be included in this RFP for consultation? The village lies between Utqiaġvik and Kaktovik but not identified in the RFP. They are an important community with a unique history on the Alaska North Slope that practice a subsistence lifestyle in the offshore environment.

Answer: Yes, Nuiqsut should be included. This is the first time that we have tried to work with Inupiat communities without additional leases or federal actions. BOEM is trying to facilitate a cultural exchange without interference, work with the tribal communities, and build relationships.

15. The RFP mentions 50 possible Tribes that are to be invited to the virtual meetings, can you provide greater clarity as to what communities those tribal organizations represent?

Answer: Federally recognized tribal nations with an interest in activities in our four (4) BOEM regions on the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and Alaska are welcome to participate in our virtual meetings. BOEM is trying to build relationships in our Region.

16. Currently, the Alaska North Slope and Wampanoag are the only ones listed in the RFP. Are other BOEM regions included in these initiatives like California?

Answer: The cultural exchange is only intended for Wampanoag and Inupiat communities.

These tribal areas have active BOEM leases, and these tribes identified areas, in their respective regions, that they would like considered to be excluded from development.

17. Task 1- Please clarify if the government has a designated list of tribal nations and their contact information or if the contractor will be responsible for developing this task. Is the cultural exchange between the various tribes or the tribe and the agency?

Answer: BOEM has a list of tribal nations and their contact information identified to participate. The cultural exchange is between the tribal nations themselves.

18. Task 1-BOEM Native American Heritage Month Event: Please clarify if the contractor is required to develop the content and events related to this task or if the government will be supplying.

Answer: BOEM Tribal Liaison will develop content and choose day(s) and speakers. The potential Contractor will facilitate the Zoom or Teams event. See Answers to Questions 30 and 31 for additional information.

19. Task 1- Please clarify if the government will require a specific virtual platform to be used for webinar and other virtual meetings. Standard virtual options include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex. Please advise.

Answer: The Government has a Zoom account and uses Microsoft Teams. The contractor will be asked to run behind the scenes facilitation.

20. Task 3: Travel and Logistics- Is the contractor responsible for paying for the expenses of the in-person meetings? Or strictly for the coordination?

Answer: The potential Contractor will coordinate tribal member travel and pay stipends for participants and is not responsible for paying for the flights or hotels. See Answers to Questions 30 and 31 for additional information.

21. Task 3: Travel and Logistics- Please clarify if the contractor is responsible for coordinating the travel and logistics for the government only or for all potential attendees?

Answer: The potential Contractor will coordinate tribal member travel and pay stipends for participants and is not responsible for flights or hotels. No BOEM government travel is planned. See Answers to Questions 30 and 31 for additional information.

22. Task 3: Travel and Logistics- Please clarify if this task is merely coordinating the venue for the tribal exchange or if it includes the venue and travel/logistics for all attendees.

Answer: The potential Contractor will coordinate tribal travel and pay stipends.

Coordination of venue is not a requirement. See Answers to Questions 30 and 31 for additional information.

23. Task 3: Travel and Logistics- For bidding purposes, what is the proposed location of the Tribal Cultural Exchange?

Answer: Two (2) Wampanoag Tribal Council Members would travel to Utqiaġvik, Nuiqsuit, and Kaktovik, as arranged and in accordance with safety protocols agreed upon from the villages. The venue can include the Inupiat Heritage Museum or one of the villages as respectful of tribal protocols.

24. Task 3: Virtual Meetings and Stipend- Since the meeting is virtual, what is the purpose of the stipend?

Answer: The stipend is intended to compensate time and effort preparation for virtual meetings, including research and reading.

25. In the Section 2 Statement of Work, subsection 2, Background, it mentions "propose and advise

BOEM leadership on training and educations that staff may need for better dialogue, trust relationship, and cultural competency" and "propose and advice staff about policies and programs available to BOEM which may provide training, education and financial support for tribal engagement in BOEM activities,” but I do not see these listed as task deliverables. Could you clarify what form these trainings should take and should they be at the end of the project, or are they ongoing training sessions? Should we expect to conduct these trainings, or help BOEM find the appropriate training resources?

Answer: Working toward better tribal engagement, looking to capture what works and what could work better, dialogue generally. The Tribal Advisors would make the recommendations for training and education that BOEM staff could take to becoming better well rounded, but it would not the up to the tribal people themselves to train BOEM staff. The deliverable is to capture this in minutes, notes, and recommendations.

26. There are a few tribal communities specifically called out in the RFQ (Utquiagvik and Kaktovik Inupiat Community and Aquinnah and Mashpee Wampanoag Communities), but are there other specific nations/communities that BOEM would like the consultant to liaison with?

Under Section 4 Description of Work, subsection Task #1, it states up to 50 communities.

Answer: Inupiat and Wampanoag Cultural Exchange will be between the tribes. BOEM would like to facilitate and encourage cooperation but without outside interference. Tribal consultation with the four (4) BOEM Regions is separate, where, generally, BOEM has had interest of about 50 tribal communities across the US.

27. Is there an incumbent contractor for this procurement and are they eligible to bid on this procurement? Would the government please identify the incumbent contractor(s)?

Answer: There is not an incumbent contractor for this requirement. This is a new requirement.

28. Would BOEM consider changing the NAICS code to 541611?

Answer: The NAICS code for this requirement is NAICS 541620, Environmental Consulting Services.

29. Is there a maximum dollar value for this work?

Answer: BOEM cannot share budget information at this time.

30. TASKS— a. For the following meeting types:

i. Task 1 (12) virtual tribal consultations

ii. Task 1 (5) webinars

iii. Task 2 (10) virtual tribal consultations

iv. Task 3 (2) tribal cultural exchanges

v. Task 3 (10) virtual meetings

Please clarify the following for each:

i. How many people are expected to attend?

Answer: All of our meetings are open to all federally-recognized tribes but likely under 50 will attend.

ii. How many minutes or hours will each be?

Answer: 60-90 minutes

iii. Is there a preferred virtual meeting platform? If so, what is it, and is the contractor to provide or will BOEM?

Answer: Zoom or Microsoft Teams, whichever is favorable to tribal nations

iv. Is transcription needed for all meetings?

Answer: No, transcription is not needed. General notes about the meetings are required.

v. If so, is this to be a verbatim transcript, or is the contractor to have a notetaker to provide minutes of each meeting?

Answer: No transcription is required. However, general notes about the tribal consultation are required.

31. Task 3

i. How many sponsored travelers is the contractor to budget, and how many nights lodging for each?

Answer: The contractor should budget for coordinating the travel for two (2) travelers. BOEM can use invitational travel funding to fund the travel.

ii. In what city are the 2 in-person meetings to be held?

Answer: North Slope communities to be determined

iii. Is the contractor to budget for meeting room and A/V for the 2 in-person meetings?

Answer: No

iv. Is the contractor to budget honorarium for a prayer offeror at the 2 in-person meetings?

Answer: Yes

v. How many attendees will receive stipends at the 2 in-person meetings and at what dollar amount for each?

Answer: Five (5) people, one for each community, will receive a $300.00 stipend each.

vi. How many attendees will receive stipends at the (10) virtual meetings and at what dollar amount for each?

Answer: Twelve (12) advisory council members will receive a $300.00 stipend each.

32. DELIVERABLES

a. For the webinar materials, is this deliverable for only the Task 1 (5) webinars or for all virtual meetings?

Answer: Notes and flyers should be provided for all virtual meetings.

b. Will the documents need graphic design, formatting, editing, and/or 508 compliance checks?

Answer: Yes

c. Will the documents be in the form of PowerPoint presentation slides or documents, and about how many pages per meeting?

Answer: The webinars will be moderated, tribal consultations will be also moderated and taking notes, contractors will need to make flyers and take notes.

BOEM content will be completed by staff. No copies needed.

33. 3.13 STATEMENT OF DISCLAIMER—Indicates a draft final report and final report are needed; however, it is not listed as a deliverable or within the task descriptions. If this is a requirement for this work, what Task should the costs to develop be included within? Does the report need to be made 508 compliant?

Answer: There is not a requirement for a draft final report and final report.

34. Does the Contractor need to assist with establishing the Tribal Leader Council of Advisors?

Answer: No, the initial Council has identified their interest. The group is intended to be partially autonomous.

35. Task #1 – Tribal Engagement: Are the 12 meetings intended to be “Consultation” meetings or Tribal Engagement meetings?

Answer: Tribal Engagement meetings that include updates for projects and concerns in the regions.

36. Task #2 – Contract Support for Virtual Meetings – Are the 10 meetings to be moderated intended to be “Consultation” meetings or Tribal Engagement meetings?

Answer: Tribal Consultation meetings for interested tribes.