Description_of_Amendment_0002.docx
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- Attached to
- IDIQ EXHIBIT PLANNING AND DESIGN Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 140P1121R0003
About this file
This document provides an amendment to a solicitation for an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for exhibit planning and design services. The National Park Service seeks a contractor to provide interpretive exhibit planning, design, fabrication support, and project management services on a task order basis. Key details include:
- The submission deadline is extended to June 23, 2021.
- The scope of work and attachments are modified to remove incorrect information and clarify requirements.
- Thirty-four questions received from potential offerors are answered to provide additional details on proposal requirements, evaluation criteria, and terms of the contract and individual task orders. Areas addressed include subcontractor information to be provided, treatment of pricing information, and samples required for key personnel.
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Solicitation Number 140P1121R0003 Amendment 0002
DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION
THEREFORE:
A. The submission of proposals is extended FROM: 10:00 AM EST on June 2, 2021 TO: 10:00 AM EST on June 23, 2021.
B. The Scope of Work is modified to delete incorrect information. The revised Scope of Work is attached to this amendment. Changes are as follows:
1. Page 41 of 74, Item f. Subcontractors, the following is deleted:
Subcontracts must include certain general provisions and contract articles from the prime contract.
Any difference in the rates proposed by the subcontractor to the Offeror and the rates proposed by the Offeror to the government for the subcontract work should be fully explained.
2. Page 46 of 74, Item 2, VOLUME II – Factor 2: Sample Task Order, Subfactor 1 is changed as follows:
FROM:
· Subfactor 1: Technical Capability (Non-Price Factor) – Project Narrative of Skills and Abilities which describes how the skills and abilities of the key proposed personnel would perform Interpretive Content Integration, Engaging Audiences with Interactivity, Design Compatible with Historic Buildings, and Design of Conservation-grade Casework.
TO:
· Subfactor 1: Technical Capability (Non-Price Factor) – Project Narrative of Skills and Abilities which describes how the skills and abilities of the key proposed personnel would perform the work identified in the sample task order.
C. Attachment 11 is modified to delete incorrect information. The revised Attachment 11 is attached to this amendment. The change is as follows:
Page 21 of 24, Item 2 is deleted as follows:
All volumes shall be submitted via email to sheila_spring@nps.gov. In the event files are too large for email, offerors shall submit a single, multi-platform Universal Serial Bus (USB) Flash Drive. All files on the USB Flash Drive shall be readable on both a Windows PC and a Mac using standard office software. The USB Flash Drive shall be encrypted, and the contractor shall submit a password to access the files. Any files sent by mail shall be sent to:
Sheila Spring Harpers Ferry Center 67 Mather Place Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
D. The following questions were received by the date and time specified in the solicitation. The government response is provided below each question.
1. Question:
| Page 43 of 74, Subfactor 1: Are we required to submit 3-5 samples of work for each subcontractor in addition to the 3-5 samples for the full team? If so, do these additional samples count toward the 60-page limit? |
| Government Response: |
| The government is looking for 3-5 samples to demonstrate the skills and abilities of the proposed team. Ideally, subcontractors are included in the project teams on at least one of the 3-5 project samples. In the event a proposed subcontractor is NOT represented by at least one of the 3-5 project samples, the offeror may submit a minimum of one sample of work for the subcontractor. Samples count toward the 60-page limit. |
2. Question:
Page 44 of 74, 4. Key Personnel Samples: May we include more than one writer, each with 3 writing samples? Do all samples count toward the 60-page limit?
| Government Response: |
| More than one writer may be submitted, with 3 writing samples provided for each writer. Samples count toward the 60-page limit. |
3. Question:
| Page 44 of 74, B. Element 2: Samples of Work – Exhibit Design Process: Do the exhibit design process examples requested in “Element 2: Samples of Work” count toward the 60-page limit? If so, are sample pages from each phase deliverable acceptable rather than complete packages? The full packages will far exceed the 60-page limit. |
| Government Response: |
| Samples of Work – Exhibit Development Process are exempted from the 60-page limit, as noted on Page 42, Item n. Proposal Volumes. |
4. Question:
Page 45 of 74, Subfactor 3: Key Personnel: It is not unusual for the same individual to serve more than two roles across multiple projects. For example, one person may serve as the project manager and exhibit developer on one task order and as writer on another. As such, this person would fill three project roles under the base scope. Is it acceptable to list a technically qualified person as proposed for more than two roles given this circumstance?
| Government Response: |
| Under the base contract, a single individual may be assigned more than two roles; however, as this will not be acceptable under an individual Task Order, it must be clear that one or more configurations of the proposed key personnel can make up the team for an individual Task Order such that one person does not fill more than two roles. |
5. Question:
| Page 45 of 74, Subfactor 3: Key Personnel: Will key personnel subcontractors be disqualified from bidding on fabrication contracts? |
| Government Response: |
| Subcontractors with a supporting role on a Planning & Design team (such as Audio Describer, AV Systems Developer, or Illustrator) will not be disqualified from joining a Fabrication team in a similarly supporting role. |
6. Question:
| Page 45 of 74, Subfactor 3: Key Personnel: Since a media producer is not included in the key personnel list for the base contract, will this role be included during the design phase of an individual task order, or during a subsequent fabrication phase? |
| Government Response: |
| In accordance with the electronic programs work process as described in Attachment 1: Exhibit Planning, Design, and Fabrication Specifications, Section 19, Electronic Programs, the media producer (assumed here to reference Audiovisual Producer) role is not required until Fabrication. During Planning and Design, electronic programs are taken to the Concept Treatment and Production Treatment phases, only. |
7. Question:
Page 29 of 74, Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements: Can you confirm the terms of payment on individual task orders? Is payment made at the time of phase delivery, or after the subsequent comment period?
| Government Response: |
| A payment schedule will be negotiated in each individual task order. The government will have a review period for all submittals. The contractor cannot invoice until the submittal has been approved, in accordance with the schedule in the individual task order. |
8. Question:
Page 5 lists 12 position titles. Can we propose titles not included in this list? For example, a fair amount of production work can be done by an Assistant Graphic Design at a lower hourly rate than the lead designer.
| Government Response: |
| The 12 position titles listed are required. Additional position titles may be proposed and included. |
9. Question:
| Page 5, Materials will be reimbursed at actual and documented expenses plus a handling rate for materials overhead, and acquisition expenses, if any. Does this mean that in awarded Task Orders, we will be documenting and submitting actual costs rather than including those costs as part of a fixed-price bid? |
| Government Response: |
| This will be a firm-fixed-price contract and those actual costs are not required. Only a handling rate, if any. |
10. Question:
| Page 41, Subcontracts must include certain general provisions and contract articles from the prime contract. What are those general provisions and contract articles? |
| Government Response: |
| This statement was removed from the solicitation. Please refer to revised solicitation which is attached to this amendment. |
11. Question:
| Page 41, Any difference in the rates proposed by the subcontractor to the Offeror and the rates proposed by the Offeror to the government for the subcontract work should be fully explained. Where are we to show this difference? The chart on page 5 only asks for “fixed labor rates”. |
| Government Response: |
| This information shall be included in Volume IV as an Attachment to Subfactor 1: Labor Rates. |
12. Question:
Page 41, Subcontractors. In those cases where an Offeror does not have full in-house capability and anticipates significant use of subcontractors to provide the needed support, the Offeror should provide the same detail concerning the subcontractor as provided by the prime contractor. The terms of each subcontract should be fully explained. We anticipate using subcontractors for specific supporting skills such as Audio Describer, AV Systems Developer, and Certified Value Specialist. Is this considered “significant use”? If so, does this mean that we need to provide Subfactor 1: Technical including 3 to 5 sample projects for each of these subcontractors addressing the same criteria as for the prime contractor? If we do need to provide everything under Subfactor 1, the samples provided would then match, among other things, the skills criteria a.-d. listed in 1.A.2 on page 43-44. Subcontractors whose role does not conform to the criteria listed, or for whom the criteria listed is not a factor by which they feel their work could be evaluated, may not be able to respond to these criteria in an effective way. As an example, an AV integrator or an illustrator is unlikely to have examples of conservation-grade casework. Similarly, a lighting designer may not have an example of an interactive direct engagement experience. In a similar fashion, the Value Analysis Facilitator may not feel that any of the listed criteria relate to the quality of their work. These are just a few examples of a number of possible mismatches in the criteria and the skills requested. We did find the excerpt below (from page 51) that seems to address this, but it is listed under Personnel, not under Technical Proposal, SubFactor 1.A, which is what the scenario described above refers to. “The capabilities, qualifications and prior experience of the proposed key personnel will be evaluated to determine the capability of the key personnel to successfully execute and complete the required services. If a proposed individual does not possess sufficient experience, offerors may provide supplemental information about qualifying education and similar experience. Any substitution shall demonstrate how the proposed individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the key personnel position are commensurate with the identified minimum requirements.” Can you describe the relationship of the quoted statement on page 51 to the issues described above? Can you list the appropriate Technical Capabilities/skills and abilities you would like to see substituted in Sub-factor 1 items a.-d. if they differ from what is to be provided for the prime contractor? Or will any logical substitution be accepted? How should substitutions be identified? Is it up to the discretion of the reviewers to determine whether a substitution has been appropriately made?
| Government Response: |
| The government is looking for the 3-5 samples to demonstrate the skills and abilities of the overall proposed team. Therefore, ideally, subcontractors are included in the project teams on at least one of the 3-5 project samples. In the event a proposed subcontractor is NOT represented by at least one of the 3-5 project samples, please submit a minimum of one sample of work for the subcontractor. That sample of work shall demonstrate that the proposed subcontractor possesses the skills and abilities to match the creative, technical, and administrative needs of the IDIQ in relationship to the specific minimum qualifications for the role in question (as listed on Page 19, Item 3.11, Labor Categories and Minimum Qualifications for Each). In other words, the sample of work from the proposed subcontractor may align with one or more of the Skills and Abilities listed pp. 43-44, and if so, shall be noted as such. If not, the sample of work from the subcontractor shall be approached as a Key Personnel Sample (such as for the Writer, p. 44), where the sample demonstrates the ability to meet the minimum qualifications for that role. |
13. Question:
| Page 42, Each volume shall contain a cover page with RFQ title, number, and name. Does the cover page count in the page count? The other three elements listed in this section do not. |
| Government Response: |
| The cover page does not count toward the overall page count. |
14. Question:
| Page 44, For at least one (1) of the samples submitted for Subfactor 1 above, the offeror shall submit the iterative planning and design documents, demonstrating the ability to develop plans and designs throughout the exhibit development process. Samples may include excerpts, rather than full sets of project documents; however, samples should be complete enough to be evaluated as progressing through each phase of work. Samples shall be submitted for one (1) single project that illustrate, and that are representative of, all the following project milestones: 1. Pre-Design/Project Brief documents; 2. Conceptual/Schematic Design documents; 3. Design Development documents; and, 4. Final/Production-Ready documents. |
| In “providing the same detail “for subcontractors, does that include providing samples of their work at each of these phases? Some of our subcontractors do not have an example of each of the phases 1-4 to show. AV systems (equipment) integration, for example, only takes place in the phases numbered 3. and 4. There would be no involvement from that subcontractor during early design. Other disciplines may have similar issues. If the full scope of the subcontractor’s work is encompassed by, say, phases 3 and 4 at left, may we provide only those phase deliverables? |
| Government Response: |
| Although subcontractors’ work may be integrated in the Exhibit Development Process documents, the samples of work required for this element do not apply directly to subcontractors. The purpose of these samples is for the government to evaluate that the Planning & Design firm/team as a whole has the ability to develop progressively more detailed plans and designs through a process similar to that followed by the National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center. |
15. Question:
| Page 44, Final/Production-Ready documents. This asks us to submit an example of Final/Production-Ready documents. Is this the final documents of the Production Design Phase? Are Production-Ready documents the production files for the graphic elements? If so, are we to send them as PDF or in their native design software files? |
| Government Response: |
| The Final or Production-Ready documents shall represent the last phase of work the Planning & Design team would submit to the client (for Harpers Ferry Center projects, this would be the Production Design 2 submittal; for non-Harpers Ferry Center projects, this final phase may have a different name). Native design files are not required nor preferred. A PDF of the final phase of work (or excerpt thereof) is required. |
16. Question:
| Page 45, however, one person may fill no more than two (2) of the following critical project roles: It would not be unusual, especially in smaller firms, for the Project Manager for the Base Contract to also be the Project Manager for a Task Order. Does the wording at left mean that someone who played both of these PM roles, could NOT play another role, such as exhibit designer, for that task order? Or does Project Manager (as a category covering both Base Contract and Task Order) count as one category? |
| Government Response: |
| Under the base contract, a single individual may be assigned more than two roles; however, as this will not be acceptable under an individual Task Order, it must be clear that one or more configurations of the proposed key personnel can make up the team for an individual Task Order such that one person does not fill more than two roles. |
| Therefore, in the scenario described above, one individual may be identified as PM for the Base Contract, a possible PM for Task Orders, and a possible Exhibit Designer, Exhibit Developer, Writer, or other key personnel role for a Task Order as long as there are configurations of the team where a single individual fills no more than 2 roles on a Task Order. |
17. Question:
| Page 46, The sample task order package shall follow the IDIQ instructions; Does this mean that we are producing the same volumes with the same detail as the overall IDIQ for this sample Task Order? |
| Government Response: |
| The statement “The sample task order package shall follow the IDIQ instructions” refers to the following sentence which states “no price information shall be put into the technical portion of the quote.” Within Volume II, the contractor shall include the information contacted in Subfactors 1 through 3. The level of detail required for the overall IDIQ is not required for the sample task order. |
| This information was clarified in the solicitation. Please refer to revised solicitation which is attached to this amendment. |
18. Question:
| Page 53, The government reserves the right to make an award for the sample task order. This is in Section 4 on this page. Does this mean that an actual task order award might be made for the work specified in the sample task order? |
| Government Response: |
| The government reserves the right to make an award for the Sample Task Order. The contractor’s proposal shall reflect the work outlined in the sample task order to adequately evaluate the contractor’s understanding of the work involved for the sample project. |
19. Question:
| Page 55, In addition to evaluation of the previously discussed elements, the government will consider in any award decision the responsibility factors set forth in FAR Part 9. What are the responsibility factors set forth in Far Part 9? We searched the RFP and this does not come up. Searching the internet does bring up Far Part 9 which is a lengthy document. Searching that document again “responsibility factors” does not come up. Can you point specifically to which section of Far Part 9 you will be considering in you award decisions? (See FAR Part 9 document attached to this email) |
| Government Response: |
| All of FAR Part 9 is applicable; however, specifically, FAR Sub Part 9.104 – Standards, will be used to determine contractor responsibility. |
20. Question:
| Page 55, All factors listed, other than price, are in descending order of importance. Please confirm: Does this mean that Sub-Factor 1: Technical is more important than Sub-Factor 2: Management Plan, etc.? |
| Government Response: |
| Correct, subfactor 1: Technical Capability is rated more important than subfactor 2. |
21. Question:
Per Buy American Act, Canadian companies can be subcontractors of a US bidder, or join forces as a Joint Venture. Does NPS foresee any issues with these contracts? Do any further laws apply as to what NPS will accept?
| Government Response: |
| All work under this contract must be in accordance with the Buy American Act as referenced in the solicitation. |
22. Question:
There are no references to submitting SF330 forms in this solicitation - are we correct to understand that all information and resumes are to be submitted only according to the solicitation requirements and not in addition to SF330s?
| Government Response: |
| All information and resumes shall be submitted in accordance with the solicitation requirements. This is for planning and design of indoor exhibits, not an A&E requirement; therefore, SF-330s are not applicable. As stated in the solicitation, this is not a FAR PART 36 requirement; no A&E work is included in this IDIQ. |
23. Question:
In the instructions for Volume II Factor 2, Sub-factor 3 states that any price information found outside Volume II will be redacted, even though Volume IV is specifically for our Labour Rates. Should this statement only refer to prices in the Sample Task Order - that they should only be in section 3 of this Volume as a separate PDF from the other volumes of the Sample Task Order?
| Government Response: |
| Correct. This statement only refers to prices in the Sample Task Order. Pricing for the Sample Task Order shall be contained only with section/subfactor 3 on the provided ROMO Cost Estimate Form. |
24. Question:
For the Sample Task Order: In regards to accessibility, will NPS provide its own Accessibility expert for reviewing/approving design or should the contractor engage an accessibility expert on the design team? What does the tribal engagement process look like for this project and what is the contractor’s role in this process?
| Government Response: |
| The NPS reviews designs for both physical and programmatic accessibility, and the NPS expects the contractor to be aware of and to possess proficient understanding and execution of both legal accessibility requirements and NPS accessibility standards. Tribal engagement varies by project and is informed by the park’s leadership and relationship to their tribal partners. Contractors are generally expected to facilitate dialogue with tribal partners, although direct communication with partners is typically handled by the government. |
25. Question:
Solicitation page 41 - section f (“Subcontractors”) indicates that the offeror should provide “the terms of each subcontract should be fully explained.” Can you clarify what you are seeking in relation to the “terms”?
| Government Response: |
| This statement was removed from the solicitation. Please refer to revised solicitation which is attached to this amendment. |
26. Question:
Solicitation page 42 - section l (“Contents for All Volumes”) - can you confirm that the “cover page with RFQ title, number, and name” is not included in the page count?
| Government Response: |
| The cover page is not included in the page count. |
| 27. | Question: |
| Solicitation page 42 - section n (“Proposal Volumes”) - can you confirm that Volume 1 subfactor 1 is limited to 60 pages PLUS pages specific to Element 2; and that Volume 1 sub factor 3 is limited to 2 pages per resume with no overall page limit? |
| Government Response: |
| Correct. |
| 28. | Question: |
| Solicitation page 42 - section n (“Proposal Volumes”) - understanding that resumes for key personnel are limited to 2 pages per resume, may offerers also include a one-page introduction to Subfactor 3? |
| Government Response: |
| Yes, a one-page introduction may be included. |
| 29. | Question: |
| Solicitation page 46 - section 2 (“Volume II - Factor 2: Sample Task Order”) - Can you confirm that for Volume II, you want the offeror to respond to Volume II Subfactor 1 based on Attachment 16: Sample Task Order - Exhibit Planning and Design including Attachments A, B, and C? |
| Government Response: |
| This information has been clarified. Please refer to revised solicitation which is attached to this amendment. |
| 30. | Question: |
| Solicitation page 46 - section 2 (“Volume II - Factor 2: Sample Task Order”) - Volume II Subfactor 2 requests a list of key personnel proposed for the sample task order and 3-5 samples or relevant/similar interpretive exhibit writing. This is very different from the Key Personnel requirements listed on page 21 of the Sample Task Order (limited to 20 pages). Can you confirm that the correct response to Volume II Subfactor 2 is a list of key proposed personnel for the sample task order and the writing samples and NOT the elements described in 7.2 of the Sample Task Order? |
| Government Response: | |
| This information has been clarified. Please refer to revised solicitation which is attached to this amendment. | |
| 31. | Question: |
| Solicitation page 46 - section 2 (“Volume II - Factor 2: Sample Task Order”) - Regarding Attachment C (“ROMOCostEstimate.xls”), can offerers slightly reformat the Excel spreadsheet so that the form fits in four 8.5” x 11” pages when converted to PDFs and included in the Volume II? |
| Government Response: |
| Yes |
| 32. | Question: |
| Solicitation page 47 - section 3 (“Volume III - Factor 3: Past Performance”) - Can you confirm that NPS expects the offeror to complete page 2 of Attachment 12 and offeror is to send the revised (with page 2 completed) Attachment 12 to each reference and the reference is to complete pages 3 and 4 and return the completed Attachment 12 to the offerer and then the offeror is to include each completed Attachment 12 in their proposal? |
| Government Response: |
| The offeror shall fill out the appropriate blanks on Page 2 of Attachment 12, Past Performance Questionnaire and coordinate completion of Pages 3 and 4 with the respective references. Completed Past Performance Questionnaires shall be included in the offeror’s proposal and not sent directly to the agency. |
| 33. | Question: |
| Solicitation page 47 - section 3 (“Volume III - Factor 3: Past Performance”) - Can you confirm that each subcontractor included by the offeror needs to provide three references for subcontractor’s work and that work must be completed within the last 7 years? |
| Government Response: | |
| As stated in the solicitation, “When subcontractors shall perform critical aspects of the work, past performance of subcontractors must also be submitted. Three (3) references of contracts for each subcontractor are required. References shall involve the key personnel proposed for this project.” Representative work can be on-going or has been completed during the past seven (7) years. | |
| 34. | Question: |
Solicitation page 44 - section 3 (“Project Images”) - The solicitation requests full-color, hi-res images of our featured projects. Can you confirm that it is okay to include these images within the Volume I file PDF, or are you asking the offeror to submit these images separately from the PDF file as jpg images (or some other format)?
| Government Response: |
| The Project Images shall be included within the Volume I PDF, and in adjacency to the Project Narrative of Skills and Abilities. In other words, the offeror might lead with the Project Details, and then incorporate project images in direct support of the Project Narrative of Skills and Abilities, AND include several additional images providing an overview of the completed exhibits to satisfy the requirement for Volume I – Subfactor 1 – Element 1 – Items 1-3. |
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