Solicitation_140P2125Q0008_Questions_and_Answers_0001.pdf

Solicitation 140P2125Q0008 Questions and Answers:

Is there a page limit for the Cover Letter and Company Introduction?

RESPONSE: Page limit cannot exceed those posted in the solicitation. Cover letter and company introduction are included as part of the technical volume.

Is there a preference for the submission to be on WORD or PowerPoint format?

RESPONSE: PDF format for all volumes except for Pricing Volume, which should be in excel.

We wanted to confirm the outline numbering. It states Factor 2 but the numbering is “1.2” and “1.2.1”. Do we retain this sequence or amend it to 2.2 and 2.2.1 (in reference to Factor 2)? If we need to amend the numbering sequence, please advise revised numbering

RESPONSE: Please retain numbering.

The same is true for Factor 2: Management Approach – Quality Assurance and Control Process. Do we retain the sequence (of 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3) or amend the numbering sequence based on question 2.a above? [NOTE: Other attachments refer to the Quality Assurance and Control Process as Subfactor 2.2]

RESPONSE: Please retain numbering.

This document requires our response to this Factor 2. However, on BO4_Attachment_6_EVALUATION_FACTORS_TABLE, it states on a note from Lora Uhlman that, “See changes to Attachment 02 as to why this was deleted”. Please confirm if our replies to 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 are required.

REPSONSE: Disregard note. That should have been deleted prior to posting solicitation package.

What is the Service’s definition of, “fully burdened labor rates”?

RESPONSE: Fully burdened labor rate will include all direct and indirect costs.

On the tabs “Example Task Order” and “IDIQ”, hours-per-task-per-Labor-Category have been pre-filled. Please advise if we are allowed to modify (or if these allocated hours are fixed).

RESPONSE: Yes, you may alter these numbers but provide a reasoning as to why you believe you need different hours than those on the sheet.

On the tab “IDIQ”, the rows are sub-divided by “Base Year”, “Ordering Period One”, “Ordering Period Two”, “Ordering Period Three”, “Ordering Period Four”, and “Ordering Period Six Month Extension”. What is meant by these different “Ordering Periods”? Does this refer to the number of Prospectuses that the offereror’s will be assisting for the Service? Please confirm.

RESPONSE: No. This will be a 5 year IDIQ contract. Ordering periods are in reference to each year of the IDIQ contract.

On Subfactor 2.2: Quality Assurance and Control Process. We see the note “See changes to Attachment 02 as to why this was deleted”. When reviewing B08_Attachment_2_Price_Schedule, please indicate where we will find the reasoning as to why Quality Assurance and Control Process was deleted? Alternatively, please confirm if our response to “Quality Assurance and Control Process” is required as part of the submission.

RESPONSE: Again, this note should have been deleted. You can disregard.

PWS, Page 2, Scope for Prospectus/Request for Qualifications, last paragraph: “Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) requires that the consultant develop and submit a QASP for government consideration in development of the Government’s plan. Can the Service please qualify if this plan was specific to consultant developed written deliverable. Financial Model, or both?

RESPONSE: The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is for all consultant (including subcontractor) deliverables, including the financial model. The QASP is not required to be submitted with the proposal. The NPS will request the QASP at some point after award of the contract.

PWS, Page 5, paragraph a. bullet point #1: “The Service also may provide costs from other sources for the consultant to include in its financial analysis. The consultant must adjust the maintenance costs over the term of the contract and include maintenance operational expenses into the financial model”. Can the Service please define what these “Other Sources” are? Additionally, can the Service please define the reference to “maintenance operational expenses”? Finally, can the Service please identify the extent of this additional information from a consultant level of effort perspective?

RESPONSE: Other sources may include the NPS or other qualified third-parties. Maintenance operational expenses refer to expenses for operations related to maintenance, primarily custodial in nature. The NPS anticipates the consultant would estimate such maintenance operational expenses based on similar historical expenses.

PWS, Page 5, paragraph a. bullet point #2: “The Service will provide the maintenance costs for most projects, so consultants can manipulate them as needed to develop different scenarios for the future contract.” Historical practices had the Service manipulate third-party Service-related contractor work (CA consultant) as consultant did not manipulate/change this work including spreadsheets, models, data outputs, etc. Can the Service please verify that it is NOT the PDS consultant who is responsible for this manipulation?

RESPONSE: The prospectus development consultant may be responsible for minor manipulation of the third-party maintenance data, such as inflating costs to a different year or splitting costs between multiple years in the financial model.

Attachment 5 – Past Performance Questionnaire: There are unclear references in the Past Performance submission requirement that allude to “up to five”, “five”, etc. (excerpts from Attachment 5 included below). Past Performance Questionnaires are required. Could the Service please verify the actual number of Past Performance Questionnaires that are required to ensure compliance with this submission requirement? Also, in light of the Service recommending that the consultant “forward as many questionnaires to their customers/clients”, how will the Service credit questionnaires against the requirement? On a first come/received basis? Other? How can the consultant ensure that the best/most diversified pool of completed Past Performance Questionnaires be counted against this requirement?

RESPONSE: The NPS will review up to five returned past performance questionnaires. If the NPS receives more than five, the NPS will review the first five received based on the time the email was received. If the offeror sends out five questionnaires, and none are returned timely to the NPS, the lack of a relevant performance record will result in a neutral performance risk assessment, which will neither be used to the advantage or disadvantage of the offeror.

Does the subject solicitation require the submission of Representations and Certifications”, or if the consultant completed such as part of the requirement to establish SAM’s, is that sufficient?

RESPONSE: Please submit Representations and Certifications.

The solicitation requires the consultant to provide a “Fax number”. The consultant uses a scan and e-mail technology and does not have a fax number. Can the Service please verify that a fax number is required to be contract compliant?

RESPONSE: A fax number is NOT required.

Example Task Order – Wonderfalls National Park, Page 26, Paragraph C, Scenario Analysis, Sub paragraph ii) Consultant- Recommended Scenarios: Can the Service please provide some additional detail on how many scenarios the consultant should assume it is analyzing in the development of the Sample Task Order (TO) pricing template? Of what complexity should the consultant assume relative to these consultant recommended scenarios in developing their Level of Effort (LOE) estimate to complete the analysis of these scenarios (complex, moderately complex, simple)?

RESPONSE: The consultant should assume up to two consultant recommended scenarios of moderate complexity, such as changes in required services, renovations to a facility, or expanding hours of operation.

Example Task Order – Wonderfalls National Park, Page 32 - 33, Alternative 6, 6A, and 6B, Prospectus Development: The Sample TO appears to be for a Cat. 1 Contract. Can the Service indicate what the scope of services would be for the Cat, 2 and Cat. 3 contracts are relative to the abbreviated prospectus documents they are required to produce and the associated LOE to address both?

RESPONSE: The Sample TO is for a Category 1 contract (see page 2) and assumes that the consultant will be developing most prospectus documents (Alternative 6A), which includes the Business Opportunity, Proposal Package PSF4 Excel Forms, Proposal Package, Exhibit B- Operating Plan, Exhibit D – Assigned Land and Real Property Improvements, Exhibit E- Assigned Government Personal Property, Exhibit H- Maintenance Plan, and Appendices.

Required documents for Category II and III contracts can be found on the table on pages 32- 33, however the consultant does not need to include these in the quote for the Example Task Order.

Example Task Order – Wonderfalls National Park, Page 35, Additional Scenario Analysis (Optional):

Could the Service please quantify the number of additional scenarios the consultant should assume as part of this requirement? Could the Service also articulate the level of complexity the consultant should assume in analyzing these additional scenarios (complex, moderately complex, simple)?

RESPONSE: The consultant should assume one additional scenario of moderate complexity, such as such as a change to required services, renovations to a facility, or expanding hours of operation.

Example Task Order – Wonderfalls National Park, Page 36, Task 10A (Optional): Can the Service please confirm that the consultant should also assume 8 hours per day for this requirement? Can the Service quantify how many days the consultant will be on site presenting these scenarios?

RESPONSE: The consultant should expect to spend one day (8 hours) on site for the additional scenario meeting.

Price Schedule, Example Task Order Tab: Can the Service please verify that the Labor Category Titles can be modified to reflect its staffing structure?

RESPONSE: Labor category mapping (titles) for Labor Categories 1-12 on the IDIQ Price Schedule are considered mandatory but additional clarification or description columns may be added to the spreadsheet in order to ensure they map to appropriate vendor labor distribution plans.

Price Schedule, Example Task Order Tab: The example TO Pricing Schedule lists all tasks that could be activated as part of a TO award. Should the consultant assume that all “Optional” Tasks have been awarded when filling this schedule out?

RESPONSE: Yes, the consultant should assume all optional tasks are awarded on the price schedule.

Price Schedule, Example Task Order Tab: Can the Service please verify where the consultant should represent site visit hours i.e. Task 1 or as an example for the personal property SME in Task 4?

RESPONSE: The consultant should represent site visit hours in each task as needed to account for the individuals attending the site visit and what tasks they are performing. For example, Key Personnel performing Task 1 tasks (kickoff meeting, interviews, visiting competitive and comparable facilities, etc.) should have site visit hours accounted for in Task 1 and personal property SMEs performing Task 4 tasks should have site visit hours accounted for in Task 4.

Price Schedule, IDIQ Tab: Can the Service please articulate what assumption the consultant should make when reflecting annual labor structures and associated hours on what the portfolio of jobs would be? All complex Cat. 1 contracts? 33% Cat. 1, 2 & 3? How many annual jobs should the consultant assume they are awarded?

RESPONSE: Please see the revised Price Schedule “IDIQ” tab, which requires the consultant to propose only their rates for each labor category per year.