Questions_and_Answers_0001.pdf

Solicitation No. 140R3021R0027 Amendment 0001

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The following responses are provided to question submitted in response to this solicitation:

1. Question: Solicitation Page E-6, Section (6), Project Experience – In documenting project experience overall, are may offerors include relevant projects that are older than last 5 years? Our interpretation of this section is that offerors must demonstrate the projects that “significant key personnel have performed within the last 5 years.” But outside of the page limit, we don’t see any requirement limiting the list of projects documenting experience to those from the last 5 years, as is the requirement for the past performance section.

Answer: Per instructions, projects must be within the last 5 years. There is no limitation as to how many projects you list, however they have to be within the last 5 years and within the page limitation.

2. Question: Solicitation Page E-6, Section (6), Past Performance – Is it required that offerors include the full project details for past performance projects if they are also listed under project experience, or is it enough to include summary detail and contact information for the reference?

Answer: If the projects for past performance are the same as those listed under project experience, you may include a summary detail and contact information.

3. Question: Page C-11(j) – CPARS – For past contracts reviewed in CPARS, do offerors need to also request PPQ from reference?

Answer. Offerors do not need to obtain a PPQ from a reference that has completed a CPAR evaluation, however the offeror must ensure that the proper information is provided for that reference in order to confirm the CPAR evaluation exists.

4. Question: Solicitation Page B-2/E-8 & Attachment 1 – PWS, page 5, Personnel – We note that the table on solicitation page B-2, the list of key personnel on page E-8 (paragraph 3), and the list of key staff in the PWS page 5, are not consistent. For example, the Project/Contract Coordinator position is listed on page E-8 but is absent the table on B-2 and in the PWS. In other instances, positions are listed as key in one location, and non-key in another. Is permissible in our response to provide the list of personnel we believe most effectively covers the anticipated responsibilities of the task?

This will mean editing/adding positions to the table on B-2.

Answer: The table on B-2 may be edited to include labor categories that the Offeror feels necessary to accomplish the requirement described in the PWS. Page B-2 is being replaced within this amendment.

5. Question: Is this a new requirement or a re-compete of an existing requirement? If the latter, who is the incumbent? If this is a new requirement for the acquisition of services, what organization (within USBR or other government agencies) has been performing the activities under the scope of work in this solicitation.

Answer: This solicitation is a re-compete. The incumbent contractor is Sound Science

LLC.

6. Question: Solicitation Page B-2, Table -

a. The offeror is required to complete and submit a completed rate sheet for the specified labor categories. The table includes the specific periods that start on September 1 of each year. While the start of the annual period may get delayed, it is assumed that the start of each period would not be delayed beyond September 30th of each year when the FY ends. Please clarify.

Answer: This solicitation will result in one Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity type contract with a 5 year ordering period starting on or about September 1, 2021.

b. All labor categories include a certain “level” in boldface (e.g., Biologist, Level IV, Tech Editor, Level II). Is the “level” designation specific to USBR or other organizations and agencies currently supporting the effort and what do they mean?

Please clarify.

Answer: Conducting market research using GSA Federal Supply Schedules, provided labor categories, level of education, and experience level designations which assisted in determining the level of experience necessary to complete the work contained within this solicitation.

7. Question: Solicitation Part B, Page B-2, Section B.5 – The not-to-exceed dollar value for the 5-year performance is stated at $2,000,00.00. We assume the correct amount is $2,000,000.00 (a missing zero) as stated correctly elsewhere.

Answer: The correct amount is $2,000,000.00. Page B-2 is being replaced within this amendment.

8. Question: Solicitation Part B, Page B-2, Section B.5 – The not-to-exceed dollar value for the 5-year performance is stated at $2,000,00.00. We assume the correct amount is $2,000,000.00 (a missing zero) as stated correctly elsewhere.

Answer: The correct amount is $2,000,000.00. See attached revised Page B-2.

9. Question: Solicitation Page C-3, Items (a) and (b) – Does the government intend to have one COR assigned for the entire contact or one for each Task Order? Please clarify.

Answer: A COR will be designated for the overall administration of the IDIQ and individual COR’s will be designated at the task order level. See Page B-4.

10. Question: Solicitation Page E-8, first full paragraph – It is stated that “Offerors are required to submit a team plan to include a list of key personnel for their proposed project team along with individual experience, qualification, education and background;

as well as a work plan to discuss how each key personnel will contribute to the success of the project” [emphasis added].

a. Project Team. One may assume that there is only one project team since the scope of work under this solicitation is for one project. Alternatively, one may assume that a project team should be proposed for Multispecies Conservation Program and a separate one for Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. Please clarify.

Answer: The government will evaluate the Offerors proposal/list of key personnel which have the current knowledge, skills, and abilities, including licenses and other professional credentials (e.g., PhD, MS), commensurate with the scope and complexity of the work presented in this solicitation. The government requires one project team for one IDIQ contract with a complete list of key personnel to cover all aspects of the solicitation.

b. Work Plan. Based on our experience supporting several Federal agencies, the development of a Work Plan is part of the post-award activities once the selected contractor has the opportunity to interact with the government’s technical staff and fully understand the required activities and schedule constraints. It appears that the Work Plan referenced in the solicitation is limited in scope to a document that demonstrates the offeror’s general understanding of the requirements. Please clarify.

Answer: The government requests a work plan to be prepared that will discuss how key personnel will contribute to the success of the project. The Offeror is required to submit a complete and detailed description of the approach their key personnel will use to function individually and collectively to respond and complete the work in the Performance Work Statement.

11. Question: Solicitation Page E-8, first full paragraph – It is stated that “Offerors are required to submit a team plan … as well as a work plan ….” Do these documents count toward the 35-page limit of the Technical Proposal or are they attachments and additions to the 35-page submittal.

Answer: The government requests a team plan that discusses the key personnel and the work plan that discusses how these key personnel will contribute to the success of the project. These documents (team and work plans) are included within the attachments, appendices and enclosures which together count toward the 36 page limit.

12. Question: Solicitation Page E-7, Item (f) – The section establishes a limit of 35-pages for the Technical proposal and provides a list of specific requirements, including the requirement for a table of content as well as lists of enclosures, figures, tables, etc.

Please clarify whether the 35-page limit includes the cover page, the table of contents, blank pages, or the list of tables and figures or they are not counted toward the page limit.

Answer: The government established a limit of 35 pages for the Technical Proposal.

The table of contents, cover, page, blank pages or lists of enclosures, figures, and tables will not be counted toward the page limit. However, the actual pages with the enclosures, individual figures and tables will count toward the page limit.

13. Question: Solicitation Page E-9, Item (f)(7) – It is stated that the “Offeror is required to submit a complete and detailed description of the technical approach to be taken to complete the work required in the solicitation.” Is this considered the Work Plan document?

Answer: The government requires the Offeror to submit “work plan” which list the key personnel and their experience, roles necessary to complete the work in this solicitation while the “technical approach” is the Offeror’s description of how the tasks listed in the Performance Work Statement will be accomplished and roles of the key personnel for each task.

14. Question: Solicitation Page E-11 – Evaluation Factor. In the first full paragraph, it is stated that the “… technical proposal shall clearly demonstrate company’s previous experience, field knowledge…” Please clarify what is meant by “field knowledge”. Does the government expect the offers to have performed work on this specific scope of work (Lower Colorado Basin, Multi-Species Conservation Program and Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program), the specific region of the country, or any parts of the united states?

Answer: The government requests Offerors to clearly demonstrate their previous work experience and field knowledge of the task described in the PWS. The Offeror can describe their general knowledge with completing tasks that align with the PWS however, specific regional experience may be viewed as more beneficial than generalized/similarly relevant projects.

15. Question: Solicitation Page E-8, First Full paragraph – It is stated that “Team must demonstrate knowledge and experience in …field collection…” [emphasis added]. Also, the table on Page B-2 requires that a “Laborer/Field Technician – Level II” be provided. It appears that the scope of work requires fieldwork. If that is the case, please provide an estimate for the level of effort for fieldwork.

Answer: Majority of field surveys will be done by the government and the Offeror’s role will be to assimilate existing research data.

16. Question: Solicitation Page E-11, Factor 2, Technical Approach – The Evaluation

Factor, which continues on Page E-12, indicates that it is important to the government that the contractor has the “necessary expertise, knowledge, equipment and experience to perform…” [emphasis added. The scope of work does not require any specialized equipment other than typical office hardware and software to perform the contract since there are little to no field activities to collect samples, etc. Please clarify and provide a description of specific field activities that may require specialized equipment and instrumentation.

Answer: The government will conduct a majority of the field surveys however, the task which describes Adaptive Management may require expertise, knowledge, and equipment to conduct aerial and/or ground surveys. If the Offeror does not possess equipment to meet this task, the Offeror should possess the knowledge on how to acquire the necessary equipment to meet the requirement.

17. Question: Attachment 1, Pages 2 and 3, Scientific Peer Review and Scientific

Information Synthesis - Are the tasks described in this section (especially items c, d, e, and f), primarily intended to support peer review and evaluation of already developed scientific and NEPA documents (e.g., Biological Assessments, habitat conservation plans, species recovery plans, or similar documents) or are they intended to help in the actual development of those kinds of documents. Considering the limited level of funding for this contract the scope likely is focusing on conducting peer review of documents and information provided by others. Please clarify.

Answer: The government requires the Offeror to posses a level of knowledge to serve as peer reviewer and evaluation of scientific data and reporting. The programs compliance NEPA documents have been finalized and the Offeror’s knowledge as to how these documents feed into the project as necessary, but the Offeror is not expected to generate these regulatory documents.

18. Question: Attachment 4, Subcontracting Percentage Worksheet for Commercial item

Acquisitions - The form should be completed to demonstrate that more than 50% of the contract amount will be allocated to Small Business. Is it correct to assume the following:

(1) the subcontracting ratio will not be used in the evaluation and award of the contract; it is primarily intended to demonstrate compliance with the 50+% requirement for SBs, and

(2) consultants hired by the Small Business prime contractor are part of the SB and are not considered to be subcontractors. Please clarify.

Answer: Please refer to FAR Clause 52.219-14 Limitation on Subcontracting. You can find the clause at https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52.

19. Question: Can the government provide an estimate for the anticipated level of travel?

Answer: Should travel be required, it will be detailed in the performance work statement for that particular task order. Generally, it can be approximately 1 week of travel for potentially three people.

20. Question: We respectfully request the government to consider extending the proposal due date by an additional 14 days to allow time for receipt and evaluation of responses to the questions?

Answer: Proposal due date will not be extended. Award must be made on or about September 1, 2021.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52