140R3026Q0064_Questions_and_Answers_0001.pdf

140R3026Q0064 Amendment 01

140R3026Q0064 Questions and Answers:

Question 1: Is there any incumbent/recompete or this is a brand-new project? If yes, could you please provide us with their award number or even if the customer bought similar services in the past.

Answer 1: This is a brand new project.

Question 2: We would like to know if this is a brand new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services. If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number?

Answer 2: This is a brand new contract.

Question 3: The instructors for this training do they have to be a part of the ACDE or can they be a dive instructor from a different training background such as US Navy (USN) Divers from a DoD certified dive school?

Answer 3: Yes, the dive instructor can be a former USN dive instructor or Army dive instructor.

Question 4: Upon completion of training the diver will be classified as “Reclamation Divers”, but states that “underwater inspection techniques and procedures will be trained through other means” What other means?

Answer 4: Reclamation divers will complete the National Highway Institute (NHI) Underwater bridge inspection training. Inspection techniques for dams and other water delivery structures will be instructed in house.

Question 5: To be considered for training you must have an open water certification through either NAUI or PADI, our Navy Master Divers possess accreditations that are on par or exceed these certifications would that be acceptable as a hiring requirement?

Answer 5: This consideration applies to new Reclamation dive team members. If the Reclamation employee already poses a commercial dive certification from a commercial dive school, Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) card or Department of Defense (DOD) dive training certification (Army or Navy) then this training is not required.

Question 6: Having some classroom portion be availabe through “distance learning” will be difficult due to the nature of the tasks, will travel be included in this effort? If so, will classroom and hands on be in the same locations?

Answer 6: Classroom and hands on will be in the same location, based out of Boulder City NV or Boise ID based on the task order training location. Refence Attachment 1 - Performance Work Statement Section 1.02 (1) and (2)

Question 7: Who will be the certified personnel to maintenance the Diving Life Support equipment?

Answer 7: The dive team lead for each team.

Question 8: What is the Recompression Chamber considerations for the training areas? Are there local hospitals that have chambers and will they accept patients with dive related illnesses during training? For deeper water training, are there chambers located nearby those lakes?

Answer 8: There are local hospitals that accept dive-related illnesses. For Boulder City NV location as well as the Lake Mead location, closest chamber is at Valley Hospital – Las Vegas

NV.

Question 9: Will there be a BOR POC to work with on developing the curriculum?

Answer 9: Yes. The Government will designate a Bureau of Reclamation Point of Contact (POC) to coordinate with the Contractor during development of the training program. However, the Contractor remains responsible for developing the training program and all associated deliverables required under the contract.

Question 10: Is the stated $300,000 maximum value intended to represent:

- The maximum value of the entire IDIQ contract (inclusive of all task orders and option periods);

- The maximum value of any individual task order issued under the IDIQ;

- The estimated value of the initial Seed Task Order only; or

- Another contract ceiling methodology?

Answer 10: The amount has been changed from $300,000 to $325,000 per amendment 0001.

The $325,000 amount represents the maximum cumulative value of the entire IDIQ contract, including the Seed Task Order and all future task orders issued during the ordering period. It is not the maximum value of an individual task order. Individual task order values will vary based on the Government's needs and available funding at the time of issuance.

Question 11: Can you please clarify the Governments places of performance. Locations are referenced however will other locations be accepted, or must the training occur at the locations specified?

Answer 11: The Government's preferred locations are Reclamation facilities in Boulder City, Nevada, and Boise, Idaho, as identified in Attachment 1 - Performance Work Statement Section

1.02 (1) and (2). A. However, contractors may propose alternate training locations provided the facilities and resources are suitable to meet the requirements of the training. The Government will evaluate proposed locations for adequacy and overall benefit to the Government. If proposing a different location, please include location in Attachment 2 - Price Schedule

Question 12: The solicitation identifies multiple training and support CLINs that could reasonably exceed $300,000 over the contemplated ordering period. If the $300,000 figure represents the total IDIQ ceiling, please confirm how the Government anticipates utilizing the additional CLINs identified in the Price Schedule throughout the contract ordering period.

Answer 12: The amount has been changed from $300,000 to $325,000 per amendment 0001. The $325,000 amount represents the total IDIQ contract ceiling and is not an estimate of all potential CLIN quantities being ordered. The CLINs are included to establish pricing for the various types of services that may be required throughout the ordering period, including training program development, commercial dive training, and dive program audit support. Actual task orders, quantities, and funding will be determined based on the Government's needs during contract performance. The inclusion of a CLIN in the Price Schedule does not guarantee that any minimum quantity, other than the contract minimum guarantee, will be ordered.

Question 13: Page 2 of "Part B – CONTINUATION OF BLOCKS FROM SF- 1449" Section B.11 " Task Order Procedures" : For pricing and planning purposes, is there any historical information available regarding training frequency, participant counts, or dive program audit activity that can be shared?

Answer 13: This is a new requirement. Therefore, the Government does not have historical ordering data for training frequency, participant counts, or dive program audit activity under a similar contract vehicle. Quoters should rely on the information provided in the request for quote, including the Performance Work Statement, for pricing and planning purposes. Future task order quantities and frequency will be dependent upon the Government's operational needs and available funding.

Question 14: Can the Bureau provide any historical information regarding typical lead time between the task order being issued and the start of a training event?

Answer 14: No. This is a new requirement, and the Government does not have historical data regarding the typical lead time between task order issuance and the start of a training event.

Lead times will vary based on the scope of the task order, training location, participant availability, and Government requirements. Specific performance schedules and required completion dates will be identified in individual task orders.

Question 15: Attachment 3 "Dive Training Development" page 3 describes three courses:

Inspection Diver (entry level), Working Diver (advanced), and Dive Supervisor. The pricing schedule has two training CLINs, "Initial" (020) and "Experienced."(030) Can the Bureau confirm that Initial maps to Inspection Diver and Experienced maps to Working Diver? Where does the Dive Supervisor course fall? Is it expected to be included within CLINs 020 and 030 since the PWS says it can run concurrently, or should it be priced separately through CLIN 070?

Answer 15: Inspection Diver is the initial course; Working Diver is for experienced divers.

The intent of allowing the Dive Supervisor course to run concurrently was to allow prospective dive supervisors to be able to work with other divers that are going through lower level courses as part of their training.

Question 16: Page 2 of attachment 3 "Dive Training Development" section 1.03 (A) (2)(c) calls for distance learning delivery and CLEP-style test-out options for classroom portions. Is this a firm requirement for the initial training development deliverable, or is it a desired capability that could be phased in after the core curriculum is established?

Answer 16: It is a desired capability.

Question 17: Attachment 1 "Commercial Dive Training" Page 8 section 9 "Government- Furnished Resources": What equipment beyond what is listed does the Bureau anticipate the contractor providing? Specifically, are there any dive equipment, tools, or training aids not currently available at the government locations that the contractor should plan to supply?

Answer 17: The Government has all dive equipment and tools required to run three concurrent surface supplied air (SSA) stations. It is not currently anticipated that the contractor will be required to supply any dive equipment or tools for Government use.

Question 18: Is there additional training gear that needs to be priced out? Additional training gear is mentioned in 1.07B of the PWS. Are there things that we will need to provide that the government is not?

Answer 18: See response to question 17 above.

Question 19: Are there any additional furnishments needed? Para 9 of the PWS lists the government included furnishments, do we need to price anything additional? Are there things that we will need to provide that the government is not?

Answer 19: See response to question 17 above.

Question 20: Regarding the instructors, will they be living at the sites or how will they be housed? Is this a full-time instruction class or only on a case-by-case basis? Meaning, will we need to include all travel/lodging/per diem for this? And if so, how long are we expecting these courses to be? The pricing schedule only incudes Boulder City, NV and Boise, ID. It does not ask for Denver, CO.

Answer 20: Instructors will only be on site on a case-by-case basis. The duration of the class will be determined by the length of instruction for the classes developed as part of this requirement.

Classes would only be held in Boise ID or Boulder City NV. There is no requirement for classes to be held in Denver CO.

Question 21: What is a “LS” unit of measure?

Answer 21: Lump Sum

Question 22: What is the time frame for the Dive Training Program Development?

Answer 22: Projecting 180 day POP from task order award. Reference Attachment 3 – Seed Task Order Performance Work Statement Section 1.06.

Question 23: Are we programing this course around man hours in terms of charging time? Or Salary based?

Answer 23: Fully burdened hourly rate for instructors.

Question 24: Will the Dive Training Program Development and initial course be on the same

TO?

Answer 24: No, initial task order will just be the program development. Initial course will be a separate task order.

Question 25: Clin 060 is additional personnel based on the addition of 5 more students or is this more support on anything over the 1:5/ 1:20 ratio?

Answer 25: This would be more for support on anything over the standard ratio.

Question 26: Clin 040 and 050 for the program audit, will this require additional personnel? If so what type?

Answer 26: The intent was for one lead instructor to go to the host dive team and review the program and in-house training.

Question 27: For the biannual dive training audit events and continuous field training evolutions occurring across Boulder City, NV, Denver, CO, and Boise, ID, will the Government reimburse instructor travel, lodging, rental vehicle, and per diem expenses as separate reimbursable costs in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), or must all travel-related costs be fully burdened into the contractor's fixed training rates?

Answer 27: All costs are to be fully burdened into the contractor's fixed training rate.

Question 28: The PWS establishes a maximum class size of 20 students and directs the Contractor to determine the minimum class size. If the Contractor establishes a fixed minimum class size to ensure operational and financial viability, will the Government guarantee payment for that minimum threshold per scheduled class event, even if fewer agency personnel attend the active evolution?

Answer 28: That is the intent. The base cost would be paid for the first 5 students regardless of the amount that are able to attend.

Question 29: The PWS states that the hands-on training portion of the class must be given in one continuous training evolution. To aid the contractor in preparing competitive pricing and instructor scheduling, can the Government provide the anticipated or historical duration of these field training evolutions in consecutive business or calendar days?

Answer 29: T The Government does not have historical data regarding the duration of the hands-on training evolutions, as this is a new requirement. Offerors should develop their proposed training approach, schedule, and staffing based on the requirements of the Performance Work

Statement and their professional experience delivering commercial dive training programs. The requirement that the hands-on training be conducted as one continuous training evolution is intended to ensure continuity of instruction and practical application of skills. The specific duration of the training evolution will be dependent on the contractor's proposed training program and the Government's approval of the resulting curriculum.

Question 30: Will the Government provide the learning management system (LMS) platform infrastructure (e.g., DOI Talent), or is the Contractor required to host, develop, and deliver the distance learning modules on a contractor-managed platform?

Answer 30: DOI talent is the system of record for training completion tracking. Contractor developed course materials may be hosted and delivered on DOI Talent or other available Government systems as long as developed training materials meet system compatibility and testing requirements.

Question 31: The PWS states that diving inspections may occur at elevations up to 10,000 feet above sea level and must utilize US Navy tables and altitude correction tables. Will the Government allow the curriculum to incorporate alternative high-altitude dive tables, approved decompression methodologies, or dive computer-based algorithms when conducting training for operations performed near the upper limits of the stated elevation range?

Answer 31: Intent is to dive the Navy Altitude tables. Additional information for knowledge purposes can be included.

Question 32: The PWS states that entering students may possess only an Open Water certification from a recreational training agency such as PADI or NAUI. Will the Government clarify whether the contractor-developed entry-level course is intended to bridge recreationally trained divers to the knowledge, skills, and operational competencies necessary to perform Reclamation diving operations in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T and Reclamation diving program requirements, or if additional post-course qualification requirements will be administered by the Government?

Answer 32: The contractor developed entry level course is intended to train Reclamation divers to the requirements of OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T and Reclamation diving program requirements.

Question 33: The Government is providing Kirby Morgan SuperLite and BandMask helmets for training stations. Will the Contractor be responsible only for routine operational inspections and cleaning, or will the Contractor also assume responsibility for maintenance, repairs, certification, and long-term serviceability of Government-furnished diving equipment?

Answer 33: Only routine operations inspection and cleaning. Government will retain responsibility for Government furnished diving equipment. PWS updated to refelct this.

Question 34: Given that the hands-on training evolutions involve active surface-supplied and SCUBA operations from both vessels and shore facilities on federal properties, will standard Commercial General Liability insurance satisfy this requirement, or must the Contractor additionally maintain Marine Liability, Maritime Employers Liability (MEL), Jones Act, or other specialized maritime insurance coverage?

Answer 34: The request for quote requires the insurance coverage specified in FAR 52.228-5, Insurance—Work on a Government Installation, and DIAR 1452.228-70, Liability Insurance— Department of the Interior. At a minimum, contractors shall maintain the insurance required by those clauses. Reference Attachment 140R3026Q0064 page 7 and page 9.

The Government does not currently require specific marine or maritime insurance coverage under this request for quote. Quoters are responsible for determining whether additional insurance coverage, such as Marine Liability, Maritime Employers Liability (MEL), Jones Act coverage, or other specialized insurance, is necessary based on their proposed means and methods of performance and applicable laws and regulations.

Question 35: The solicitation states that contract employees must receive a Government-issued PIV card, temporary ID, or visitor badge prior to gaining unescorted facility access. What is the anticipated processing timeline for contractor personnel requiring credentials, and will temporary access credentials be available during onboarding to prevent delays in performance?

Answer 35: It is the intent not to have to issue PIV cards to contractors. Contractors Will not be given unescorted access to Government facilities. Contractor will be escorted with a visitor badge.

Question 36: The PWS states that the Contractor's Project Manager or inspection team lead must complete facility-specific HECP training and pass the associated examination prior to the commencement of work. Will this training be made available immediately following contract award to support timely mobilization and compliance with the initial task order schedule?

Answer 36: This is only a requirement if the training course requires us to work under Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and Hazardous Energy Control Program (HECP) clearance conditions. If this is required during the course of training, this training can be made available.

Question 37: The solicitation identifies certain Government-furnished diving equipment and facilities. Will BOR provide all diving equipment required for student participation during classroom and field training evolutions, including exposure protection, SCUBA systems, surface-supplied equipment, bailout cylinders, communications equipment, and personal protective equipment, or is the Contractor expected to furnish any portion of the student training equipment inventory? If contractor-furnished equipment is required, please identify the anticipated categories of equipment to be provided by the Contractor.

Answer 37: The Government will provide all diving equipment required for student participation.