FARMS_Questions_ _Answers.xls
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- Solicitation number
- 14-223-SOL-00003
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FARMS responses
| # | Documents | Section | Page # and/or Paragraph | RFP Questions | FDA Responses |
| 1 | General | N/A | N/A | Could you please provide the estimated number of task orders for the contract life cycle? | Unknown |
| 2 | General | N/A | N/A | How many vendors will be selected for this IDIQ contract? | This is a single award IDIQ contract, therefore, one vendor will be selected as the awardee. |
| 3 | General | N/A | N/A | What version of Adobe LiveCycle Forms is currently used in FARM system? | Please refer to pages 2 and 3 in Attachment 1 IDIQ SOW for details. |
| 4 | General | N/A | N/A | What operating systems (i.e. Solaris Unix, Red Hat Linux and/or Windows) are used in the data center(s) hosting FARM system? | Please refer to Attachment 6 - Task Mapping Matrix and Appendix C- CFSAN Systems and Tools for details |
| 5 | Solicitation | Section 27.2 | 31 | The pricing information indicates that Task Order 1 shall be priced as Firm Fixed Price but Attachment 4, TO Pricing Sheet indicates a combination FFP and LH. Please confirm the Task Order should be priced as a combination FFP and LH | The tasks for Task Order 1- Project Management and Operations & Maintenance - are FFP. The optional task - Transition-In task is LH. The Transition-Out task has been deleted. |
| 6 | Solicitation | Section 27.2, Table 1 | 31 | The sample pricing given in Table 1 in the RFP does not agree to the format of Attachment 4, TO Pricing Sheet. The price sheets in Attachment 4 include fully burdened hourly rates for both government and contractor sites. Please confirm which fully burdened rates we should be using - government site or contractor site. | Table 1, in Section 27.2 of the solicitation is for illustration purposes only. Please complete Attachment 4, as formatted, providing both government site rates and contractor site rates. |
| 7 | Solicitation | Attachment 4-TO Pricing Sheet | The SOW References noted in Attachment 4 refer to the IDIQ SOW. Please confirm that the SOW Reference in Attachment 4 should be to the SOW for Task Order 1. | The SOW references in Attachment 4 has been corrected to correspond with the SOW references within the Task Order SOW | |
| 8 | Solicitation | Section 24 | 26 | The instructions state that the proposal "must be received by the CS no later than 10:00 AM ET on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 2:00 PM." Please clarify whether the proposal is due at 10 AM or 2 PM on 1/21/14. | The proposal due date is Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 2:00pm. |
| 9 | Solicitation | Section 25 | 27 | Regarding text sizes for the technical response, the RFP only refers to the required size for graphics, charts and tables. Can you please confirm the required text size for the technical proposal. | The text for the entire proposal shall be no smaller that 9-point Arial Narrow. |
| 10 | Solicitation | Section 26, Staffing Plan | 28 | This section indicates that the instruction for completing the Task Mapping Matrix are located in the instructions tab of the spreadsheet. There is no such tab. Can you please provide the instructions for completing the matrix. | The Task Mapping Matrix Instructions are provided as Attachment 8. |
| 11 | Appendix A, Scenario #1 | FARM Oracle Migration | 1 | In the opening paragraph there is a reference to Exhibit 1, FARM Features. I could not locate that Exhibit in the documents provided by the government. Could you please provide a copy of Exhibit 1. | Please refer to Attachment1- IDIQ SOW, Page 2, Exhibit 1-FARM features |
| 12 | Appendix A, Scenario #1 | FARM Oracle Migration | 1 | Is the plan requested by FDA in the second bullet of the requirements excluded from the page count? | The plan should be included in the page count. |
| 13 | Attachment 2 - Task Order 1 SOW | Section 2.3.2 TOMP | 4 | Section 2.3.2 indicates that the TOMP shall be delivered within 30 days of award but in Section 3 (page 13) Deliverables, the due date for the TOMP is 15 days after contract award. Please clarify whether the TOMP is due 15 or 30 days after award. | The draft Task Order Management Plan is due 15 days after contract award. The final Task Order Management Plan is due 30 days after award. |
| 14 | Attachment 2 - Task Order 1 SOW | Section 7, Period of Performance | 14 | The period of performance is shown as one year from the date of award but Attachment 4 TO Pricing Sheet reflects a base year plus 4 option periods. Please confirm the PoP for the task order. | Task Order #1 period of performance is twelve months from the date of award. |
| 15 | RFP Sub Factor 1, Task Order 1 | Draft Project Management Plan;TO SOW O&M section 2.3.2; IDIQ SOW Section 8.2 | 28;4;6 | Each section referenced asks for a Project Management Plan or Task Order Management Plan. Does the request refer to a TOMP/PMP that is equivalent to a PMP or is the deliverable a MS Project schedule for the Task Order/IDIQ? | A Project Management Plan is different fom an MS-Project schedule. Please demonstrate your experience with managing this Task Order#1. |
| 16 | RFP Sub Factor 1, Task Order 1 | Draft Project Management Plan and Work Breakdown Structure | 28 | Is this a request for a traditional WBS that is used to initiate the planning effort and is often presented as a hierarchy of either deliverables or activities, or do you mean an MS Project schedule? | Please see Page 28, Section Sub-Factor 1, Draft Project Management Plan and Work Breakdown Structure for details. |
| 17 | Appendix B, Scenario #2 | Data Normalization and New Searching Scenario | 1 | Is the plan/schedule requested by FDA in the second bullet of the requirements excluded from the page count? | The plan should be included in the page count. |
| 18 | General | N/A | N/A | What is the current breakdown of task areas 1-6 and the Level of Effort (LOE) of the present or current incumbent? Also, what has been the current dollar value(s) for the past 5 years? | The Task Areas in the IDIQ identify potential future areas of work. FDA may issue future task orders against those task areas, as needed. |
Those Task Areas have no past dollar value.
| 19 | General | N/A | N/A | Does the FY 2012 labor breakdown/LOE in the SOW reflect FY 2013 current staffing levels? If not, what has changed? | The SOW for Task Order #1 has its own requirements and requires its own Level Of Effort. |
| 20 | General | N/A | N/A | How many key personnel will be needed to perform the listed tasks in the RFP? Are additional resumes for non-key staff required? If so, should these resumes be included? | Please see Section 4, on Page 14 of 17 of Attachment 2 -Task Order 1 SOW.pdf. |
Please see page 28 of 46 in the solicitation for non-key personnel.
Please propose your key personnel and non-key personnel, and their respective resumes.
| 21 | General | N/A | N/A | Should the project manager role be more focused on database expertise or application development? Or should his/her qualifications be more broad (in terms of expertise) and client-focused (i.e., the ability to interface with FDA clients and contracting staff)? | The project manager should demonstrate sufficient proficiency in database and application development to manage this project. The project manager should demonstrate familiarity with the FDA IT Governance and EPLC processes, the willingness and ability to strictly follow these standards, to engage effectively with all of the FDA critical partners on an on-going basis thorughout the project. The project manager must be able to effectively interface and communicate with all FDA stakeholders and contracting staff. |
| 22 | General | N/A | N/A | How many roles will be required or needed to be on-site (versus the contractor’s site)? | The work is expected to be performed on-site. |
| 23 | General | N/A | N/A | How much time is allotted for transition upon start of the contract? | Typical the "Transition In" is typically up to one month. |
The "Transition Out" is typically up to one month. The start date will be confirmed by FDA. The delivery of the Transition In & of the Transition Out plans will be confirmed upon award.
| 24 | Solicitation | 4 | The RFP mentions that two (2) constraints apply to the period of performance for task orders. What is the second constraint that applies to the task orders? | The soliciation has been corrected to read that only one constraint is applicable to the period of performance. | |
| 25 | Solicitation | Page Limit Table | 27 | In the page limit table, the RFP states that resumes are included in the total page count and that there is a 3-page limit for key personnel. Does this requirement (3-page limit per resume) apply to both key personnel and non-key personnel included in the Offeror response? | The three (3) page limit for resumes only applies to Key personnel. As stated in the table on page 27 of the soliciation, resumes are not included in the total page count. |
| 26 | Solicitation | Staffing Plan & Key Personnel | 28 | Under the section on STAFFING PLAN and KEY PERSONNEL, the RFP states that resumes are limited to three (3) pages for non-key personnel. Does this page limit apply only to resumes included for Task 1 or does it also include resumes included for Scenario #1 and Scenario #2? | Please refer to response for Question #25. |
| 27 | Solicitation | Price | 35 | Under the paragraph on “Price”, the RFP states that Offerors shall be evaluated on price as shown in the submitted pricing sheet. Is the reference to attachment 5 correct or should this state Attachment 3 (IDIQ Pricing Sheet)”? | In section 35.2 "Price" within the solicitation, reference to Attachment 5 has been corrected to read as Attachment 3. |
| 28 | Attachment 2 - Task Order 1 SOW | Database Administration Support | 8 | Under section 2.4.3 (Database Administration Support), what is the typical schedule and frequency for database backups of the development, test, pre-production, and production environments for the FARM application? | The Contractor Hosted Data Center (CHDC) and White Oak Data Center (WODC) manage those backups. |
| 29 | Appendix A, Scenario #1 | FARM Oracle Migration | N/A | What is the typical number of concurrent users accessing the Oracle databases via the FARM application? | Please see Appendix C-CFSAN Systems and Tools for details. |
| 30 | Appendix B, Scenario #2 | Data Normalization and New Searching Scenario | N/A | What is the typical volume of user-issued searches against the Oracle database environment through the FARM application on a daily basis? | Up to 1,000 per day. |
| 31 | Attachment 3 | IDIQ Pricing Sheet | N/A | The overall level-of-effort estimated by the Government for the Base Period is almost 3 times that of Option Period 1, 2, and 3. Does this difference correspond to specific task order projects anticipated by the Government for the Base Period? | Please refer to the Task Order #1 scope, requirements for the Base Period for your proposed solution. |
| 32 | Attachment 7 | Past Performance Questionnaire | N/A | The actual PPQ document (Attachment 7) provides the following instructions: The actual PPQ document (Attachment 7) provides the following instructions: “In order for our team to compile its evaluation, we request that you complete the attached survey form and email it, and any other pertinent information by 5 August 2013 to Danielle Pena at danielle.pena@fda.hhs.gov. “ Can the Government please provide a corrected template with the updated information? | Attachment 7 has been revised and is provided. |
| 33 | Solicitation | Paragraph 25, Page 27 | The RFP provide a list of items not included in the page limit. This list shows that the Past Performance Questionnaire is not included in the page limit. However, the instructions for the Past Performance Questionnaire (Paragraph 28, Page 32 of 46 of the RFP) state, “The offeror shall ensure that all the point of contacts complete and return the questionnaires to the Government prior to the solicitation close date directly to either (physical address): Syntoria L. Spencer, Food and Drug Administration, OAGS, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1071, Rockville, MD 20857; or (email): syntoria.spencer@fda.hh.gov.” Please confirm that the Past Performance Questionnaire is not to be included in the technical proposal but is to be sent directly to the Syntoria L. Spencer at the FDA. | The Past Performance Questionnaire should be sent directly to Syntoria L. Spencer via email or to the physical address listed in the solicitation. | |
| 34 | Attachment 3 Attachment 5 Attachment 7 | There is a lack of correlation between the labor categories reflected in Attachment 6 – “Task Order One-Task Mapping Matrix” and the labor categories provided in both Attachment 5 – “Labor Category Descriptions” and Attachment 3 – “IDIQ Pricing Schedule”. It is our understanding that IDIQ labor rates will be developed using the Attachment 5 descriptions and will be represented in Attachment 3. Those IDIQ categories and rates will then be used to price out Task Order One and other tasks issued under the IDIQ post award. Is that understanding correct? | Yes, the Labor Category Description provides the labor categories and rates required on this IDIQ. . | ||
| 35 | Solicitation | Page 28 of 46 | Page 28 of 46 in the RFP states that the instructions for the Task Mapping Matrix are located in the instruction tab of the worksheet. There is not an “Instruction” tab in the Task Mapping Matrix provided, please provide additional guidance. | Please refer to response for Question #10. | |
| 36 | Solicitation | Pricing Instructions | Paragraph 7 after Table 1; Page 31 of 46 | Page 31 of 46, 27.2 “Pricing Instructions”, Paragraph 7 after Table 1, seems to conflict with “Proposed Labor Rates and Hours” on page 30 of 46. Pricing Instructions states that you may propose $0, supported by corresponding narrative/assumptions where pricing may not be applicable to a specific LOE or propose $0 for LOE activity that may not be applicable after Year 1. This conflicts with guidance under “Proposed Labor Rates and Hours” which states that: “The quantities of labor hours for each labor category shown in the Attachment 3 shall be used by the offeror for computing total labor costs for this solicitation. Please confirm if offerors are to bid to the LOE provided exactly or if there is flexibility, with supporting narrative, to provide a different labor mix and allotment of hours. | Table 1 is for illustrative purposes only. Please propose your LOE in accordance with the attached pricing sheet. |
| 37 | Attachment 3 | IDIQ Pricing | N/A | Within Attachment 3, IDIQ Pricing, are all subcontractors required to complete the attachment as stated, to include break-outs for direct labor, indirect rates, and fee? If yes, then will The Government accept more than one set of Fully Burdened Rates for each pricing submission (one set for the prime plus each subcontractor) given that the internal costs will differ between the prime and their subs? | No, the government will accept only one set of fully burdened rate. Subcontractors are not required to complete Attachment 3. |
| 38 | Solicitation | N/A | N/A | The Solicitation notes that there is a 10-page limit for the Program Management Plan. Are the Table of Contents and Cover for this supplementary PMP excluded from the 10-page limit? | Ten-page limit includes the entire document content. |
| 39 | Attachment 7 | Past Performance Questionnaire | N/A | There are two conflicting POC contact names listed on the Past Performance Questionnaire. One section also states a deadline of August 2013. Would the Government confirm that this is the correct Questionnaire to send to our customers? | Please refer to response for Question #32. |
| 40 | Attachment 6 | Please provide instructions on how to complete Attachment 6, Task Mapping Matrix. Furthermore, should the labor categories in Row 1 of Attachment 6 match the IDIQ Labor categories? Currently, they do not match. | Please see revised Task Mapping Matrix (Attachment 6) | ||
| 41 | Solicitation | Sub Factor 3 | Please clarify the statement under Subfactor 3, “The Offeror shall provide an overall approach to providing the requested IDIQ services. As a part of this narrative, include a “map” between the Offeror’s proposed labor categories and the labor categories provided in the pricing spreadsheet (Attachment 3). The map should demonstrate that the labor categories proposal will encompass all of the technical expertise described in the FDA’s suggest labor categories.” Is the Government asking for a task mapping similar to Attachment 6, which was provided for Task Order 1? | Yes. | |
| 42 | Solicitation | Page 27 | On Page 27 of the Solicitation, it states resumes are limited to three (3) pages. Is this a three page limit per each key personnel? On Page 28, it states that resumes are limited to three (3) pages for non‐key personnel. Please verify if it is three (3) pages for key personnel | Please refer to response in Question #25. | |
| 43 | Solicitation | “Proposed Labor Rates and hours” | Page 30 of 46 Para 27.1 | SF 1449 Continuation sheet [Page 30 of 46] – Para 27.1 –“Proposed Labor Rates and hours” mentions “………, offerors shall ONLY use those labor categories listed in Attachment 6 ‐ FDA IDIQ Labor Category Descriptions‐ when submitting a proposal”. Should the reference in the SOW read as “Attachment 5 – FARM 6 IDIQ - Labor Categories” | The reference in the SOW has been corrected to read…"Attachment 5 - FARM IDIQ Labor Catergory Descriptions..." |
| 44 | IDIQ SOW | Scope of Work | The technical background for the IDIQ scope of work identifies Forms technologies in use with FARM, specifically EMC Input Accel and Adobe Live Cycle. However the scope of work for Task Order 1 does not refer to these technologies or identify any support which would be required. Does Task Order 1 include support for EMC Input Accel and Adobe Live Cycle forms and if so, what is the nature of the support required. | EMC InputAccel production must be maintained and supported. Task Order #1 includes ongoing updates and enhancements to Adobe Forms using Adobe LiveCycle. Please see Appendix C-CFSAN Systems and Tools for details. | |
| 45 | Attachment 2 - Task Order 1 SOW | Scope of Work | "The scope of work for Task Order 1 includes in the Key Personnel an Appian certified developer and database staff. The database work, and Business Objects related work is described in some detail. However, it is not clear what the scope of work is for the Appian developer. Do you envisage creating new Appian applications; if so how many and how complex are they? If not what is the extent of the Appian work to be performed?" | Current FARM workflows are listed in Appendix_C-CFSAN Systems and Tools. These Appian workflows require maintenance and possible upgrade. | |
| 46 | General | N/A | N/A | There is a $25M ceiling placed on this opportunity for a five-year period of performance. Yet, spending over the last 5 years has not exceeded $415k per year. Why the discrepancy? | The ceiling is $25 million. |
| 47 | General | Will this be a multiple award IDIQ? If so, how many awardees are anticipated? | Please refer to response for Question #2. | ||
| 48 | General | N/A | N/A | Please confirm the incumbent contract end date. | The incumbent contract expires February 28, 2014. |
| 49 | General | N/A | N/A | Will the FARM upgrade require the purchase of new Hardware and Software? Will HW/SW costs be captured by government via agency wide BPA or passed to the contractor per task order? | Hardware and software are purchased by the FDA alone. |
| 50 | Is there a page count to proposal? | Yes, 50 pages. Please refer to Section 25- Organization of Proposal- of solicitation. | |||
| 51 | The Offeror shall provide a Service Delivery Quality Assurance Plan that clearly documents how the specific service levels in Table 1: User Support Matrix will be assured. It seems that the User Support Matrix has been omitted from the solicitation. Table 1 that is provided in Section 27.2 is Sample Pricing. Would the Government please provide the referenced User Support Matrix? | Correction "The Offeror shall provide a Service Delivery Quality Assurance Plan that clearly documents how the specific service levels in Table 1: User Support Matrix will be assured." |
Replace erratum with "The Offeror shall provide a Service Delivery Quality Assurance Plan that clearly documents how the specific service levels in Table 1: User Support Matrix will be assured.
Please see Table 1 - User Production Support (FARM Helpdesk) Response Time Matrix on Page 12 of 17, of Attachment_2_Task_Order_1_SOW.pdf"
| 52 | Solicitation | Instructions for Proposal Submission | The proposal shall be signed by an authorized official to bind your organization and must be received by the Contract Specialist no later than 10:00 AM Eastern Time, on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. The FBO posting identifies the Response Date as Jan 21, 2014 2:00 pm Eastern. Please confirm the offeror’s proposal response is due at 2:00 pm ET and not 10:00 am ET or at on 21 January, 2014. | Please refer to response for Question #8. | ||
| 53 | Solicitation | For the entire proposal, text color shall be black. Color may be used in graphics or charts for greater clarity at the offeror’s option. Text in graphics and charts shall be no smaller than 9-point Arial Narrow; text in tables shall be no smaller than 9-point Arial. Offerors shall use only 8.5 inch by 11 inch (210 mm by 297mm) paper, single-spaced pages with margins no less than one inch on each border and shall number each page consecutively. The size and font of headers and footnotes are not dictated. No fonts may be condensed. QUESTION: Attachment_6_Task_Mapping_Matrix appears to have been built by the government with some of the content in 8pt Arial Font and crafted to fit and 11”x17” paper size. As this Attachment is not included in the page limit, would the government accept the offeror’s completed Attachment_6_Task_Mapping_Matrix in the original format (with 8pt font) and on 11”x17” paper for ease of evaluation? | Yes. | |||
| 54 | Solicitation | Pricing Terms | 3 of 46 | The RFP states: "The labor rates shall also be fixed for the task order period of performance…" | ||
| If a task order crosses periods, may the contractor use the rates from the period in which performance is expected to price the task order. For example, if the task order starts in the ID/IQ base period and finishes in Option 1, may rates from the base period and option 1 be used to price the task? | Yes, if the task order crosses periods, the awardee will use the rates established during the appropriate time period. | |||||
| 55 | Solicitation | Material Handling Fee | 4 of 46 | The RFP states: "There is no material handling fee." | ||
| If it is a contractor's normal accounting practice, approved by the Government, to burden Other Direct Costs, including travel, with General and Administrative costs or other indirect costs, will those indirect costs be allowable under the resultant ID/IQ task orders? | Material handling cost is not allowed for travel. | |||||
| 56 | Solicitation | Period of Performance | 4 of 46 | The RFP states: "Although task orders may be issued at any time during the ordering period, two (2) constraints apply to the period of performance for task orders." | ||
| Only one constraint is provided. Is there another constraint? | Please refer to response in Question #24. | |||||
| 57 | Solicitation | Physical Security Requirements | 15 and 16 of 46 | The RFP states: "The contractor shall be required to submit a physical security plan with their proposal." And further: "This clause applies to the contractor, any subcontractors, and any consultants." | ||
| Is only one physical security plan required from the contractor rather than a separate physical security plan from the contractor and each of its subcontractors/consultants? | One physical security plan should be submitted and include all personnel. | |||||
| 58 | Solicitation | Factor 1: Technical Understanding and Approach | 27 of 46 | The RFP states: "Offerors are REQUIRED to submit a technical proposal for Task Order 1." | ||
| Will Task Order 1 as proposed be awarded with the ID/IQ award? | Task Order 1 will be awarded with the IDIQ award. | |||||
| 59 | Solicitation | Pricing Instructions | 31 of 46 | The RFP states: "The Offeror cannot exceed 1,920 for annual hours." | ||
| Attachment 3 shows 2,080 hours for several of the labor categories that appear to be 1 Full Time Equivalent. Should the offeror assume this is for more than one person? | Soliciation has been revised to read as "The Offeror cannot exceed 2,080 for annual hours," | |||||
| 60 | Solicitation and Task Order 1 SOW | Pricing Instructions | 31 of 46 | May the contractor propose acceptance criteria for the firm-fixed price portions of Task Order 1, specifically SOW references 8.2 "Project Management" and 8.4 "Operations and Maintenance Support"? |
Or Since Task Order 1 SOW references 8.2 "Project Management" and 8.4 "Operations and Maintenance Support" are firm fixed price, what is the acceptance criteria for the deliverables? We are looking for a close-ended, objective solution, e.g., a limit of two rounds of reviews for documents. Acceptance criteria of the Task Order #1 are defined in the solicitation on Pages 28-29 of 46.
Acceptance criteria of the Task Order #1 deliverables (for Project Management and O&M) will be in line with industry best practices.
| 61 | Task Order 1 SOW | Transition-In Support | 3 of 17 | The Transition-In Support requires the successor Contractor to work with the Subject Matter Experts from the Government and the incumbent Contractor. In order to assess the number of people required, please provide a list of the number of SMEs and their Labor Categories the sucessor Contractor is to work with. | The awardee will work with Government SMEs who range from regulatory scientists and IT professionals. |
| 62 | Task Order 1 SOW | Project Management | 4 of 17 | The Task Order Management Plan (TOMP) and Monthly Status Reports require reporting of costs and hours, are these just for the labor hour portions of the task order. Or, are the fixed price portions of the task order fixed price/level-of-effort? | The Task Order Management Plan and Monthly Status Reports are management tools for FDA. All accomplishments will have to be documented. |
| 63 | Task Order 1 SOW | Reporting | 4 of 17 | Should the eighth bullet under section 2.3.3 of Task Order 1 be "Other direct costs" rather than "Other than direct costs"? | The eighth bullet under section 2.3.4 of Task Order 1 should read as.."other direct costs, if applicable" |
| 64 | Solicitation | Evaluation Factor 3: Relevant Experience | 29 of 46 | Is the expectation that one project narrative is to describe all four required technical items? Or can multiple project narratives that cover all four technical be submitted? Or only one project narrative with experience with one of the technical items listed needs to be demonstrated? | Please see the instructions provided in the soliciation, pages 33-34, Section 34. Evaluation Criteria and Basis for Award (Best Value). |
| 65 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 0 | What is the contract type for TO1 | Please refer to response for Question #5. | |
| 66 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 2.1 Transition In Support | 3 | How long will the incumbent contractor be available for transition? | Please refer to response in Question #23. |
| 67 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 2.1 Transition In Support | 3 | Will the current contractor be responsible for providing up to date documentation as part of the transition? | The incumbent Contractor will be responsible for providing up to date documentation as part of the transition. |
| 68 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 1.0 Background | 3 | Does CFSAN favor a Iterative/Agile Development approach as opposed to a Waterfall approach? | The Contractor is invited to submit a solution that meets the constraints of FDA's Enterprise Performance Life Cycle. |
| 69 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 1.0 Background | 3 | Please confirm that only scanning activities is performed under a separate contract | Scanning activities are not part of this solicitation. |
| 70 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 2.0 Requirements | 3 | Please elaborate on What Hardware must be provided. What are the refresh cycles for hardware. | Hardware and software are provided by the FDA alone. Refresh cycles are determined by FDA. |
| 71 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 2.4 Operations Support | 5 | The SOW states that the contractor is expected to support technical refreshes and upgrades as directed, within the past 5 years, how many upgrades and/or refreshes have occurred? | Please see Appendix C- CFSAN Systems and Tools for details. |
| 72 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | Operations Support | 5 | Does the Government have a defined schedule identifying how often technical upgrades and refreshes will occur during the year? Can that information be provided? | Please refer to response in Question #71. |
| 73 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | N/A | 6 | Within the past 5 years, how many ISCP exercise events have occurred? | Five (5) exercise events occurred over the past five (5) years. |
| 74 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | N/A | 6 | Which systems are currently interfaced to FARM? How are these systems interfaced? | Please refer to respnse in Question #71. |
Currently interfacing systems do not input data to FARM.
| 75 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | Operations Support | 6 | Does the Government have a defined schedule identifying how often ISCP exercise events will occur during the year? Can that information be provided? | ISCP exercise events occurred once annually. |
| 76 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | Operations Support | 6 | Has the government identified potential infrastructure upgrades or replacement activities that are planned for implementation? If so, can that information be provided? | Infrastructure upgrades and replacements are determined by FDA. Those plans will be provided to the awardee. |
Please see refer to response to Question #71.
| 77 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 2.4.5 | 10 | What Tests are implemented through automated testing? | Section 2.4.5 of Attachment 2 Task Order 1 SOW does not specifically mention automated testing. |
| 78 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 2.4.6 User Production Support (FARM Helpdesk) | 11 | Are there associated Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with the helpdesk? | Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are established with the FARM Helpdesk. |
| 79 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 2.4.6 - Table 1 | 12 | Please idenify by emergency level the number of instances of each urgency level occuring during the current contract period of performance | Over the last 1 year period, from Dec. 2012 through Nov. 2013, there have been: 16 reported Emergencies; 55 High; 177 Medium, and 5 Low |
| 80 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | Deliverables | 13 | Please identify when the transition in plan should be delivered after award? | Delivery of the Transition In Plan will be tied to award and due at the kick-off meeting. |
| 81 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | Deliverables | 13 | How long is the Transition In and Transition Out Period | Please refer to response for Question #23. |
| 82 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 7 Period of Performance | 14 | Please confirm the POP is for 1 year. | Please refer to response for Question #14. |
| 83 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 8 Inspection and Acceptance | 15 | Please elaborate on the statement "99% may require 2 cycles if there are no changes in requirements." as this appears to conflict with the previous sentence of "99% of acceptance testing will be successful on the first cycle" | The Contractor shall have up to two (2) test cycles to achieve 99% success rate. |
| 84 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | 8 Inspection and Acceptance | 15 - 17 | Please provide the Section 8 Inspection and Acceptance table with cell boarders so offerors can clearly see which standards and indicators are associated with which task | The Inspection and Acceptable is provided as Attachment 9. |
| 85 | Attachment 2 - Task Order one SOW | N/A | N/A | Is an Integrated Master Schedule a required deliverable for this RFTOP? | Please demonstrate your understanding of Task Order #1 and whether an Integrated Master Schedule is required. |
| 86 | Attachment 4 - Pricing Sheet | N/A | N/A | For the labor categories with no hours (see pricing spreadsheet) is the contractor allowed to propose hours? | Yes, the Contractor is allowed to propose hours. |
| 87 | IDIQ SOW | 2.0 Techn ical Background | 2 | When are the planned upgrades and consolidation anticipated top start an d be completed? | Once annually. |
| 88 | IDIQ SOW | 3. FDA DATA CENTERS | 3 | Please identify the level of support required at the WSDC and the timeframes for this support startign and ending | This Task Order does not involve support at the WSDC. |
| 89 | IDIQ SOW | 4. OBJECTIVES | 3 | Please identify when these outcomes are expected to be initiated and completed | Outcomes are associated with each Task Order that have to be completed by the end of the period of performance. |
| 90 | IDIQ SOW | 6.1 Technical Standards and Guidelines | 4 | Please elaborate on how ITIL is aplied to the SOW of this contract | Please demonstrate your understanding of ITIL for the Task Order #1. |
| 91 | IDIQ SOW | 6.5 Change Control Procedures | 4 | Please provide a copy of these procedures | Change Control Procedures will be provided to awardee. |
| 92 | IDIQ SOW | Software Development Plan | 29 | Please provide a list with version of the FDA provided tools | Please see Pages 2 and 3 in Attachment 1 IDIQ SOW for details. |
| 93 | IDIQ SOW | 29 | Please describe what the Order Management Process is. Is this how offerors will propose to task orders? | Please see page 29 of 46 Section of the soliciation -"Evaluation Factor 2" for the Management Approach to the IDIQ. | |
| 94 | IDIQ SOW | 6.6 Release Management Procedures | Please provide a copy of these procedures | Release Management Procedures will be provided to awardee. | |
| 95 | Scenario #1 - FARM Oracle Migration | N/A | 1 | We would like gain clarify on implementation approach for this task. Should the Contractor plan to migrate both the database and the applications to ORACLE 11g concurrently? Or does the Government intend for the Contractor to migrate the database to ORACLE 11G initially and then migrate the applications in a separate task? | Please address the Scenario #1 question "Describe your approach to migrate FARM system to Oracle 11g without discontinuity." |
| 96 | Scenario 2 | Requirements | 1 | Should offerors assume that the Technology refresh (Oracle 10g Platform Upgrade) outlined in scenario 1 is completed and is the starting point for a techical approach in Scenario 2 | Please see Scenario #2 ("For |
the purpose of the scenario, assume that Alternative 1 involves Solr and Oracle 11g, AJAX and jQuery, Ruby on Rails, PHP and Java to name a few)".
| 97 | Solicitation | 24.Instructions for Proposal Submission | 26 | Please clarify the time the proposal is due. | Please refer to response in Question #8. |
| 98 | General | N/A | N/A | Please provide a description of the SIREN data repository. | The SIREN (Scientific Information Retrieval and Exchange Network) repository consists of legacy regulatory submission data, files and metadata. SIREN is part of the FARM system. |
| 99 | Solicitation | 3 of 46 | Pricing Terms | If a task order crosses periods, may the contractor use the rates from the period in which performance is expected to price the task order. For example, if the task order starts in the ID/IQ base period and finishes in Option 1, may rates from the base period and option 1 be used to price the task? | Please refer to response for Question #54. |
| 100 | Solicitation | 4 of 46 | Material Handling Fee | If it is a contractor's normal accounting practice, approved by the Government, to burden Other Direct Costs, including travel, with General and Administrative costs or other indirect costs, will those indirect costs be allowable under the resultant ID/IQ task orders? | Please refer to response for Question #55. |
| 101 | Solicitation | 4 of 46 | Period of Performance | Only one constraint is provided. Is there another constraint? | Please refer to response for Question #24. |
| 102 | Solicitation | 15 and 16 of 46 | Physical Security Requirements | Is only one physical security plan required from the contractor rather than a separate physical security plan from the contractor and each of its subcontractors/consultants? | One physical security plan should be submitted and include all personnel. |
| 103 | Solicitation | 27 of 46 | Factor 1: Technical Understanding and Approach | Will Task Order 1 as proposed be awarded with the ID/IQ award? | Please refer to response in Question #58. |
| 104 | Solicitation | 31 of 46 | Pricing Instructions | Attachment 3 shows 2,080 hours for several of the labor categories that appear to be 1 Full Time Equivalent. Should the offeror assume this is for more than one person? | Please propose the appropriate number of resources within 2,080 hours. |
| 105 | Solicitation and Task Order 1 SOW | 31 of 46 | Pricing Instructions | Since Task Order 1 SOW references 8.2 "Project Management" and 8.4 "Operations and Maintenance Support" are firm fixed price, what is the acceptance criteria for the deliverables? We are looking for a close-ended, objective solution, e.g., a limit of two rounds of reviews for documents. | Acceptance criteria of the Task Order #1 deliverables (for Project Management and O&M) will be in line with industry best practices and deemed acceptable by FDA. |
| 106 | Task Order 1 SOW | 3 of 17 | Transition-In Support | In order to assess the number of people required, please provide a list of the number of SMEs and their Labor Categories the sucessor Contractor is to work with. | Offeror should propose labor categories for Transition-In period. |
| 107 | Task Order 1 SOW | 4 of 17 | Project Management | The Task Order Management Plan (TOMP) and Monthly Status Reports require reporting of costs and hours, are these just for the labor hour portions of the task order. Or, are the fixed price portions of the task order fixed price/level-of-effort? | The Task Order Management Plan and Monthly Status Reports are management tools. All accomplishments will have to be documented. |
| 108 | Task Order 1 SOW | 4 of 17 | Reporting | Should the eighth bullet under section 2.3.3 of Task Order 1 be "Other direct costs" rather than "Other than direct costs"? | Refer to response for Question #63. |
| 109 | Task Order 1 SOW | 15 of 17 | Inspection and Acceptance | Are there positive or negative incentives for meeting the Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) | No. |
| 110 | Solicitation | Page 29 of 46 | Instructions for Technical Proposal, Factor 3: Relevant Experience | Would the government please consider requiring experience with workflow management solutions other than Appian to broaden the pool of contractors eligible to compete? | The government would not consider such a proposal. |
| 111 | Solicitation | Page 29 of 46 | Instructions for Technical Proposal, Evaluation Factor 2: Management Aproach | Will a separate PMO task order be issued to cover the cost of managing the IDIQ contract or should these costs be included in TO 1 as implied in the 5th paragraph and Table 1 in Section 27.2 and Section 8.2 of the O&M SOW? | No. |
| 112 | Solicitation | Page 28 of 46 | Service Delivery Quality Assurance Plan | Will the FDA please provide the referenced table? | Please see Attachment_2_Task_Order_1_SOW.pdf, Page 12 of 17 for the Table 1- User Production Support (FARM Helpdesk) Response Time Matrix. |
| 113 | Solicitation | Page 30 of 46 | Proposed Labor Rates and Hours | Should the reference be to Attachment 3 instead of Attachment 5? | In section 27.1 "Pricing Instructions" within the solicitation, reference to Attachment 5 has been corrected to read as Attachnent 3. |
| 114 | Solicitation | Page 32 of 46 | Past Performance Questionnaire | Please confirm that “Offeror” in this case refers to the prime only since this is an 8(a) vehicle and the prime must demonstrate adequate experience managing this type of work. | The Offeror is the prime contractor of the proposal. |
| 115 | Solicitation | Page 35 of 46 | Price | Should the reference be to Attachment 3 instead of Attachment 5? | Please refer to response for Question #27. |
&C14-223-sol-00003 - FDA CFSAN FARM &L&F&CPage &P of &N&R&A The RFP provide a list of items not included in the page limit. This list shows that the Past Performance Questionnaire is not included in the page limit. However, the instructions for the Past Performance Questionnaire (Paragraph 28, Page 32 of 46 of the RFP) state, “The offeror shall ensure that all the point of contacts complete and return the questionnaires to the Government prior to the solicitation close date directly to either (physical address): Syntoria L. Spencer, Food and Drug Administration, OAGS, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1071, Rockville, MD 20857; or (email): syntoria.spencer@fda.hh.gov.” Please confirm that the Past Performance Questionnaire is not to be included in the technical proposal but is to be sent directly to the Syntoria L. Spencer at the FDA.
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