Amendment_01.pdf

“Shelter Care for Unaccompanied Children”

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO. 15-233-SOL-00103

AMENDMENT NO.: 01

SUBMITTED QUESTIONS AND HHS RESPONSES

TO ALL OFFERORS: This is a solicitation to establish up to five single-award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts. Please see FAR 16.504 for additional information on Indefinite Delivery contracts. The government anticipates establishing one IDIQ contract for each Service Area. The IDIQs have a broad scope of work because the government has not yet defined specific needs. When a specific need arises, that is within the scope of the IDIQ, the government may choose to issue a task order to the IDIQ contractor with the contract for the Service Area applicable to the government’s need. At that time, the government will issue a request for task order proposal to the applicable IDIQ contractor in accordance with the H.1 ordering procedures. Task orders will include their own statements of work (SOW) that falls within the scope of the overarching SOW for the IDIQ. The purpose of the IDIQ is to establish maximum labor rates for the identified labor categories and establish indirect rates that may be applied to material costs for time and materials orders. Since specific details for possible task orders are unknown, the government is identifying required labor categories and providing estimated quantities for the labor hours and estimated quantities for the amount of Material costs simply to derive a price for evaluation purposes. Pricing for individual task orders will be negotiated on a task order by task order basis, but labor rates cannot exceed those established in the IDIQ.

General Solicitation Q&A:

1. On the top of the price sample sheet it states 90 days 690 beds. However, the solicitation states a base period of 1 year. I understand the contact base period is 1 year but for the purposes of submitting the bid please clarify the following question.

The total hours specified in the sample price sheet, is that assuming those are the total hours for a 90 day period or is it assuming those sample hours are the total hours for a year? Is the sample a 90 day sample or a year sample?

HHS RESPONSE: The period of performance for the Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract is a base period of 12 months with four 12 -month option periods. Task orders will have their own separate periods of performance based on the specific requirements of the order. The pricing scenario is based on sample task orders that may be placed under the separate IDIQ contracts. The pricing scenarios for asset deployment tasks are based on a 90-day period of performance. The estimated hours are based on a 90 day period of performance. The pricing scenarios for cadre and infrastructure support are based on a 12-month period of performance and so are the hours.

2. Will the Government provide the adjudication criteria for “Clean background check” and “Clean CAN check or protective services check” required for all staff on pages 16-19 of Attachment J.6-Attachment C?

HHS RESPONSE: No. ORR will follow each state clearance requirements for child care staff.

3. Does ORR intend for the contractor to hire six core full-time staff members at contract award: Program Director, Contract Administrator, Recruitment Coordinator, Procurement Specialist, and two IT Specialists?

a. Is the key personnel reference to the Program Coordinator the same position as the Program Director? Does the penalty relate to the hiring of these six staff members or to deployed staff?

HHS RESPONSE: ORR intends for each successful contractor to provide adequate staff upon award of an IDIQ Contract and task order for cadre and infrastructure support. The government plans to issue a task order for cadre and infrastructure support under each Service Area soon after award of the IDIQ contracts, which will be consistent with the minimum guarantee amounts per Service Area for the IDIQ.

The only Service Area that includes key personnel of a Program Director is Shelter Services. All other Service Areas include a key personnel position for Program Coordinator. The position description for the Program Coordinator is the same as the Program Director.

All references of Program Director have been removed from J.6 Attachments B-E.

There is no statement about a penalty in the statements of work included in the Final Solicitation posted on March 20, 2015. Please be sure that you are looking at the Final Solicitation documents and not the draft documents that were previously posted on March 13, 2015.

4. Is it possible for ORR to provide an extension for the submission of this proposal?

HHS RESPONSE: No.

5. Currently it is difficult to price and determine scenarios as it is unclear the types of facilities and on-site resources that the facilities may have. Is there a list of addresses or specifics of what will be available at each location?

HHS RESPONSE: Locations will not be identified until a specific need arises. The government is not requesting any pricing information other than labor rates for the identified labor categories and applicable indirect rates for material costs. Specifics on the types of facilities and on-site resources will be provided at the task order level. See H.1 for the ordering procedures.

6. Is there an incumbent(s)? If yes, please provide the name of the incumbent(s)

HHS RESPONSE: There are no incumbents. This is a new contract award effort.

7. Regarding Section L.4 Past Performance Information Instructions: States that the “Government will consider past performance information contained PIPRS”, Is

CPARS considered the same as PIPRS? If not, Will government also consider information in CPARS?

HHS RESPONSE: Past performance information that is entered into CPARS is available to the government through PPIRS once the information entered in CPARS is finalized.

8. The solicitation states that “A maximum of three (3) performance references shall be submitted”. Will multiple Task Orders (TO) issued under the same IDIQ Contract be considered individually for the purpose of evaluation? For example a company was awarded (2) TO under an IDIQ, can each TO be used as 2 separated references for evaluation?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes.

9. Section F.1 of the solicitation lists the period of performance (POP) from “April 30, 2015 to March 31, 2016” (base year). Is the intent to have an 11 month POP, or does the Government intent to update POP from “April 30, 2015 to April 29, 2016”?

HHS RESPONSE: This was a typo. The base period of the IDIQ and each option year of the IDIQ will have a 12 month period of performance. The anticipated period of performance is as follows:

Base Period: (April 30, 2015 through April 29, 2016) Option Period One: (April 30, 2016 through April 29, 2017) Option Period Two: (April 30, 2017 through April 29, 2018) Option Period Three: (April 30, 2018 through April 29, 2019) Option Period Four: (April 30, 2019 through April 29, 2020)

10. Section L.2 of the solicitation states “Staff resumes and letters of commitment for all proposed management and professionals staff shall be included in the proposal…” and “Your proposal must demonstrate that the proposed staff possesses adequate training”.

Please confirm that this language corresponds to Key Personnel only.

HHS RESPONSE: This statement corresponds to Cadre & Infrastructure and Key Personnel only.

11. Section 8.0 is missing in Attachment J.6-Attachment C. Does the government plan to provide the missing section?

HHS RESPONSE: This is a numbering error and there is no missing information. Section 8.0 in Attachment J.6-Attachment C will now be marked as RESERVED.

12. Section G.1 of the solicitation outlines requirements for invoicing. Does the government intent to remove Section 16.0 of Attachment J.6-Attachment C?

HHS RESPONSE: The report required in Section 16.0 of Attachment J.6-Attachment C is not related to invoicing and will not be removed.

13. Will the government confirm that labor for Asset Deployment (as specified in Attachment J.4-Sample Pricing Scenario by Service Area) will be government site, and labor for Cadre & Infrastructure-12 months will be contractor site?

HHS RESPONSE: Place of Performance/Labor for Asset Deployment will be temporary federally-owned or leased sites primarily within ACF Regions 2, 6, and 9 however the Government reserves the right to assign the Contractor to one or more locations outside of those regions.

Labor for Cadre & Infrastructure (12 months) will be at the contractor site.

14. As the limit for the Technical Volume is 50 pages, are the following formats acceptable to the Government?

a. Times New Roman 12 point,

b. Smaller font (9 or 10 point) for figures and tables, and

c. 1 inch margins

HHS RESPONSE: Yes, this format is acceptable.

15. For the sample pricing scenario by service area: should the same plugs be applied for all 5 years?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes, the same plug numbers for Material Costs (Travel, ODCs, Subcontracts and Direct Materials) should be used for all 5 years.

16. For the sample pricing scenario by service area (Attachment J.4-Sample Pricing Scenario by Service Area), are the ODCs considered material (i.e., shipping charges) or ODCs that require some sort of service (i.e. printer)?

HHS RESPONSE: We do not completely understand the question. The plug numbers for direct materials, ODCs, etc. has been provided in the pricing scenario. Do not include pricing for specific ODCs in your proposal. See FAR definition of “Materials.”

17. Will the source selection team perform a financial capability to perform assessment, FAR 9.104-1(a) to protect HHS from accepting a low cost offer that will increase the offeror’s contract performance risk?

HHS RESPONSE: The government will be performing a responsibility determination as described in FAR 9.104.

18. In Attachment J.4-Sample Pricing Scenario by Service Area, it is unclear why there are plug amounts in the sample pricing scenario for Subcontracts. Will the Subcontractors be required to live within the rate structure of the IDIQ submitted with Section B? If so, is the Subcontracts line item necessary?

HHS RESPONSE: The subcontracts line item in the pricing scenario is necessary because it is possible that a subcontract for services other than those covered by the labor categories will be necessary during performance of a specific task order. Therefore, the government wants to know whether the offeror will be applying an indirect cost or burden to subcontracts, such as a subcontract administration fee. FAR 16.601 defines materials as follows:

“Materials” means—

(1) Direct materials, including supplies transferred between divisions, subsidiaries, or affiliates of the contractor under a common control;

(2) Subcontracts for supplies and incidental services for which there is not a labor category specified in the contract;

(3) Other direct costs (e.g., incidental services for which there is not a labor category specified in the contract, travel, computer usage charges, etc.); and

(4) Applicable indirect costs.

19. If selected for award of an IDIQ, is the contractor required to bid on every task order request issued under that IDIQ?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes. The government anticipates that one IDIQ contract will be awarded for each service area, which means that the contractor will receive all task orders issued for the Service Area. The contractor is required to perform the work up to the contract maximum – see FAR Clause 52.216-22.

20. In C.1 the RFP states, “This sets forth the conditions and clauses under which future acquisitions between the parties shall be governed. This contract will be used to address potential temporary shelter and processing needs based on the historical variations in border crossings by unaccompanied children.” Would the Government please provide the historical data on variations so that the contractors can more accurately estimate cost and expense?

HHS RESPONSE: Historical data and other related UC statistics can be found on the ACF Website (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/ucs/about).

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/ucs/about

21. In order to provide best pricing to the Government, please advise where current and past emergency shelters have been located?

HHS RESPONSE: The temporary shelters at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Fort Sill Army Base, and Naval Base Ventura County-Port Hueneme played a critical role in the Fiscal Year 2014 humanitarian response, providing care to more than 7,700 children. The Department of Defense has been an exemplary partner in this humanitarian response.

To prudently manage its resources, HHS has suspended all three of these temporary shelters. All unaccompanied children who were cared for at the temporary shelters have either been transferred to standard shelters or released to sponsors while they await immigration proceedings.

22. Would the Government please advise where future ORR Shelters are located?

HHS RESPONSE: As mentioned above and on the Solicitation, locations will not be identified until a specific need arises. The contracts awarded could be used to support facilities at temporary federally-owned or leased sites, including facilities operating with temporary structures. The place of performance will be primarily within ACF Regions 2, 6, and 9 however the Government reserves the right to assign the Contractor to one or more locations outside of those regions.

23. Is there a minimum number and maximum number of hours that the government requires for basic initial training?

HHS RESPONSE: ORR requires a minimum of 40 hours of training.

24. Who provides this training?

HHS RESPONSE: Support staff under this IDIQ contract will be trained by the Training and Technical Assistance Contractor.

25. Does HHS provide any locations for training? If so, how many students will the class room accommodate?

HHS RESPONSE: The training will occur at the deployment place of performance. As stipulated in the Solicitation the place of performance/Labor for Asset Deployment will be temporary federally-owned or leased sites primarily within ACF Regions 2, 6, and 9 however the Government reserves the right to assign the Contractor to one or more locations outside of those regions.

The numbers of students per classroom will depend on the available rooms once an actual location has been defined.

26. Is the Government currently using any type of software, designs, plans, products for analyses and reporting at this time? If so, would the Government please provide this information for more accurate pricing?

HHS RESPONSE: ORR uses the UC Portal, a government database, to input child specific information. Access to this database will be provided at the time of award for specific Service Areas as stated in the Statements of Works.

27. In several places offerors are asked to provide combined labor rates for ACF regions 1,3,4,5,7,8, and 10; however, the pricing table for ASSET DEPLOYMENT BUDGET 4 mentions ACF regions 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10. Please clarify.

HHS RESPONSE: This was a typo. Pricing tables shall be one for ACF Region 2, one for ACF Region 6, one for ACF Region 9, and one for the combination of ACF Regions 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10.

Attachment A- Staffing Service Area Q&A:

1. Will the contractor currently providing case management to unaccompanied children already in shelters be eligible to bid on this IDIQ?

HHS RESPONSE: The following Services Areas are Full and Open: Shelter Staffing; Training and Technical Assistance; Transportation; Medical and Clinical Staffing and Equipment. Please note that the Service Area for Wrap Around Support Services is a Total Small Business Set- Aside and only offers received from small businesses under NAICS Code 624230 will be considered for award.

a. Is the contractor providing staff embedded within ORR eligible to bid?

HHS RESPONSE: Please refer to answer above.

2. Attachments A & E both contain requirements for medical staffing. Attachment E defines the tasks the medical staff are responsible for performing. Attachment A does not provide the task descriptions for the medical staff. Please provide the task descriptions for the medical staff in Attachment A.

HHS RESPONSE: Attachment A provides job descriptions and list responsibilities for all Support Medical Staff. Tasks to be completed by support staff listed in both Attachments are in accordance with ORR Policies and Procedures. As stated in Attachment A, all support staff listed in the latter, including the medical staff, shall follow ORR policies and procedures. The Contractor will find ORR general policies on the ACF website (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/children-entering-the-united-states-unaccompanied). More information about specific procedures will be provided at the time of award and by Training and Technical Assistance Provider awarded within the related Solicitation.

Attachment B - Shelter Wrap Around Support Service Area Q&A:

1. In going over the Pricing Scenario, it is unclear where and how to price the additional equipment and services necessary under Shelter Wrap Around Support Service Area (meals, recreation, restroom, hand wash, clothing, toiletries, cable, internet, recreation, security, etcetera).

HHS RESPONSE: Since the government is establishing an IDIQ contract, the specific requirements are not yet defined; therefore, we are not asking offerors to propose equipment or services other than the labor categories identified in the pricing scenario. Instead we are providing plug-numbers that all offerors must use to calculate material costs. Offerors are instructed to add the indirect burden to materials in accordance with their accounting procedures.

For example, the Cadre and Infrastructure pricing tables include a plug-number of $13,000 for direct materials. If an offeror has an indirect rate they apply to direct materials, such as material handling, the offeror should apply the rate to the plug-number to come up with a total burdened amount for direct materials.

Direct Materials Plug Number: $13,000 Offeror’s material handling rate = 2% (this will vary by offeror and is just an example)

Total Materials Cost: $13,000 * 1.02 = $13,260

After the IDIQ contract(s) have been awarded, task orders for Service Areas will be placed once a specific need is defined. At which time the contractor will be asked to price out additional equipment and services that will be required to perform the specific task order. See H.1 for the ordering procedures.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/children-entering-the-united-states-unaccompanied

Attachment C – Training and Technical Assistance Service Area Q&A:

1. Has ORR provided training in the areas identified in Attachment C? These areas include training on ORR policies and procedures, completing sponsor packets, using the ORR web-based database, and implementing best child welfare practices to provide high-quality services to the children.

HHS RESPONSE: ORR-funded care providers provide the required training to their staff based on ORR Policies and Procedures.

a. Are there existing curricula for any of the above items?

HHS RESPONSE: No; one of the tasks to be completed under this contract is the development of training materials based on ORR Policies and Procedures. The Contractor will find ORR general policies on the ACF website. More information about specific procedures will be provided at the time of award.

b. If so, will ORR make these curricula available to bidders? Have different curricula been developed to address the range of children’s characteristics, such as age, and for ORR field staff?

HHS RESPONSE: Not applicable; see answer above.

2. Is all training provided in-person or is some provided by phone?

HHS RESPONSE: In- person, unless specified by the COR.

3. Has ORR or its contractors developed webinars or online trainings to shelter staff or ORR field staff?

HHS RESPONSE: Please see answer to question 1 under this section.

a. If so, will ORR make such trainings available to bidders for review?

HHS RESPONSE: Please see answer question 1a under this section.

4. In the “Training” section, the draft solicitation states, “These staff, unless otherwise specified by the Government, shall provide three (3) weeks of onsite training to temporary shelter locations, new standard shelter locations and new ORR Field Staff at the direction of the Government.”

a. How many staff members does ORR estimate will need to be deployed at a site for 3 weeks?

HHS RESPONSE: Per the Pricing Scenario, ORR estimates that in order to train all the staff required for a minimum of 690 children, the Contractor shall have the following positions:

6 Case Managers Trainers 2 Trainer Assistants 6 Youth Care Worker Trainers 6 Clinical Trainers 6 Medical Coordination Trainers

b. Do the deployed staff members need to reside in the local area of the ORR field office and/or shelter?

HHS RESPONSE: No. There is no requirement to reside in the local area of the ORR office or shelter.

5. In the “Personnel” section, the draft solicitation states, “The Contractor shall provide deployed staff with one (1) unpaid day off during the first 14 days of deployment provided that the period of performance for the Task Order(s) is a minimum of 14 days.”

a. Will staff be expected to work 13 of the first 14 days?

HHS RESPONSE: Support Staff under this Contract are expected to work 8 hours a day, Monday to Friday.

b. How many days of the week does ORR estimate that the deployed staff will work for the third week of onsite T/TA delivery?

HHS RESPONSE: Please see answer above.

6. Will the Government provide staff position descriptions for trainers (Case Management Trainers, Training Assistants, Youth Care Worker Trainer, Clinician Trainer, Medical Coordination Trainer), as these staff are listed in Attachment J.4- Sample Pricing Scenario by Service Area?

HHS RESPONSE: Per Attachment C, all trainers must have a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or other relevant behavioral science. They must be proficient in the use of the computer and web-based programs. In addition, these staff must have the following:

experience coordinating case management and family reunification services for children;

experience coordinating family reunification and making placement determinations; experience conducting and documenting ORR UC assessments and provision of services in accordance with laws and regulations; experience planning, organizing, instructing, and monitoring the training functions of a care provider; experience screening for human trafficking concerns and creating safety plans; and experience developing trainings based on federal policies and procedures.

It is understood that any personnel meeting the above requirements will be able to read, understand, develop curricula and train other staff under this Solicitation based on ORR Policies and Procedures.

The staff listed in Attachment J.4- Sample Pricing Scenario are trainers who meet the above criteria but will dedicate their training to a specific subject covered by ORR Policies and Procedures.

The Contractor will find ORR general policies on the ACF website. More information about specific procedures will be provided at the time of award. All training material developed will be reviewed by ORR before its use.

Attachment D – Transportation Service Area Q&A:

1. Would the Government please define “a national transportation contractor”?

HHS RESPONSE: A national transportation contractor is a contractor with the staff and resources to provide transportation nationwide.

2. Will any of the UCs being escorted be classified or considered violent or high risk?

HHS RESPONSE: No.

a. If so, would the Government please provide the percentage of demographics for each classification?

HHS RESPONSE: Not applicable, see answer above.

3. In order to provide the government with cost realism, would the Government please provide any historical data as to locations pick up and drop of in shelter to shelter or shelter to sponsor locations?

HHS RESPONSE: ORR currently has funded care providers at ACF Regions 2-6 and 9-10.

Therefore most of the shelter-to-shelter transportation will occur between those regions. For shelter-to-sponsor historical discharge data, please see ACF’s website (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/ucs/state-by-state-uc-placed-sponsors).

4. Will the Government please provide the locations of the existing shelter location within the current ORR-network by Region?

HHS RESPONSE: Please see response above.

5. Will shelter to sponsor trips be within the assigned ACF Region only?

HHS RESPONSE: No, as stipulated on Attachment D, travel could be nationwide hence outside of the assigned ACF Region.

6. Will the Government please advise how many trips were made to each location in the past 12 months?

HHS RESPONSE: Please see answer to question 3 under this section.

7. Will shelter to sponsor trips all be within the US?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes.

8. In the event the contractor must deploy TS staff from another location, is this travel cost reimbursable?

HHS RESPONSE: Whether or not travel is reimbursable will be based on the contract type for the task order. Generally speaking, travel is reimbursable under T&M orders. For fixed price orders, travel can be proposed and negotiated as part of the fixed price.

9. Is the contractor responsible for coordinating pick up and drop off time from shelters and or sponsors?

HHS RESPONSE: No, support personnel under the Staffing Service Area Contract will coordinate the pickup and drop off time with the sponsors. However, as stipulated on Attachment D, staff under the Transportation Service Contract is responsible for coordinating the documentation, personal property and special accommodations required for UC transportation with staff under the Medical and Clinical Staffing and Equipment Contract as well as the personnel under the Staffing Contract.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/ucs/state-by-state-uc-placed-sponsors

10. Could the government please define a “tender-age”?

HHS RESPONSE: Per ORR standards, all UC under 13 years of age are considered tender age.

11. Are Physical/Medical exams required for TS? If so, is this annual?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes, Physical/Medical exams are required for the Transportation Specialists (TS). This is not an annual requirement.

12. Are TB test required for contractor personnel? If so, are they required annually?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes, TB testing is required for contractor personnel annually.

13. Does HHS require specific equipment in transport vehicles?

HHS RESPONSE: No.

14. Is the Government mandating a two-way radio be installed in contractor owned vehicles?

HHS RESPONSE: No.

15. Since the Contractor will be the Operator of the vehicles and thus be required to carry the necessary insurance, will the Government also require the Contractor to be in possession a valid USDOT number at the time of award and throughout the life of the contract?

HHS RESPONSE: No.

16. Since the Contractor will be the Operator of the vehicles and thus be required to carry the necessary insurance, AND since the contract involves interstate transportation (across state lines), will the Government also require the Contractor to be in possession of a valid FMCSA Motor Carrier (MC) number at the time of award and throughout the life of the contract?

HHS RESPONSE: No.

17. Will the Government require the Contractor to be in possession of a 'Satisfactory' Motor Carrier Safety Rating at the time of award and throughout the life of the contract in order to ensure the safety of the UCs?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes.

18. Does the Government provide any locations or space for parking of vehicles?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes, the deployment place of performance should have space for parking.

19. Will the Government provide any office space for the Transportation Service Area?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes, the deployment place of performance/ labor for asset deployment will have an office space for the Transportation Service Area.

Labor for Asset Deployment will be temporary federally-owned or leased sites primarily within ACF Regions 2, 6, and 9 however the Government reserves the right to assign the Contractor to one or more locations outside of those regions.

Labor for Cadre & Infrastructure (12 months) will be the contractor site.

20. Will the Government provide any office equipment or require the contractor to utilize any Government owned equipment?

HHS RESPONSE: ORR will not provide any office equipment or require the contractor to utilize any Government owned equipment.

21. Does the Government require a specific Random Drug Screening such as USDOT 50% random drug screening?

HHS RESPONSE: Yes.

22. In the event a UC is hospitalized (while in-transit) are the TS required to stay with the UC during their stay?

HHS RESPONSE: All UC will be medically cleared prior to travel however in the event of an in-transit emergency that requires hospitalization, the Transportation Specialist (TS) should request assistance from the nearest emergency service and follow ORR Significant Incident Report procedures to report any incidents to ORR while in transit. The TS is only required to stay with the UC at the hospital until the closest ORR shelter staff can assume responsibility for the UC and make arrangements for hospitalization, supervision, etc.

23. Is there a “Hospital” CLIN? If not, in order to compute the number of FTE required for hospital escorts, can the government provide data as to how many hours of staffing were required for UCs in the last 12 months?

HHS RESPONSE: There is no “Hospital” CLIN. Please follow the transportation ratio stipulated on Attachment D.

Attachment E – Medical and Clinical Staffing and Equipment Service Area Q&A:

1. Attach E pages 5/6 shows 5 case aides for 690 UCs; Page 26 shows 3 case aides for 690 UCs; please clarify.

HHS RESPONSE: This was a typo. The correct number for case aides is 3.

2. The licensed clinical counselor is not provided in the price table for the Medical and

Clinical Staffing scenario.

HHS RESPONSE: Attachment E also refers to the Licensed Clinical Counselor as the Mental Health Provider. Hence the Medical and Clinical Staffing Pricing Scenario has this position under the Mental Health Provider.