Requests for Clarification and Responses (Long Beach).pdf

Questions Responses

1. Should our submission include the chart for the calculation of student per day amount? If so, how should the report be provided?

Section G.5 of the solicitation includes a chart for the calculation of the student per day amount which will be filled in by the Government at time of award.

2. The government notes that the offeror’s proposed technical and staffing approaches will be incorporated into the contract and shall become requirements. Does the incorporation include the BMP?

The contractor's entire proposal may be incorporated into the contract. Any terms or conditions included in the BMP or elsewhere that contradict terms/conditions in the contract, or are counter to the interest of the Government would not be incorporated.

3. The Government notes “Generally, the Government will measure performance through the programs performance management system, which is comprised of four reports…” With the COVID-19 center changes and remote learning occurring, will the government consider a waiver to these specific report card metrics? Or modify them considering the current atmosphere?

The Government will notify the operator if the current method of evaluating performance changes.

4. With the current COVID-19 pandemic atmosphere and remote learning, is 100% On-board Strength (OBS) still the expectation after the 3-month grace period? And if not, how does the government expect to adjust monthly price given the current situation?

At this time, we are unable to forecast the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the Long Beach JCC in the Spring of 2021 (the beginning of the next contract). Should the pandemic effects at that time require changes in the pricing of the contract, a new pricing arrangement may be negotiated with the contractor.

5. There is considerable Property and Inventory at the Center.

As the RFP reflects a fixed Price contract going forward, what is the intent of the government with both Property (& Expendable Property) and Inventory as it transfers between Incumbent and Awardee.

• Is Property to remain the Government's and transferred through the normal close-out process?

• Is Expendable Property to be kept/negotiated between the two contractors?

At time of the contract transfer, does this expendable property no longer remain the Government’s property?

Government Property will be managed by the contractor in strict accordance with FAR Part 45, and FAR Clause 52.245-1. Property that currently belongs and/or is titled to the Government will remain property of the Government before, during, and after the awarded contract. This disposition of such property at the end of the contract would be in accordance with the PRH. Property purchased by the contractor in fulfillment of CRA, Equipment, and/or CTST orders will become Government property. Expendable Inventory/ Expendable Property purchased by the contractor would belong to the contractor and would be up to the contractor to determine disposition. As the contract transitions from a cost-type contract to a fixed price type contract, the expendable inventory under the cost type contract is Government property and would transfer to the expendable inventory of the new contractor.

6. Please confirm that the FAR Clause listed for the Professional Staff Compensation Plan should be 52.222-46 rather than 52.22-46

The correct clause is FAR 52.222-46.

7. Even though Job Corps contracts are now fixed price, per Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 686.930, we are assuming that Job Corps operators are still exempt from paying State or local taxes on gross receipts. Is this correct?

In accordance with Public Law 113-128 Section 158(d), operators of Job Corps Centers are exempt from paying State or local taxes on gross receipts. It is our understanding that the law does not differentiate between types of contracts, so the firm fixed price nature of the new contract should not affect the tax exemption.

8. Since a Small Business is not required to have a subcontracting plan or goals, request the Contracting Officer clarify what specific information they will require to determine responsibility.

Please refer to Section I.2 of the solicitation (Reporting Executive Compensation and First-tier Subcontract Awards).

9. Since this contract is considered Small Business we request that this clause (FAR 52.219-9) be deleted since it is not applicable.

FAR 52.219-9 (Small Business Subcontracting Plan) is hereby deleted from the solicitation.

10. Limitation of Subcontracting must be incorporated as a required clause. We request that the Government include it.

FAR 52.219-14 (Limitations on Subcontracting) is hereby incorporated into the solicitation.

11. We request that these dates be corrected by the Government to show a 60 day notice of intent to extend the contract and 30 day notice that the contract will be extended rather than 10 days notice of intent to extend and one day notice to exercise the option.

Please prepare your proposal based on the current RFP requirements.

12. The base period NTE amounts appear to be for one year only.

Please confirm the NTE amounts for the base period.

The not-to-exceed (NTE) amounts presented for the base period are for two years, whereas the amounts for the option periods are for one year. The NTE amounts have been added to Attachment 1 (Price Detail Template).

13. The J-22 will not open in the RFP. Please provide an updated J-22 Attachment (GSA Vehicles).

Attachment J-22 will be uploaded to beta.SAM.gov as a separate attachment.

14. Please confirm there is not a collective bargaining agreement in effect at the Long Beach Center.

A collective bargaining agreement is not applicable to the Long Beach Job Corps Center.

15. Please confirm that the listed NTE amounts on the pricing schedule for each contract period are correct.

The not-to-exceed (NTE) amounts presented for the base period are for two years, whereas the amounts for the option periods are for one year.

16. Please confirm that the J-8 (Statement and Acknowledgement Form) is not required to be returned with our submission.

Attachment J-8 / Standard Form 1413 (Statement and Acknowledgement) is required. It will be uploaded to beta.SAM.gov as a separate attachment.

17. Per page 74 of the RFP and L.6.H of the FAQ, files with computations/numerical calculations should be submitted as Excel files. Please confirm that for this solicitation, that is only the J-1 – Pricing Detail.

Attachment J-1 (Price Detail Template) is the only Excel document to be completed and submitted by the offeror.

18. In order to assure receipt of submission, please advise of any file size limitations.

There are no file size limitations provided that the proposal could be submitted via e-mail and conforms to the page limitations in Section L.6 of the solicitation.

19. It is shown on the RFP that the Period of Performance (POP) starts on February 1, 2020. Odle Management Group has a 6-month extension that would then make April 2021 the phase in month and not February, 2021? Please clarify.

February 2021 will be the month for Transition / Phase-in. The new Base Period (which includes Phase-in) will be February 1, 2021 - January 31, 2023.

20. Please confirm the Phase-in Period. February 2021 will be the month for Transition / Phase-in.

21. The Long Beach JCC is currently less than 70% of capacity. How will the low On-board Strength (OBS) and enrollment restrictions impact arrival goals and how will Outreach/Admissions Outcome Measurement System (OA OMS) performance measures be used to evaluate operator effectiveness?

Arrival goals are unchanged, regardless of OBS at the time of award. The Government can suspend enrollment goal attainment requirements in the event of enrollment restrictions. OA OMS performance measures will be used to evaluate operator effectiveness via Contractor Performance Assessment and Rating System

(CPARS).

22. In terms of Academic Instruction, it is understood that School for Integrated Academics and Technologies (SIATech) operates at the Long Beach Job Corps Center. Please provide staffing levels and advise whether those functions supplement or supplant instruction that would be provided by center operators.

SIATech currently operates at the Long Beach center to provide a High School Diploma or High School Equivalency option for students. The operator of the center should determine and propose how it intends to provide HSD/HSE options to students as required by the Job Corps Policy and Requirements Handbook (PRH).

23. We understand the on-center childcare program is not required and there is a Health Start Childcare Center operated by the Long Beach Unified School District. Please clarify who is responsible for maintaining the facility and if there is any income from operations to offset such responsibility.

The Job Corps contractor is responsible for the structural maintenance of the childcare building and the electric bill, which is included in the energy report. There is no income from the childcare program to offset such responsibility.

24. Please describe how the Government will use OMS/QMS to monitor performance and use the Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) in the event of continued challenges with

COVID-19.

Please prepare your proposal based on the current RFP requirements. Details will be provided if the circumstances dictate.

25. The contractor is requested to provide basic healthcare, counseling, and other support services as required by the ePRH.

Given the current COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning environment, are all of these same services expected,?

At this time, we are unable to forecast the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the Long Beach JCC in the Spring of 2021 (the beginning of the next contract). Should the pandemic effects at that time require changes in the pricing of the contract, a new pricing arrangement may be negotiated with the contractor.

26. In view of the current and ongoing distance (remote) learning status of students, please provide further details on what changes there will be to providing “basic health care, counseling, and other support services” and expectations of operators.

Please prepare your proposal based on the current RFP requirements. Details will be provided if the circumstances dictate.

27. The solicitation / Request for Proposal (RFP) states the National Enrollment Assignment Plan (NEAP) territory to be CARZ02 (Orange County, Anaheim, and Santa Ana) and the southern part of CARZ03 (Foothill Employment & Training Consortium, LA City, LA County, Pacific Gateway, Southeast LA County Consortium, South Bay Consortium, and Verdugo Consortium). However, CARZ03 appears to be an overlap of the Los Angeles Job Corps Center's territory. Can the Government provide the specific recruitment zip codes in CARZ03?

Please refer to attachment entitled "Long Beach NEAP Zip Codes."

28. Please confirm the number of slots for the Automobile Maintenance Light Repair trade. The RFP lists 24 slots, but the current CTT-10 (Career Technical Training) lists Auto Maintenance at 20 slots.

Offerors should plan according to the slot numbers listed in the RFP. The number of slots is 24.

29. Please confirm the number of slots for the OTP in Healthcare.

The RFP lists 10 slots but the current CTT-10 lists 40 slots. Also, are these full- or half-time OTP slots?

Offerors should plan according to RFP listed slot numbers. The number of slots is 10.

All slots listed are half-time slots.

30. The RFP indicates 5 Advanced Career Training (ACT) slots. Are these full-time or half-time slots?

These are full-time slots.

31. In view of the current COVID-19 pandemic and how this limits offerors' ability to contact or meet with potential partners, please provide the other training providers (OTPs) currently supplying the ACT and OTP in Health Care.

This information is proprietary and cannot be provided. Offerors are to develop/propose their own partners.

32. Please clarify what the operator’s responsibilities are regarding the upkeep of the onsite childcare center in cooperation with the current provider. For example, will the operator provide janitorial, maintenance, access to cafeteria, shared utilities, security screening, etc.?

The Job Corps contractor is responsible for the structural maintenance of the childcare building and the electric bill, which is included in the energy report.

33. Prior to the pandemic shutdown, was the onsite childcare center operational? If so, what were the hours of operation?

The onsite childcare center was open for students from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It was also open for community members from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

34. Does the onsite childcare center building have an off-street entrance? If so, is off-street parking available?

The childcare facility does not have an off-center access point.

35. Is the childcare center program open to the community? If so, what is the Job Corps center’s responsibility for securing the childcare center during operational hours?

Yes, the childcare center is open to the community. Any visitor to the childcare center must adhere to center policies regarding entrance and exit from the center.

36. Are visitors desiring to gain access to the child development center required to go through the main center security entrance?

Yes.

37. Can the Government provide details on any security enhancements that have been implemented since the December 2017 facility survey? The report lists “dangerous neighborhood” and “ a history of violent entry to the site” as security concerns.

The center currently has over 100 cameras recording movement at all times. All entrances are secured with key cards.

38. Is the center on a local public bus line? If so, what is the approximate distance to the nearest bus stop?

Please refer to https://www.metro.net/.

39. The center has several OTP programs. Have these programs been approved by the Government to be performed at a specific college or trade school, and if so, would the Government please provide copies of these agreements

Each offeror should propose how Career Technical Training (CTT) would be conducted. Agreements with other contractors/subcontractors are proprietary.

40. Please confirm that the 102 slots for Other Training Programs (OTP) are not considered full-time and are equivalent to a total of 51 students.

The center has 10 slots for Advanced Career Training (ACT) and 10 slots for Other Training Programs (OTP).

41. With no pre-proposal conference, offerors are unable to ascertain the number of washers and dryers on-center. Please clarify whether the student washing machines and dryers are leased or owned by the Government. Please provide the number of washers and dryers on-center.

The center is leasing all washers/dryers. There are a total of 16 washers and 16 dryers on site.

42. Are there any current or projected Construction, Rehabilitation, and Acquisition (CRA) projects that will not be completed before transition? Have the two recommended national projects in the executive summary of the 2019 facility survey been funded and completed?

At this moment, the national projects have not been completed. However, the Government does not anticipate any incomplete CRA projects prior to transition.

43. Are there any unions on center or involved in center operations?

The Long Beach Job Corps Center does not have a collective bargaining agreement related to Center Operations.

44. We understand Chapter 5.7 (R.1, R.2, and R.3) of the Job Corps Policy and Requirements Handbook (PRH) are not applicable to Firm- Fixed-Price (FFP) contracts and are not contract requirements.

Furthermore, Appendix 502 and Appendix 503 of Chapter 5.7 are not applicable to FFP contracts and are not requirements. (This includes all associated Exhibits.) How will the Government use the Center Financial Report (ETA 2110S) to monitor staff salaries?

All information provided by the contractor will be used to ensure compliance with the contract.

45. What impact, if any, does the requirement of staff vacancies in excess of 4% have on operators’ billable amounts associated with low On-board Strength (OBS)? What consideration, if any, is made to staffing the center at its current capacity to forego risk on operator cost and required price adjustments (Section G.9 of the solicitation) for less than 100% of OBS?

It is the contractor's requirement to mitigate impact to the billable price, while still maintaining a vacancy rate of not greater than 4%.

46. Center Supplemental Information (Attachment J-26) includes supplements for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) assets and staff/student computers. Please advise if these items are also listed in Funded Not Corrected (FNC) and/or Contractor Property Management System (CPMS).

All reportable property is on Job Corps Electronic Property Management System

(EPMS).

47. Are there any change requests to Career Technical Training (CTT) currently in process or planned that would affect the technical offerings under the new contract? If so, will these changes be completed prior to the new contract period?

No.

48. The List of Career Technical Skills Training Slots (Attachment J-5) appears to be blank. Please clarify which trades will qualify for CTST funding

The following trades qualify for CTST funding: Building Construction Technology, painting, glazing, and cement masonry.

49. The Executive Summary notes there are improvements that can be made or need to be made. Can the contractor assume that these are to be fixed through CRA funding, Equipment, and/or CTST funding rather than through funding for Center Operations? If some of the above issues are to be fixed through operational funds, can the Government identify which items those will be and provide further insight for contractors?

Yes, the center must use its maintenance funds that are included in operating funds for operations and maintenance (O&M) deficiencies, which are defined as minor maintenance and repair actions. PRH 5.7 R8 provides more details concerning operations and maintenance.

50. Are there any costs for utilities outside of electricity, water, and natural gas? No support was provided for sewer or other additional utilities besides the three mentioned. Concerning Attachment J-12 (Utilities and Fuel Usage), are these actual numbers from the Long Beach Job Corps Center? Or are these estimates for unknown periods? Also, the annual total from Attachment J-12 differs substantially from Attachment J-23 (Utility Cost Trend).

The only other utility is sewage. See utility summary for actual costs for three preceding years. Offerors should use these costs as a basis for forecasting utility costs.

51. Could the Government please provide the actual dollar cost for gas, sewer, electric, and water for the past three years?

See attachment #23 Utilities Summary.

52. Attachment J-12 shows an annual cost of $908.91 for electric, $198.15 for gas, and $172.60 for water. Attachment J-23 shows a Job Corps Program Year cost of $400,827 in 2018. Please confirm which utility cost is accurate.

See attachment #23 Utilities Summary

Questions & Responses