Questions_Answers_for_HRSA_Evaluation_IDIQ_19-250-SOL-00046_05-10-2019.pdf

HRSA Evaluation Studies Questions and Answers Attachment No. 1

# Question Section of RFP Page # Government Response (To Be Provided)

Do subcontractors also need to complete Section K‐Representations, Certifications, and

Other Statements of Offeror?

L.5.3 Representations and

Certifications 47 No

For contracts in their first year of operation where we have no CPARS yet, can we list them in our Past Performance?

L.6 Past Performance 47

See L.6 pertaining to Offerors who do not have CPARS. The Offeror should include only completed projects.

Because the value of the contract is not known, can we use TBD for total contract value on the Subcontracting Plan?

L.13 Subcontracting Plan 49 Yes

The general instructions reference a transmittal letter should be included with the proposal to state any exceptions to the terms and conditions. Are there any other requirements regarding what should be included in the letter? Will this letter count against any page limitations for the IDIQ technical volume? Can you confirm the letter should be included in Volume 1?

L.1 43

Are there no other requirements regarding what should be included in the letter. Cover letter and transmittal letters do not count towards the page count limits.

Can the contractor propose its published GSA rates (where appropriate) to minimize the burden placed on both the contractor and government of obtaining, reviewing and securing payroll records?

L. 5. 1 45 Please following instructions outlined in

L.5.1.

Is the Offeror required to complete and submit with its offer OMB Standard Form LLL only if any registrants have made a lobbying contact on behalf of the offeror with respect to this contract, or should the Offeror submit a form marked "N/A" even if that has not happened?

RFP, Section K.9 40 Yes, the Offeror can submit a form marked N/A if that has not happened.

Please can you confirm that the cover page, table of contents, title page, and cover letter in the Past Performance volume will also be excluded from the page count?

RFP, Section L.6 47

Cover page(s) are excluded from the page counts. Table of content are not included in the page count.

Will the cover page, table of contents, title page, and cover letter be excluded from the page count in the Technical volume?

RFP, Section L.4 Page 45

This is the correct response. Cover page, cover letter, and table of contests are not included in the 125‐page limit for the

Technical Proposal.

For future task order proposals, would a subcontractor be limited by the maximum unloaded hourly rates that the prime has established with HRSA?

B.2 Compensation

Cost/Price

Yes, please provide unloaded hourly rates.

Do proposed subcontractors need to submit Cost or Pricing Data required of the

Offeror (i.e., unburdened wage rate, fringe, overhead rates, G&A, and profit)?

L.5.1 Cost or Pricing Data 45

It is only necessary if the subcontractor in question is being proposed on one of the hypothetical Task Orders. The establishment of the IDIQ ceiling rates would be based upon each prime's rate structure, not the subcontractor's.

Can proposed subcontractors submit proprietary information directly to the

Government (ie: NICRA)? If so, can you provide instructions for this submission?

L.5.1 Cost or Pricing Data &

C. Personnel (10 points) 45, 57 Yes

Is payroll documentation required for the IDIQ Maximum Unloaded Rates in section

B.2?

L.5.1, B.2 46, 3

Yes, it is needed to determine fair and resonableness.

Do subcontractors also need to complete Section K‐Representations, Certifications, and

Other Statements of Offeror?

L.5.3 Representations and

Certifications 47 See question and answer No. 3.

For contracts in their first year of operation where we have no CPARS yet, can we list them in our Past Performance?

L.6 Past Performance 47 See question and answer Number 12.

Because the value of the contract is not known, can we use TBD for total contract value on the Subcontracting Plan?

L.13 Subcontracting Plan 49 see question and answer for No. 14.

The Past Performance volume requests projects “completed within the past three (3) years.” Will the Government allow offerors to include projects that are currently ongoing, as long as there has been sufficient performance to be evaluated?

L.6 47

No, Please follow the instructions outlined in L.6. See question and answer

No. 12.

Do CPARS count in the page limit of Volume III‐Past Performance, or can CPARS be included in an Appendix?

L.6.2 47

Yes, they count for the page limit Volume

No. 3.

Are subcontractors requires to submit a breakdown of estimated unburdened wage rates, fringe, overhead rates, G&A rates, and profit for each labor category?

L.5.1 45 See question and answer Number 46.

Is SF LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form required to be completed if the offeror has no lobbying activities to disclose? If yes, where should the completed form be included in the proposal?

Section J, Attachment F See question and answer No. 31.

Is the Subcontracting Plan to be submitted and reported at the IDIQ level or at the individual task order level? If at the IDIQ level, should TBD dollar values be used since dollars are unknown?

Section J, Attachment G

Actually goals should be submitted at the

Task Order level.

TBD for goals for IDIQ subcontracting plan.

The solicitation requires offerors to submit "a copy of the subcontractor's current negotiated rate agreement". Can the government please clarify the preferred submission method for subcontractor's negotiated rate agreements?

M.5.1.C.A. 57 See question and answer No. 47.

Please confirm that the three past performance references can include currently ongoing as well as completed work within the past three (3) years.

Amendment No. 1

Section M.6.2 66 Please see revised M.6.2, question and answer No. 12.

Is the same level of administrative detail required by subcontractors as the Prime for

Volume 2 Business Proposal? Such as Section K, Labor Categories, Rates, Certificate of

Current Cost & Price Data, salary documentation, etc

L.5 45

Subcontractors are responsibility of the

Prime. REPS and CERTS or certificate of

Cost or Pricing data are not required to be completed by the subcontractor. See question and answer No. 46 for further clarification.

Is it acceptable for a subcontractor to submit a copy of their business documents (e.g, subcontractor's current negotiated rate agreement) directly to HRSA with clear labeling indicating which prime the subcontractor is bidding with?

Section M.5, C. Personnel 57 Yes

Does the cover letter need to include a table of contents or may the proposal include a table of contents (that does not count towards the page count)

L.4 Technical Proposal

Instructions – Volume I 43 See question and answer Number 37.

129 Do subcontractors need to submit their own labor category? B.2 3 See question and answer No. 46.

130 Do subcontractors need to submit a breakdown of their cost structure? L.5.1 a 46 See question and answer No. 46.

135 Do you need payroll support for max ceiling rate personnel for Prime & Subcontractor? L.5.1 B 46 See question and answer No. 46.

Do you need payroll support for each personnel listed in the Hypothetical for Prime &

Subcontractor?

L.5.1 B 46 See question and answer No. 46.

If sealed bid is applicable for subcontractors, what is the method you would like us to submit sealed bids.

L.5 45

Sealed Bids are not applicable for this solicitation.

Given the confidential nature of the cost information requested for subcontractors, may subs submit the confidential business information under separate cover as long as they identify the prime?

M.5.C

57 Yes

Page 57 of the Solicitation asks that Subcontractor “negotiated rate agreements” be submitted to support subcontractor pricing. If a subcontractor is a small business entity, or otherwise does not have a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement with the

Government, may offerors propose engaging those Subcontractors on a Time &

Materials or Firm Fixed Price basis?

M.5.1.C.A.

The Government does not have privity with subcontractors, it is up to the Prime to negotiate their agreement with their subcontractors.

The description, that begins on p.45, of what to include in the Cost and Pricing Data

(L.5.1) of the Business Proposal (L.5), does not reference budgets for the four hypothetical projects; however, the evaluation criteria for the Business Proposal, M.7, on page 67 indicates that the cost evaluation will consist of two parts: 1) evaluation of the cost proposals associated with the 4 hypothetical projects, and 2) comparison of hourly rates proposed/submitted for each labor category to current market rates.

Could you please confirm that the Business Proposal, in the Cost and Pricing Data section, should include a budget for each of the four hypothetical projects, in addition to the requirements laid out, starting on page 45: Cost or Pricing Data must include:

• Each labor category contains a breakdown of estimated unburdened wage rate, fringe, overhead rates, general and administration rate, profit, and other costs

• Show hourly rates and the dates and periods where rate increases should apply for labor estimates o Explain policy towards merit or cost‐of‐living increases o Provide copies of actual payroll records for those identified as direct labor

• Provide copy of negotiated indirect rate agreement with Federal Government. If there is not an indirect cost rate, provide a description of cost allocation methodology used and justify with supporting documents

L.5.1; M.7

45; 67

Cost or Pricing Data is required for the hypotheticals and as part of the Business

Proposal submission.

Cost or Pricing Data must include:

a. Each labor category must contain a breakdown of estimated unburdened wage rate, fringe, overhead rates, general and administration rate, profit, and other costs.

• Hourly rates and the dates and periods where rate increases should apply for labor estimates.

o Explain policy towards merit or cost‐of‐ living increases o Provide copies of actual payroll records for those identified as direct labor.

• Provide copy of negotiated indirect rate agreement with Federal

Government. If there is not an indirect cost rate, provide a description of cost allocation methodology used and justify with supporting documents.

The RFP notes that Task Order deliverables must be Section 508 compliant, but does

HRSA require technical proposal responses to be 508 compliant?

F.7 Schedule of

Deliverables (Example) 15

Yes, all deliverables should be 508 compliant. Proposal should be pdf and allow for electronic searchability.

Does HRSA require that all deliverables under a Task Order be 508‐compliant or only externally facing deliverables?

F.7 Schedule of

Deliverables (Example)

Yes, all Task Order deliverables should be

508 compliant.

Are cover pages, cover letters, and Tables of Contents included in the page count? L.4 Technical Proposal

Instructions – Volume I; L.6

Past Performance

45 See question and answer Number 20.

Can you confirm that subcontractors may submit indirect cost agreements and labor documentation directly to HAB in support of the prime contractor?

N/A N/A

All solicitation responses shall be submitted to HRSA Contracts Office.

The title for Volume II, Business Proposal, includes a reference to a certificate of current cost or pricing data although there is no instruction for this item in the detailed instructions in L.5. Given that this is an IDIQ and hypothetical projects, can HRSA kindly clarify if this is required?

L.1 43

L.1 is correct. Offerors are not required to submit certificate of current cost or pricing data for the hypotheticals. It is required at the IDIQ level.

The instructions for the evaluation of the Personnel section of the technical proposal requires copies of subcontractor’s negotiated indirect cost rate agreements (NICRAs).

1. Please confirm that this information should be provided in the business proposal rather than in the technical, as these are cost‐related elements.

2. Please confirm that NICRAs are required for proposed subcontractors on the hypothetical projects only.

M.5.1.C 57

1. Yes, provide answers in Business

Proposal.

2. Yes

The instructions for the evaluation of the Personnel section of the technical proposal requires copies of all subcontracting agreements in accordance with FAR Clause 52.244‐

2.

1. Please confirm this information is required for subcontractors proposed only on the hypothetical projects.

2. May offerors provide Teaming Agreements to fulfill this requirement, as subcontract agreements are not executed at the proposal stage?

3. Do offerors also need to address the other elements of FAR 52.244‐2, and if so, please confirm that this information should be submitted in the business proposal, as the FAR requires the estimated subcontract value and no cost information should be provided in the technical proposal?

M.5.1.C 57 See revision to M.5.1, C. Personnel.

Please clarify if Offerors are to respond to the Statement of Work in Volume I, as part of the Technical Approach?

J.A 15‐Jan

The Offeror should organize their response to the technical approach using the categories included in section

M.5.1.B. They should not use the task areas included in Section J Attachment A

(statement of work).

The instructions for Hypothetical Project 4 starts with “given a limited project budget...” Does HRSA have a project budget amount for this hypothetical task?

Hypothetical Project #4 64‐65 See question and answer Number 60.

Can the recent examples of relevant evaluation experience discussed in the hypotheticals, also be discussed in the Organizational Experience section of the main technical approach?

M.5.1 Technical Proposal

Evaluation. Section F.

Approach to Hypothetical

Projects

The Offeror may use the same projects to respond to the Organizational

Experience and the Hypothetical Projects components of the RFP.

In the interest of identifying vendors with a comprehensive and robust set of skills and experiences, the Government prefers that different projects be used for the Organizational Experience and

Hypothetical Projects in the Offeror’s response whenever possible.

Can items 6 and 7 (three examples of briefing materials and three examples of high level policy memos/papers) be included in an appendix?

Section E. Organizational

Experience

The examples of briefings, policy memos and papers (items 6 and 7 of M.5.I.E) may be summarized in annotated list/table with full examples included in an appendix. The description of the 4 past projects required by item 8 of this section shall be included in the Technical proposal (not an appendix).

248 Is payroll documentation required for each hypothetical budget?

L.5.1

Payrolls documentation is required for each hypothetical budget.

Reference: The solicitation requires offerors to submit "a table of contents" for the

Technical Proposal. Question: Can the government please clarify if the table of contents is exempt from the 125‐page limit for the Technical Proposal?

L.4

45 See question and answer No. 37.

Does HRSA have data use agreements in place for use of databases needed for this work or will the contractor have to work at the national, state, and local level to obtain the data?

SOW Task 2

This question will be addressed in the development of requests for task orders

(RFTOs) subsequent to the award of this

IDIQ

The statement of work document (Attachment A) describes Task Area 3 (“Targeted

Support for Evaluation Study, Evaluation‐Related Service and Policy/Study

Components”). However, Part B in Section M of the RFP appears to list key technical skills/capacities related only to Task Areas 1, 2, 4, and 5 from the SOW. Can HRSA confirm whether Task Area #3 should be addressed in the Technical Approach section of the proposal?

Attachment A

11 See question and answer No. 214.

Is a separate project management, staffing, and planning approach required for each hypothetical project or this an overall approach?

M.5.1.F.b

Each hyothetical will be considered as a separate Task Order, therefore the offeror based upon their expertise is required to propose their staffing

(project manager, staffing, and planning approach.)

Should the synopses of 4 past projects under “Organizational Experience” include only completed projects, or may ongoing projects be included as well?

Section M.5.1 (E)

The Offeror may use ongoing projects with at least one year of completed performance in responding to the requirement for an 800 word project synopsis of 4 past projects.

In the interest of identifying vendors with a comprehensive and robust set of skills and experiences, the Government prefers that completed projects be included in the Offeror’s response whenever possible.