SPC_IDIQ_AE_FBO_questions_and_answers_1-12-2018.docx

Questions and Answers FedBizOpps Notice 12/22/17 – Solicitation No. 19AQMM18R0074 – A/E Services Multiple Award IDIQ for OBO

January 12, 2018

1. For the projects listed in Section F, do they need to be fully constructed or can they be in construction? I understand the A/E examples and lead Design portfolio need to be constructed but am unclear as to the past performance section, (Section F). I see that two projects must be constructed within the past two years but what about the additional projects?

Answer: Two recent examples of constructed projects, built within the past ten years. Offerors must clearly state the relationship of the examples to the scope, complexity, and other details of a typical OBO project. Two projects must be complete. There is no two-year requirement.

2. Can you clarify if all the providers of the core team services (section 7, page 4 of the solicitation) need to have top secret or secret clearance?

Answer: All must possess FINAL Secret Facility Clearances (FCL) to be eligible to respond to this announcement. DoS will sponsor firms for an upgrade from Secret to Top Secret. Additionally, the successful offerors selected for contract award must possess, or immediately obtain an Accredited Information System (AIS), approved by DSS for processing classified information.

3. Will any specialty consultants need to have top secret clearance, such as food service design, telecommunication, fire protection, etc. as listed in paragraph one on page 2?

Answer: Yes

4. If we are currently in the process of obtaining a Secret Security Clearance, can we still be considered for this proposal?

Answer: No

5. Do all of the consultant contractors on the solicitation need FCL? We will likely be a sub consultant under a FCL A/E team. Can you please clarify? We were cleared at one point during the firm’s history.

Answer: All must possess FINAL Secret Facility Clearances (FCL) to be eligible to respond to this announcement. DoS will sponsor firms for an upgrade from Secret to Top Secret. Additionally, the successful offerors selected for contract award must possess, or immediately obtain an Accredited Information System (AIS), approved by DSS for processing classified information.

6. The solicitation states that the submission should have tabbed sections. Under Item (2) STANDARD FORM 330 we are instructed to “use Sections D through G for information on the proposed team requested in (tabbed) items 7, 8 and 9.” The requirements in tabs 7, 8, and 9 do not correlate precisely with the information presented in Sections D through G. Please confirm that the only information from tabs 7-9 to be included in sections D-G would be the resumes in the SF330 part I, Section E and that the information requested in tabs 8 and 9 would remain under those tabs.

Answer: All information requested by the announcement must be included in your submission, if the requested information does not fit into the SF330 form, use Block H to supplement or include additional pages tabbed for items 7, 8, and 9 as needed. Please completely respond to the announcement, including items 7-9. These tabs and Section F also require examples of constructed projects and other graphic representations.

7. Under item (3) A/E FIRM DESIGN PORTFOLIO the last sentence states” At a minimum a site plan, representative floor plan, building section, two photographs, and other appropriate drawings and diagrams must be included for each project.” The requirement for floor plans creates two potential issues: 1) When including relevant US diplomatic office facilities, the inclusion of a floor plan could potentially make the submission SBU. 2) When presenting other relevant OBO classified projects the inclusion of a floor plan and photographs could make the submission classified. To present relevant projects while avoiding classification issues may we omit the floor plan and or photographs (with a written explanation) on some projects without being penalized in the scoring?

Answer: Yes, you may submit a written explanation in lieu of submitting floor plans or photographs. Do not submit any Sensitive But Unclassified or Classified information. All submissions must be unclassified.

8. Under item (7)b, two recent examples of constructed projects are requested for each discipline. Are these intended to be the relevant projects in SF330 Section E Resumes, or are you asking for two additional Section F project examples for each of the 13 core disciplines (26 pages total)?

Answer: Examples should be relevant to the resumes and include each discipline comprising the Core Team. Ideally, the core team will have worked together on multiple projects so separate project examples for each discipline is not required.

9. Under item (8)d we are unable to locate the “Excellence in Diplomatic Facilities Overview” at the referenced website. It appears to have been removed. Please confirm.

Answer: The correct site address is: overseasbuildings.state.gov/files/pdfs/excellence_booklet_web.pdf

10. Item (9)a states: “The Core Team shall provide three recent examples of past projects documentation, built and/or executed within the past ten years, and identify specific instances that demonstrate their ability to satisfy this requirement.” What is meant by “past projects documentation”? Which pieces of the stated documentation are requested? Is the solicitation asking for examples of working drawings, another project description, or documentation of the quality control metrics indicated such as cost, schedule, and change order management?

Answer: The word “documentation” is a typo, please see amended announcement (A001). Also under (9)b, the announcement is amended to say “(e.g. number of…)”.

11. Can you provide the list of countries or geographical areas that this contract is intended to serve?

12. May 11” x 17” sheets be utilized in the submission?

Answer: No. The qualifications submission should be no more than 160 single-faced or -80 double-sided pages (exclusive of tabbed divider sheets and cover letter) in an 8 ½” x 11” format.

13. May we use the same staff member in Section E twice, listed under separate disciplines?

Answer: Yes, if the staff member holds multiple roles, justification for multiple roles is recommended.

14. In Section F, please confirm that we may use multiple task orders delivered under an umbrella IDIQ contract as a project.

Answer: Different projects executed as separate task orders under a single IDIQ will be considered different projects.

15. May we use the same Section F project for multiple disciplines?

16. Please confirm that two projects must be presented for each discipline (possible maximum of 28 projects in section F).

Answer: Each discipline must be represented by two projects. Multiple disciplines can be represented by the same project.

17. For Site and Master Planning, is it permissible to use a planning project where the planning phase is complete, but the construction is intended to be completed over many years?

18. For Space Planning, is it permissible to use a project where the space planning phase is complete, but the execution of the plan is intended to be completed over the next several years?

19. For Geotech, is it permissible to use a project where the geotechnical reports are complete, but the project has yet to be constructed?

Answer: No. It is necessary to see a project example to ascertain if the reports were accurate.

20. For Project Management, is it permissible to use a project where our contractual agreement and project management is completed, but the project execution is being undertaken by the client or another entity outside of our scope?

Answer: You will need to explain firm’s role in the project.

21. Please confirm Section 8 (Team Organization and Management Plan) and Section 9 (Documents and Standards) should be addressed in Sections D & H of the SF330, not in Sections E or F.

Answer: Correct. Also see answer to question #6 above.

22. In Section 9, Documents and Standards, can “built and/or executed projects within the past ten years” include projects that are not construction complete?

Answer: No. Metrics must demonstrate performance results achieved by completed projects.

23. Please confirm that SF330 Part IIs are excluded from the page count Answer: The entire qualifications submission (including SF330 Part II) should be no more than 160 single-faced or -80 double-sided pages (exclusive of tabbed divider sheets and cover letter) in an 8 ½” x 11” format.

24. Are there specific small business participation goals for this solicitation (% of work)?

Answer: Per page 7 of the announcement, since a contract may result in an award over $700,000 (amount amended in A001), large businesses will be required to submit a small business subcontracting plan prior to contract award. We encourage all contractors to make use of small businesses to the maximum extent practicable. The Department of State’s small business goals for Fiscal Year 2018 place priority on the use of small businesses in the following order of importance: Small Disadvantaged Businesses and Women Owned Small Businesses (5%); followed by Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses and HuBZone Small Businesses (3%).

25. Could an architecture team (i.e., the lead designer and lead A/E team) be a sub consultant to an Engineering firm that does have the TS and be eligible to submit this solicitation? Or is it only acceptable if the lead designer and lead A/E team possess the clearance at the time of submission?

Answer: All must possess FINAL Secret Facility Clearances (FCL) to be eligible to respond to this announcement. DoS will sponsor firms for an upgrade from Secret to Top Secret. Additionally, the successful offerors selected for contract award must possess, or immediately obtain an Accredited Information System (AIS), approved by DSS for processing classified information.

26. We don’t currently hold an FCL, but are we able to respond if we team with a firm who DOES hold an FCL, or is this contract intended only for incumbents?

Answer: See answers #2, #5, and #25. All firms must possess FCLs to be eligible to respond to this announcement.

27. We have HSPD-12 clearance and would like to submit for this IDIQ. Is that sufficient security clearance?