Q&A_MED_Support_Final.pdf

Questions and Answers (Q&A) Medical Support Services Solicitation

19AQMM18R0082

Business/Price Questions:

1. Is this contract for personal, or non-personal services? If both, please clarify which labor categories are personal and which are non-personal.

Answer: The contract is for non-personal services.

2. Is there an incumbent for this current effort? If so, please provide the name and contract number of the incumbent. Is this requirement a "bundling" of other efforts? If so, please provide the names and contract numbers of the incumbent companies that comprise the "bundling" of other efforts. Is this a new contract? If not, who is the incumbent and what is the contract number for the incumbent? Please confirm that this is a new requirement, as stated in the DD254. If it is not new, please provide the current contract number, incumbent name, contract value, and whether there are incumbent personnel available for re-hire, particularly the positions requiring personnel clearances.

Is this an existing or new requirement? If existing, can you provide the incumbent name and contract #? Is there a current vendor providing contract services, that will be replaced by this contract? If so, can you please provide the contract number(s) and vendor(s) information. Is this a Re-compete solicitation? Please provide contract details of the incumbent contractor – Name, contract number, Contract Period, contract value.

Is current contractor an 8(a) small business? If so, are they eligible to re-compete. If there is incumbent personnel; will the government provide original dates of hire to maintain compliance for SCA relevant personnel.

Answer: This is a new requirement. However, the requirement is similar to the requirement currently filled under the Department of State (DOS) Contract with Anyar, Inc. However, the requirement has been updated to address DOS’s current needs and for better definition. This is not a bundled requirement. There are contractor personnel in many of the described positions, but the availability of the personnel for re-hire or other personnel information is for the offerors to determine. Anyar has graduated from the 8(a) program, and therefore, could not be the prime contractor on the 8(a) award.

Details of the Anyar contract follow.

Address: Anyar, Inc.

2113 Lewis Turner Blvd.

Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547-1379

POC and Phone #: Rayna M. McGlockton, 850-226-8511 Contract #: SAQMMA16C0246 Current Value: $3,193,709.58

Award Date: 09/01/2016 Expiration Date: 06/02/2018

3. Is this solicitation Governed by the Service Contract Act of 1965 (i.e., the phlebotomist and nurses, which labor categories are specified on every Department of Labor Wage Determination)? Service Contract Act – please confirm that the positions, to include Registered Nurses and Phlebotomists – must be compliant with SCA. Does FAR 52.222- 62 ("Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706") apply to this solicitation?

Answer: Yes, the contract will be covered by the Service Contract, and the contract is amended to add a Department of Labor Wage Determination and applicable clauses, including 52.222-62, Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706.

4. This contract is for "time and materials" (ref. Para B1). Does the Government require offerors to have an audited and accepted accounting system from DCAA?

Answer: Yes, DOS intend to award a time and material contract. No, offerors are not required to have an audited and accepted accounting system from DCAA.

5. Will the government provide a soft copy of the pricing file Excel spreadsheet? Will the government provide soft copies or word documents of the past performance questionnaire and Past Project Performance form?

Answer: The price worksheet, past performance forms, and statement of work are already provided in soft copy. See the post on FedBizOps.

https://www.fbo.gov/index.php?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=e1a595d25a149d0906 a765f23191b204&tab=core&tabmode=list&=

6. Please consider allowing submission of the technical proposal in PDF format, or, at minimum, the resume portion of Volume 2. Many candidates provide their resumes in PDF format.

Answer: The specific instruction is that proposals must be submitted in a format compatible with Microsoft Office 2007. However, offerors may submit resumes in PDF format.

7. Given the number of key personnel resumes required, and specialty level of some positions, would the Govt. please consider extending the deadline for proposals?

Answer: The due date is extended two weeks. See amendment.

https://www.fbo.gov/index.php?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=e1a595d25a149d0906a765f23191b204&tab=core&tabmode=list& https://www.fbo.gov/index.php?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=e1a595d25a149d0906a765f23191b204&tab=core&tabmode=list&

8. Is the 20 pages limit for all Technical Evaluation Factors 1, 2, and 3 combined? Or is the 20 pages limit for each Technical Evaluation Factor proposal volume?

Answer: Yes the page limit is for the entire technical proposal. However, resumes and past project forms are excluded.

Technical Questions

1. Six of the labor categories require one Full-Time Employee (i.e., Clinical Psychologist, Child Psychiatrist, Child Psychologist, Phlebotomist, Infectious Disease Physician, Epidemiologist), and the Government requires 2080 hours of work for each of these labor categories per year. Does the Government intend that these employees work 2080 hours per year; take 10 federal holidays (ref. Para F4); take one week for "professional-level classroom instruction" (ref. Para H1); take vacation; and/or take Sick Leave (per E.O. 13706) during the same year? In other words, will the Government require offerors to have "back up" support to ensure that 2080 hours occur per year per each full-time labor category? If not, please clarify the numbers of hours, e.g., 1824 hours per year per full-time labor category.

Answer: DOS has generally been flexible with medical support contractor personnel, including their training and leave schedules, and has permitted less than 2,080 hours per year for full-time position. However, DOS will retain right to require up to 2,080 hours per year for each of the full-time positions.

2. Will the government provide a historical schedule for all part time jobs? Could the Government please clarify the hours and schedules for the part-time positions? Do all part time jobs require a minimum number of hours per week or are they on an as needed basis?

Answer: A historical schedule will not be provided. Some of the part-time positions are on an as needed basis.

3. As a new 8a company, will the government provide sponsorship for the clearance level required for this opportunity? Will the department require the contractor to possess or obtain a facility clearance as a condition of award? Will the contractor or department be responsible for the financial obligation associated with obtaining contractor security clearances as required? Does the prime contractor require an active Secret or Top Secret Clearance to bid this opportunity or will a subcontractor with a facility clearance be able to employ the 3 positions with clearances? Do the three positions requiring either a secret or top secret require a current active clearance of will they be able to apply for the required clearances upon contract award? Could the Government please clarify whether the Government intends to sponsor the successful 8(a) awardee for an FCL or whether offerors must already possess a TS FCL prior to award? Is the Facility

Clearance required at time of proposal, time of award, or will the ability to obtain the facility clearance post-award suffice? Also, if a Joint-Venture is proposed, do you require the JV to hold the facility clearance directly, or can each member hold the facility clearance individually for purposes of award and sponsoring staff? Can you please advise if the vendor that wins this contract must have Facility Clearance PRIOR to this contract being awarded? Will the Dept of the State sponsor an eligible vendor in order to meet security requirements, post-award?

Answer: Offerors must have a Top Secret Facility clearances at the time of proposal due date. DOS will not sponsor offerors for facility clearances. The personnel that are required to have security clearances may be cleared after award, however this is an inconvenience to DOS and the personnel may not handle or be exposed to any classified information until security clearances are obtained, and hence, DOS may not be allow these personnel to start work until cleared.

4. Please clarify the extent of the contractor's travel in distance and frequency. Is it the government’s intent to restate the travel section (section 6 in the PWS) for clarification purposes? Is the travel CLIN limited to the ID Physician and Epidemiologist, or may the contractor utilize that CLIN for travel in for p-t specialties as well?

Answer: There is no set amount of travel. Some physicians may travel to the yearly Continuing Medical Education Seminar, but the time spent there can vary from one day to two weeks or more. It would depend on the need at the time. The travel CLIN will be used for any positions that require travel. Additional lines may be added as needed for additional travel.

5. Are there additional education or certification criteria for the nurse consultant (Medical Clearance and Exam Clinic) positions than the registered nurse consultant positions?

Answer: The education and certification criteria are as stated in the SOW.

6. Could the Government please confirm that applicable licenses for key personnel may be from any U.S. state? We see that any-state notation in RN, Nurse Consultant, and Pathologist qualifications but not in others.

Answer: Yes, medical licenses to practice for key personnel may be from any U.S. State, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico but, DOS also requires that the licensee be U.S.

medical specialty board certified and they must maintain their certification. If their certificate of training (Diploma) is from a foreign school, they must show that it is equivalent to a US standard and they must have ECFMG certification. MED also conducts a NPDB (National Practitioner Data Bank) screen for all physician and nurse practitioner licensees.

7. Does the Government require that offerors carry $1M of professional liability insurance per individual on this contract (ref. Para 10 "Special Requirements")? Does the Government also require medical malpractice insurance for this contract (e.g., non-personal services), and if so, which labor categories would require this coverage?

Answer: Yes, the government requires that offerors carry $1,000,000 of professional liability insurance per individual on this contract. Yes, the government also requires medical malpractice insurance for the positions on this contract where the physicians and nurses provide patient care. For example, this would include the cardiologist, nurses, psychologist, phlebotomist, and pathologist, etcetera.

8. Regarding the requirement of Key Personnel resumes. The number of resumes required seems excessive. Would the Government please consider reducing the number of key personnel resumes required with the proposal?

Answer: No, the resumes requirement remains unchanged.

9. Technical Evaluation Past Performance – It seems that the stringent requirement on the past/current work experience is not encouraging complementing Teaming arrangement.

Will government consider past performance references from Prime and Sub (teaming partners) as a valid and acceptable submission for evaluation instead of just evaluating prime contractors references. Relevant Work Experience: Will government consider the experience in other related fields a valid and acceptable relevant work experience instead of just Medical Support staffing experience. Must the contractor have past performance on GSA?

Answer: The solicitation already requests prime and subcontractor past performance information, and states that both will be evaluated. Provided past projects should be relevant in terms of size, scope and complexity. Offerors are encouraged to submit in their proposals their most relevant and well performed past projects (contracts).

10. Regrading, Clinical Psychologist (part-time), can you please provide the rationale for the requirement: " 4) At least 10 years of experience in performing security clearance and fitness for duty evaluations in both law enforcement and intelligence community environments".

Answer: The requirement for a minimum of 10 years of experience is based on the needs of the Department and the extensive experience and independence that provision of quality services the position demands. We have found that psychologists with this level of experience are working at a level needed to be successful and are more adept at understanding and managing complex cases which present.

11. Regarding SOW, Paragraph 16, will an interim MPRT Certification be allowed until all Contractor personnel receive clearance?

Answer: No, an MRPT is not a clearance. If the contractor has an interim MRPT certification, they may be allowed to start contract performance until their final MRPT is received.

For those positions requiring a clearance, Secret or above, they will not be allowed to begin contract performance until they receive a final determination.