Att._3_-_Additional_Instructions_to_Offerors.docx

ATTACHMENT 3- ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

In addition to all instructions, conditions, and notices to Offerors elsewhere in the solicitation, including FAR 52.215-1 Instructions to Offerors--Competitive Acquisition (Jan 2017) - Alternate I (Oct 1997), Offerors shall comply with all instructions, conditions, and notices in these instructions.

In order to ensure maximum efficiency and transparency throughout the solicitation and evaluation process, to limit undue financial risk associated with Bid and Proposal cost expenditures by Offerors who may be unlikely to rank highly in evaluation, and to ultimately obtain the best proposal for the Government upon contract award, the source selection for the OSIN Contract will involve a multi-phased evaluation, with each phase resulting in a competitive range determination. Within each phase, the contracting officer may limit the number of proposals in the competitive range pursuant to paragraph (f) of RFP provision 52.215-1, Alt I.

The Government intends to evaluate offers and may award a contract without discussions or exchanges with Offerors. Therefore, the Offeror’s initial offer should contain the best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the CO to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest. The Government may waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received. The Government intends to award one (1) time and material labor hour contract from this solicitation.

The successful offeror shall possess a FINAL TOP SECRET Facility Security Clearance (FCL) issued by the Defense Security Services (DSS) prior to contract award.

The Contracting Officer is the ONLY person who is authorized to conduct formal discussions with the Offeror from release of this RFP through the time of contract award. Any such discussions shall be conducted in accordance with the FAR Part 15, Guidelines.

Proposal will not be returned. Upon award of the contract the successful Offerors original copies will be retained in the official contract file and all remaining proposals will be destroyed.

The debriefing of unsuccessful Offerors shall be conducted upon a written request and within the guidelines of FAR 15.506. The time, date, and location of the debriefing shall be determined by the CO.

The Government reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions of the solicitation at any time before or after receipt of proposals. If the Government amends the solicitation, the Government will so advise all parties receiving the solicitation (if the amendment is issued before the established time and date for receipt of proposals) or all offerors that have not been eliminated from the competition (if the amendment is issued after the established time and date for receipt of proposals).

Proposal Instructions

I. Phase I – Performance Confidence Assessment (Past Performance)

The Offeror shall identify a minimum of three and a maximum of five separate references for the prime contractor. For at least 1 of the references, the Offeror must have been the prime. If subcontracting, the Offeror shall also identify one subcontractor/teaming partner as their “significant subcontractor” who is expected to perform aspects of the effort that the Offeror considers critical to the overall success of the program. The Offeror shall submit a maximum of two separate references for the “significant subcontractor” and a maximum of one for each of the other subcontractors/teaming partners. Only one contract per reference is permitted. Offerors are not permitted to cite one contract multiple times to meet the minimum or maximum reference specifications of this requirement. The references shall not be the same effort (requirement) over multiple contracts. The references shall represent recent contracts (within the past five years) that the Offeror considers most relevant in demonstrating the Offeror’s ability to perform the proposed effort. References may include contracts entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of state and local governments, and commercial customers.

Phase I Proposal content. For each reference, the Offeror shall submit the following information:

1. Name of contracting activity (specify Federal, state or local government, or commercial customer)

2. Contract Number, or, if applicable, contract name or other unique identifier

3. Task Order number (if applicable)

4. Contract Type

5. Total contract value, and subcontract value (if applicable)

6. Performance role: (Prime/Sub-Contractor)

7. Description of work

8. Period of Performance

9. Narrative highlighting the relevance of the work performed in terms of scope, magnitude, and complexity. If the reference is associated with a subcontractor/teaming partner, the narrative shall clearly relate the referenced experience to the role proposed under the Open Source Intelligence Services (OSIN) contract and the approximate percentage of the total effort the subcontractor/teaming partner is contributing to the effort.

For each reference, the Offeror shall send a corresponding Past Performance Customer Satisfaction Survey (RFP Attachment 1) to the respective customer reference (i.e. person with direct knowledge of the Offeror's performance), asking them to complete and return the survey by email to AfrasiabiF@state.gov no later than the proposal due date/time identified on the Standard Form 1449 Solicitation, Offer, and Award, Box 8. For each Federal Government reference, the Government may also consider records available in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) and other Government records.

Phase I Proposal format. Phase I proposals shall be delivered as five (5) separately-bound (three-ring binders and other binding methods are acceptable), identical hard copies, printed double-sided on 8 ½” x 11” plain paper compliant with RFP clause 52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Postconsumer Fiber Content Paper. Foldouts no larger than 11”x 17” may also be used, in which case each sheet shall count as two 8 ½” x 11” sheets. Content shall be no smaller than Times New Roman font size 12 (excluding headers, footers, and tables/graphics which shall be no smaller than Times New Roman font size 10). The proposal shall also include two CD-ROMs with one copy each of the Phase I proposal, which shall be identical to the hard copies.

Phase I Page limitation. The Phase I Proposal must not exceed 15 pages. (“Page” means one side of an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper.) Phase I Proposal pages in excess of that number will not be considered or evaluated by the Government. The only exclusions from the page limitation are pages that are purely administrative or organizational in nature, such as tables of contents, lists of figures or acronyms, cross-reference matrices, indexes, cover letter and dividers or tabs. Executive summaries, and other material that is not purely administrative or organizational in nature shall be included in the page count.

Phase I Proposal delivery. Phase I proposals (excluding completed Past Performance Customer Satisfaction Surveys) shall be delivered by hand or courier (USPS deliveries are not accepted at this address) no later than the proposal due date/time identified on the Standard Form 1449 Solicitation, Offer, and Award, Box 8 to:

U.S. Department of State Attn: Farzad J. Afrasiabi 1400 Wilson Blvd, Suite 100 Arlington VA 22209 Ref: 19AQMM19R0093 Phase I

Delivery should be pre-coordinated by calling Mr. Afrasiabi at (703) 312-3248 prior to delivery.

The DOS will not accept completed Past Performance Customer Satisfaction Surveys from the Offeror; they shall be submitted by email directly from the evaluator to Mr. Afrasiabi at AfrasiabiF@state.gov so that they are received at that electronic address no later than the proposal due date/time identified on the Standard Form 1449 Solicitation, Offer, and Award, Box 8.

Phase I Conclusion. The Government will make the first competitive range determination after evaluation of Phase I proposals and notify Offerors of their inclusion in or exclusion from that range. (See Attachment 4 – Evaluation Factors for Award, section I – Phase I – Performance Confidence Assessment.) Those Offerors who are excluded from the competitive range will not be considered further for award.

II. Phase II – Technical and Cost/Price Proposals

All and only those Offerors who are included in the first competitive range will be invited to submit technical and cost/price proposals.

The technical evaluation criteria in Section M of this solicitation will be used by the technical panel to evaluate the Technical Proposal. The Offeror’s Technical Proposal shall strictly comply with the following instructions in detail. Simply repeating or paraphrasing the requirements as stated in the solicitation document (e.g. stating the Offeror can and/or will meet the requirements without a detailed description of how the work will be done), is not acceptable and may cause the Government to reject the proposal as technically unacceptable.

Phase II written proposal content – Written Technical Proposal. The organization and content of the Technical Proposal shall follow the sequence of paragraphs listed below.

Evaluation Factor 2: Staffing Approach. The Offeror shall provide a clear and comprehensive description of its Staffing Approach to meet contract requirements. At a minimum, the Offeror’s Staffing Approach must include:

1. The Offeror’s overall approach to recruiting and retaining the employees who will provide direct labor under the contract. The approach must include a recruiting flow diagram and a comprehensive description of each step in the recruiting process from identification to selection, employee hiring and orientation. The Offeror shall explain how the proposed approach will ensure that contract activities will be fully staffed in accordance with its Transition Plan.

a. A clear and complete Compensation Plan in accordance with solicitation provision 52.222-46 for Professional Employees.

b. A discussion of how the proposed labor rates were derived for each of the labor categories proposed including any data relied upon, such as recognized national and regional compensation surveys and studies of professional, public and private organizations in determining or ascertaining the base salaries associated with each labor category.

c. A discussion of the method used to map the labor category position descriptions to the Offeror’s internal labor categories, including how the proposed salary rates take into account differences in skills, the complexity of various disciplines, professional job difficulty, and continuing educational requirements.

d. Include a completed Summary of Employees Benefits for the Offeror and each of the proposed subcontractors.

e. Provide a supporting discussion of the proposed fringe benefits enumerated in the Summary of Employees Benefits. The Offeror shall state if each fringe benefit proposed in the Summary of Employees Benefits is currently being offered to existing employees or if any of the proposed fringe benefits are being added for purposes of proposing on this contract.

f. A Training Management Plan describing the specific steps the Offeror will implement to ensure that all direct labor personnel maintain and enhance current certifications and skillsets.

g. The Offeror shall submit a resume for each key personnel proposed for the contract. Instructions for the identification of Key Personnel for this contract are identified in Section H-016. Each resume shall describe the applicable certifications, detailed work history, and applicable skillsets of the proposed key personnel. Each resume shall clearly indicate the key personnel’s employee status (i.e., whether they are currently employed or are a prospective hire). By submitting a resume for a position designated as Key Personnel, the Offeror shall affirm the following:

i. The key personnel meets the requirements of the applicable labor category description;

ii. The key personnel is available to begin work as indicated;

1. Resumes shall clearly demonstrate the employment history between the individual and the Offeror, or reflect the anticipated employment arrangement (i.e. contractor, contingent direct hire, consultant, etc.);

2. Resumes shall contain a signed statement that the individual grants permission for his/her resume to be submitted for consideration under this solicitation;

3. The Offeror shall describe the amount of time the proposed employee(s) will actually perform under the contract; the likelihood that the proposed employee(s) will agree to work for the Offeror (or a proposed subcontractor, which the Offeror must identify); and any intent to utilize the proposed employee(s) on the Offeror's other contracts. The Offeror shall include in its proposal a binding bilateral employment agreement for each proposed key personnel that is not at time of proposal submission an employee of the Offeror (or a proposed subcontractor, which the Offeror must identify).

Technical Evaluation Factor 3: Management Approach. The Offeror shall submit a clear and comprehensive description of its management approach and corporate resource capabilities in meeting the requirements enumerated in the SOW. At a minimum, the management approach shall include:

1. List the Offeror’s current facility clearance level and CAGE code and the current facility clearance levels and CAGE code of any proposed subcontractors

2. Provide an organization chart that identifies the corporate management and support infrastructure positions as being either filled by the prime or subcontractor and list the number of prime contractor and subcontractor staff assigned.

3. Processes and procedures for normative day-to-day functions and controls as well as the offeror’s approach to planning for future needs, flex-time and managing for surge or as-needed support;

4. A Travel Management Plan that provides detailed, step-by-step procedures for managing personnel travel in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations;

5. A timeline for the recruiting process from receipt of the Department of State’s requirement to selection, employee hiring and orientation of the employee. The timeline shall differentiate hiring pre-cleared individuals from individuals without the proper clearance levels;

6. For Offerors proposing subcontractors, the Offeror shall submit its approach to managing identified subcontractors. The approach must include:

i. The specific roles and responsibilities for each subcontractor and the rationale for why each particular subcontractor was chosen to perform the particular segment of the anticipated work;

ii. How it will manage subcontractors to ensure their products are delivered on time and within budget, and are of sufficient quality to enable the Offeror to meet all contractual requirements.

iii. Subcontracting Plan IAW Clause 52.219-9 Alt II and 652.219-70.

7. A description of the offeror’s quality control plan, including specific methods and procedures for quality monitoring and tracking.

Cost/Price Proposal

Phase II proposal content – Cost/Price. The Cost/Price Proposal shall, at a minimum, provide the following information:

1. Cover Letter

A cover letter meeting all requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) of RFP provision 52.215-1 Instructions to Offerors--Competitive Acquisition (Jan 2017) - Alternate I (Oct 1997).

2. Standard Form 1449 (SF-1449)

The Offeror shall complete Boxes 17 through 30, as appropriate, of the SF 1449. The Offeror shall acknowledge all RFP amendments, if any, either by signing and returning the SF30 (i.e., cover page only). Failure to submit a complete proposal by the closing time and date designated in block 8 of the SF-1449 may result in the proposal being deemed late and not considered for award. Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Section M.

3. Comprehensive Cost/Price Proposal

The Government anticipates adequate price competition under this solicitation, therefore Offerors are not required to submit certified cost or pricing data with their proposals. However, in order to determine meaningful reviews of the proposed prices, the Government has determined that supporting documentation is needed.

Each offeror shall price their fixed, fully burdened labor rates using the provided Excel Pricing Workbook.

Attachment 2 – Pricing Workbook shall depict the development of the labor rates proposed in Section B for the base and all option years. The Offeror shall create columns of data in order to support the labor rates proposed in Section B. The Offeror shall display all formulas used in calculating the Fully-Loaded Labor Rate in the appropriate data cells of the Pricing Workbook. In addition, the Offeror shall provide a separate sheet entitled “Price Proposal Notes” and include any narrative discussion or supporting documentation as indicated below. The Price Proposal Notes shall follow the same outline listed below.

(1) Direct Labor:

• Proposed Unloaded Hourly Rate – In this column the Offeror shall enter the proposed hourly labor rate that will be paid directly to the employee.

• Loading 1 - The Offeror shall insert a dollar amount in this column and include a discussion as to what indirect costs are included in Loading 1 in the Price Proposal Notes, (e.g., Fringe).

• Loading 2 - The Offeror shall insert a dollar amount in this column, if applicable, associated with any other indirect costs not included in Loading 1. The Offeror shall provide a discussion of what costs are included in Loading 2 in the Price Proposal Notes, (e.g., Overhead).

• Loading 3 - The Offeror shall include a dollar amount in this column, if applicable, associated with any other indirect costs not included in Loading 1 or 2. The Offeror shall provide a discussion of what costs are included in Loading 3 in the Price Proposal Notes, (e.g., General and Administrative).

• Profit – The Offeror shall include the profit dollars in this column by labor category.

• Fully-Loaded Hourly Rate – The Offeror shall sum Proposed Unloaded Hourly Rate, Loading 1, Loading 2, Loading 3 and Profit. This hourly rate should equal the labor rate proposed by labor category in Section B, Table B-012.

• Other Information – The Offeror shall identify any cost elements that are excluded from the proposed fully-loaded hourly labor rates.

(2) Indirect Costs:

• State the basis of estimate for the proposed indirect rates. Indicate whether the proposed indirect cost rates have been evaluated by any Government audit agency. If the rates have been evaluated, provide the audit report numbers, audit agency telephone number and cognizant Government representative’s (i.e., auditor or administrative contracting officer) name and telephone number.

The Price Proposal shall set forth current, accurate, and complete information as required by this solicitation.

Labor categories currently not required but may be needed in the future are also listed in the Pricing Workbook with "zero (0)" Annual Personnel. Offerors are required to provide labor rates for these labor categories for incorporation into the Contract with the exception of “Monitoring Specialist - (Secret) (Language Enabled TBD)”

4. Business Management

Each Offeror shall describe the company’s financial condition, capacity and other resources available to perform the contract without assistance from any outside source. State what percentage of the company's estimated total business the work required by this solicitation will represent. Describe the priority placed by your company’s top management on the work required by this solicitation and include an organizational matrix on how the prospective contract would fit into your organization.

Provide a current statement of financial condition for the last two years, which includes copies of:

• Income (profit-loss) Statement that shows profitability;

• Balance Sheet that shows the assets owned and the claims against those assets, or what a firm owns and what it owes;

• Cash Flow Statement that shows the firm’s sources and uses of cash during the most recent accounting period. This will help the Government assess a firm’s ability to pay its obligations.

• Company Lines-of-Credit – provide copies of the all corporate bank lines-of-credit including the available amounts.

If other divisions, subsidiaries, a parent or affiliated companies will perform work under this contract, please provide the name and location of such affiliate.

Offerors are advised that they must possess a TOP SECRET Facility Clearance in order to submit a proposal and be considered for award.

Phase II Proposal format.

Phase II proposals shall be delivered in two volumes:

Volume 1 shall contain all and only the Technical Proposal content and shall be delivered as five (5) separately-bound (three-ring binders and other binding methods are acceptable), identical hard copies, printed double-sided on 8 ½” x 11” plain paper compliant with RFP clause 52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Postconsumer Fiber Content Paper. Content shall be no smaller than Times New Roman font size 12 (excluding headers, footers, and tables/graphics which shall be no smaller than Times New Roman font size 10).

Volume 2 shall contain all and only the Cost/Price proposal content and shall be delivered as two (2) separately-bound (three-ring binders and other binding methods are acceptable), identical hard copies, printed single-sided on 8 ½” x 11”, 8 ½”x14”, or 11”x17” plain paper compliant with RFP clause 52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Postconsumer Fiber Content Paper. Content shall be no smaller than Times New Roman font size 10.

The proposal shall also include two CD-ROMs with one copy each of both volumes of the Phase II proposal, which shall be identical to the hard copies. In the electronic copy of the Cost/Price Proposal, all content shall be available to the Government for evaluation, including all spreadsheet rows and columns (unhidden), all formulas and calculations shall be visible/accessible, and all referenced data sets/tables shall be included.

Phase II Page limitation.

The Phase II Technical Proposal shall not exceed 50 pages. (“Page” means one side of an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper.) Technical Proposal pages in excess of that number will not be considered or evaluated by the Government. The only exclusions from the page limitation are pages that are purely administrative or organizational in nature, such as tables of contents, lists of figures or acronyms, cross-reference matrices, indexes, and dividers or tabs. Executive summaries, cover letters, and other material that is not purely administrative or organizational in nature shall be included in the page count.

There is no page limitation to the Phase II Cost/Price proposals. Content not expressly requested by these Phase II instructions should not be included in either volume of the Phase II proposal and will not be considered or evaluated by the Government. Content included in the incorrect volume (i.e. cost/price information in the Technical Proposal or technical proposal information in the Cost/Price Proposal) will not be considered or evaluated by the Government

Phase II Proposal delivery.

Phase II Technical and Cost/Price Proposals shall be delivered by hand or courier (USPS deliveries are not accepted at this address) no later than the proposal due date/time specified in writing by the Contracting Officer after conclusion of the one-on-one due diligence sessions, to:

U.S. Department of State Attn: Farzad J. Afrasiabi 1400 Wilson Blvd, Suite 100 Arlington VA 22209 Ref: SAQMMA19R0093 Phase II

Delivery should be pre-coordinated by calling Mr. Afrasiabi at (703) 312-3248 prior to delivery.