RFP_Q&A.xlsx

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Open Source Intelligence Services Federal contract opportunity
Solicitation number
19AQMM19R0093
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Department of State Office of Acquisition Management

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Sheet1

19AQMM19R0093 Draft RFP Q&AOfficial RFP Questions
QuestionAnswerQuestionAnswer
1Will the final RFP contain subcontracting requirements? If so, can the government provide details of those requirements prior to the final RFP, so industry can begin forming teams? If subcontracting is required, will the government also provide the evaluation criteria for subcontracting plans?Yes, see clause 652.219-70 in the Draft RFP. Subcontracting plan will be evaluated as well, to be a part of Factor 3. Will be reflected in official RFP.1451. Regarding “Section I. Phase I – Performance Confidence Assessment (Past Performance)”, the requirement states, “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.”

Are all teams required to identify a “significant subcontractor” among their team members? Or does the Prime have the option not to identify a “significant subcontractor” among its subcontractors, and therefore requiring each subcontractor to offer 1 PP?

Shall has been replaced with "may". See updated instructions
2Are questions due 20 Feb 2019 (5 days from D-RFP) or 5 days from the live solicitation? L-006 QUESTIONS REGARDING SOLICITATION

" (A) Prospective offerors should submit any questions regarding this solicitation in writing to the Contracting Officer. Questions should be received by close of business five (5) calendar days after issuance of this solicitation to ensure a timely response. Questions received after that date may not be answered prior to the date established for the receipt of proposals."

That clause refers to the the draft RFP as well as the official RFP.1462. Given the hard copy submission requirements, we would graciously ask for a 5-business-day extension for Phase I?Accidental omission for postal option. See updated instructions.
3Since this opportunity is listed in the SF1449 as an unrestricted acquisition, are there any workshare requirements or limitations that the prime must adhere to?See answer to question 1 above.147I see on the recently released solicitation that phase one PP volume should be hand delivered to you by 7AM on March 11th. I just wanted to clarify the time and whether we would be able to coordinate for 0600 to 0700 Monday morning or should Phase 1 be delivered on Friday March 8th, prior to close of business.See answer 146. Time will also be extended to 0900 on March 11th to accommodate hand deliveries. Please coordinate with myself if deliveries are to be by hand or courier.
4Regarding key personnel and resume’s listed in the RFP under CLIN 001, are these the only positions that will require resume’s as part of the proposal submission? Additionally, the number of FTEs during the base year varies across fiscal years, so it is unclear how many resumes per labor category are required. We recommend the government require one resume per labor category as a representative example of the type of personnel bidders will provide to support this effort.The resumes required are the positions listed in CLIN 001 for FY19. All twelve (12) resumes will be required for proposal submission.148Which of TIA’s four offices will OSIP be housed within?OSIN is going to be a new office in the TIA directorate. Until we establish the new org code (probably taking a year or more to do), we are assigned to DS/TIA, i.e. TIA front office.
5Does the Government anticipate the inclusion of a Program Manager as part of the final submission? If so, will this position be a funded/unfunded position, on site/off site, and will there be specified requirements or Position Description for this position?The Government doesn't intend to include a Program Manager position at this time. All operational management will come from Gov't managers. Any adminstrative costs should be added to one of the bidders' indirect rates( Overhead, G&A, etc).149Will you consider extending the deadline for submission of Customer Satisfaction Surveys? The designated personnel that must fill out these surveys have indicated they have a full schedule and will be challenged to submit this by the deadline.Not at this time
6Given the discrete and technical nature required in this solicitation, we recommend allowing more than 1 subcontractor past performance reference be included for Phase I to demonstrate the combined expertise of teams. A recommendation would be to limit the total amount of past performance references to 5, of which 2 must come from the prime offeror.See answer 42.150Under the Evaluation Criteria for past performance complexity, we’re asked to speak to the “Number of monitored and protected equities.” Since this is classified information for most of our contracts, will we be allowed to submit general, unclassified information on this?The information must be sufficient to evaluate for relevancy, but does not need to contain classified, specific monitoring information.
7The draft RPF notates an 11.5 hour work day coupled with a 45 minutes unpaid lunch period totaling 12 hours daily for those labor categories requiring 24x7x365 coverage. Please provide the shift schedules to be worked, hours worked, total weekly, monthly, annual (e.g. 2080) work per FTE , and their hours worked outside the standard 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. window Monday thru Friday?The Government will provide a shift schedule at a later date based on12 hour shifts.151Do you need Customer Satisfaction Surveys for the Offeror’s subcontractors, as well?If they are sending in a reference(s), yes. See the instructions, "For each reference, the Offeror shall send a corresponding Past Performance Customer Satisfaction Survey…"
8Does the government anticipate the payment of Shift Work Premiums as part of the base pay or as a separate CLIN?I have added a column on the Pricing Wokrbook for OT pay rates to be proposed152Is it mandatory that Prime Offerors identify a “significant subcontractor” or is this optional? Do we have to select one of our subcontractors as “significant”?See question 145.
9The draft RFP states the page limit for Phase I submissions as 10 pages. Given that up to 5 past performance references can be provided, the 10 page limit restricts the level of detail bidders can provide in order to address all of the elements required for each reference. We recommend increasing the page limitation to 15 pages to allow bidders to provide the necessary information required and present the bidding team’s collective capabilities and expertise through an executive summary.RFP will be amended to state a maximum of 15 pages.153Respectfully request the government consider an extension to Phase 1 proposals. The draft RFP certainly assisted with preparation for release of the RFP, but the quick turn for past performances alone places an undue burden on contractors and current customers. Due to the required coordination with current customers and contracting officers review of past performance narratives and surveys that include descriptions of work that are sensitive in nature, approvals will require additional time. An extension will allow government approval time and quality responses. Will the government consider an extension to 22 March 2019?See answer 149. The draft RFP was released on 15 Feb.
10Draft RFP Attachment 3 – Additional Instructions to Offerors, Section I Phase I – Performance Confidence Assessment (Past Performance) states: “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.” Would the Government please clarify whether offerors can use the same reference on multiple contracts for the same support as long as each past performance has a separate contract number? For example: a company has a contract and multiple follow-on contracts for the same support and agency (each with a separate contract number and period of performance), but the reference is the same for each contract; would the offeror be allowed to use those multiple contracts to acceptably satisfy this requirement?Offerors shall submit one reference per effort. The references shall not be the same effort(requirement) over multiple contracts/task orders.154Due to the government’s current uncertainty regarding the timeframe for making competitive range determinations, will they consider establishing a timeframe to produce Phase II – Technical and Cost/Price Proposals after competitive determinations?Timeframe depends on many factors. The Gov't can't accurately develop a timeframe at this moment.
11Draft RFP Attachment 3 – Additional Instructions to Offerors, Section I Phase I – Performance Confidence Assessment (Past Performance), Phase I Proposal format and Phase I Proposal delivery: Given the information requested by the Government for Phase I and that the offeror’s past performance references will be emailing their completed surveys to the Government, would the Government please consider allowing offerors to submit their Phase I response via email as opposed to hand delivery?Please submit the Phase I responses as per the instructions.155Because this date falls on a Monday at the start of the day, it is very difficult for couriers to deliver a submission prior to this time as most deliveries occur prior to the close of business. For this reason, will the government consider moving the due date to 3/12/2019 at 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time?Gov't has added option for Mailing in proposals. Also extended time to 9AM to ensure ability for contractors to hand delivery or courier proposals.
12Draft RFP Attachment 3 – Additional Instructions to Offerors, Section I Phase I – Performance Confidence Assessment (Past Performance), Phase I Page limitation: Would the Government allow offerors to provide a cover page that includes a disclosure statement, and allow this cover page to be outside the page limitations for Phase I?Yes, cover page will not be included in the page limit. The RFP will be amended.156The government proceeds to list Postal with Fedex, USP, and DHS in parenthesis as options for mailing Phase I. Can the government clarify this contraction?Clarified via Attachment 03. No USPS.
13On page 2 of Attachment 3, it states that the Offeror must identify a minimum of 3 prime past performance references; however, it later states that the Offeror must have been the prime for at least 2 of the references. Can the government confirm that the minimum is 2 not 3 prime references?I have changed the instructions, see Attachment 3.157
14In considering the ‘magnitude’ of an Offeror's Phase 1 past performance, will the government consider each citation as a standalone effort for comparison or would the government consider the average of the past performance references (particularly if one of these references is a large 24/7 operations with a value of $58M)? Rationale: The cost/price is not a singular determining element and the scope/complexity is better illustrated across an offerors total business base.Changed the evaluation factor.158
15Are the SB goals listed in the draft RFP specific for this requirement?Yes, see clause 652.219-70159
16The minimum education / qualifications of these positions (Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of experience or 8+ years of experience with no degree) do not align with the requirements of these positions which state that personnel must have expert knowledge of media platforms, advanced concepts, methods, and practices, etc. Most Offerors will propose rates on the minimum years of experience (objective) and not the assessment (subjective) of a candidate's knowledge. The result is a rate that will not secure a resource with the expert knowledge that the Government is seeking. We respectfully recommend increasing the minimum years of experience for both of these Labor Categories (Overseas Support Analyst and Special Programs Analyst (TS/SCI Clearance)) to “Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of experience or 13+ years of experience with no degree”.The Government doesn't intend to change this requirement.160
17This section states in part "All proposed substitutes shall meet or exceed the qualifications of the person to be replaced." Given that this is anticipated to be a five year effort and that it is expected that there will be some unavoidable staff departures as well as several instances where incumbent staff will mature in their abilities to the point where they will advance to a higher labor category, will the Government consider revising this language to state "All proposed substitutes shall meet or exceed the labor category qualifications included in the RFP"?Change made to H-016.161
18This section states in part "the Contractor agrees to assign to this contract those key persons whose resumes were submitted with the proposal necessary to fulfill the requirements of the contract." Will the Government confirm that Offerors should only submit the twelve (12) resumes for the initial staff identified in Attachment 2 - Pricing Spreadsheet? Is there a limit on how many pages are allowed for each required resume? Are resumes excluded from the 50-page count limit for the Phase II Technical Proposal?See answer to question 4 above. There is no limit on the number of pages, but the resumes are included in the 50 page limit.162
19To provide customer POCs a cleaner performance survey, respectfully recommend creating a separate Customer Satisfaction Survey Instructions document for customer POCs with instructional language for each question, and removing instructional language from the Customer Satisfaction Survey.Contractors are able to modify the surveys as long as all of the pertitent information is included.163
20Based on our experience staffing 24x7x365 watch centers, it is our experience that having a Project Manager/Technical SME to oversee the scheduling, operational surge, training, and to serve as the point of contact for contractual items allows for increased efficiency in communications and operational output. Will the Government consider adding a Project Manager/Technical SME position or add additional Project Manager responsibilities to an existing labor category?See answer 5.164
21The sum function in cell E17 in each contract year tab does not include the Office Management Specialist labor hoursFixed.165
22Would the Government clarify if there are page limits for resumes and whether the resumes and employment agreements count towards the page limitations of the Technical proposal?See Answer 18.166
23Given the focus on evaluating the day-to-day functions, controls, and staffing processes of Offerors as well as and the implied focus on quality of service, we recommend adding the requirement for Offerors to include their quality assurance processes as part of the Management Approach.Now included in the RFP.167
24The Industry Day slides place emphasis on “Domestic Equities and Protectees”, the "Privacy Compliance Act of 1974", and monitoring “for threats (direct and indirect) towards designated DS equities…” To evaluate Offerors' knowledge and capabilities to meet these specific requirements of the RFP, we respectfully recommend requiring a technical approach as part of the Phase II Written Technical Proposal.The Government doesn't intend to require this at this time.168
25Recruiting flow diagrams are required in both the Staffing Approach (Factor 2) and the Management Approach (Factor 3). Please clarify if this is intentional or if there are different aspects to recruiting process flows (either from a management or technical perspective) that the Government is seeking.Eliminated Recruiting flow diagrams from management approach section.169
26Would the Government confirm a “binding bilateral employment agreement” is a signed offer letter?Yes, confirmed170
27Based on the Government's focus on Offerors' internal business processes, we recommend requiring Offerors to have a certified ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS). This external, third party verification of an organization's QMS helps to ensure organizations are appropriately investing in quality management of its internal processes (recruiting, staffing, employee care, accounting/finance, etc.) thereby reducing delivery risks for the Government.The Government doesn't intend to require this at this time.171
28We respectfully recommend that the Government consider adding hours for a Special Programs Analyst starting on 6/1/19. Having this position staffed at award would provide senior-level technical subject matter expertise and on-site management to facilitate initial operating capability including support for over-the-shoulder training, development of SOPs, analytic techniques, and innovation.The Government doesn't intend to require this at this time.172
29Based on our experience staffing 24x7x365 watch centers in the Northern VA area, it is our experience that 8-hour shifts are preferred over 12-hour shifts. Using an 8-hour schedule provides increased stability and predictability for watch-standers, accommodates vacation and sick days more easily, balances weekend work, and facilitates response to operational surges. The FBI's CT Watch operates as follows: - CT Watch has three 8-hour shifts (0600 - 1400), (1400 - 2200), and (2200 - 0600) - The shifts run 24/7/365 and are generally on two rotations: Sunday - Thursday or Tuesday - Saturday- There is one individual who works a "Swing Shift (1200 - 2000) =- There is some fluidity to The schedule as some workers will come in early or stay late to make up hours or to complete a class or certification. - Watch schedules are usually made about 1-2 months out and are very flexible with regard to requesting time off. - From a "seasoned" watch stander perspective, 8-hour shifts allow employees to develop more of a permanent "normal" schedule than a 12 hour shift. Would the Government be open to considering alternatives to the 12-hour watch shift?An 8 hour shift schedule is not in the best interest of the government at this time, but the shift schedule may change during contract performance.173
30Would the Government consider differential rates for shift work on nights and weekends? This is a common arrangement for contracts requiring shift work.Bidders should include any differential rates in their fully burdened labor rates.174
31Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (like,from India or Canada)If your firm is registered in Sam it is possible.175
32Whether we need to come over there for meetings?See Clause G-006.176
33Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? (like, from India or Canada)Performance is required at Gov't facilities in Arlington, VA.177
34Can we submit the proposals via email?Please submit the bidder proposal responses as per the instructions.178
35According to RFP Section H-007, “the Contractor shall, at no additional expense to this contract, provide and maintain, in addition to any other insurance coverage required elsewhere in this contract, the following types of insurance in the amounts specified.” It then proceeds to list (a) Workers’ Compensation and Employer’s Liability, (b) General Liability, (c) Automobile Liability, Aircraft Public and Passenger Liability, and Vessel Liability. The RFP does not currently address government mandated Defense Base Act Insurance (DBAI) and the cost recovery of this mandated insurance when contract employees deploy. With the unknown OCONUS travel associated with this contract, will the government authorize the reimbursement of DBAI for OCONUS travel on a cost reimbursable basis and subject to applicable FAR provisions.DBAI costs will be covered under the COST CLINs for Travel and ODCs.179
36Phase I of the Performance Confidence Assessment states, “For at least 2 of the references, the Offeror must have been the prime.” Due to the limited number of Open Source Intelligence services contracts across Industry, and to ensure the government receives the most highly relevant teaming and technical experience, will the government please confirm the 2 Prime Past Performances are related to cumulative experience of the team.”See changed evlaution factors.180
37According to Attachment 3, Evaluation Factor 2: Staffing Approach, “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.” The Draft RFP appears to be missing section H-010 through H-019. Will the government please provide the missing sections or provide a list of Key Personnel requirements?Added H-015. All others are not applicable to this requirement. Requirements for Key Personnel is listed in Instructions under Factor 1, (2) (g)181
381. Attachment 3 - Additional Instructions to Offerors, I. Phase I - Performance Confidence Assessment (Past Performance): Can the government please clarify if the prime offeror must submit two past performance references where they were the prime, or can subcontractors/teaming partners use their past performance references to fulfill the two prime references required?See answer 6.182
3919AQMM19R0093 – Draft RFP, C-001 Statement of Work, Labor Categories: Can the government please specify to which OCONUS region(s) personnel may be required to travel, and the anticipated length of stay for OCONUS travel?Infortmation related to OCONUS travel is unavailable at this time.183
401. 19AQMM19R0093 – Draft RFP, C-001 Statement of Work, Labor Categories: Can the government please address if contractors are allowed to offer shift differentials for those personnel working on 12-hour night or weekend shifts?See answer 30.184
411. 19AQMM19R0093 – Draft RFP, H-016 Key Personnel: Can the government please clarify if resumes are required for each of the 11 key personnel, or if resumes are only needed for the 12 personnel listed for the first three months of contract performance (four Monitoring Specialists III, four Monitoring Specialists Arabic, four Overseas Support Analysts)?Resumes in the RFP process are required for only the personnel that will be performing during FY19, i.e.. the 12 personnel.185
421. Limiting each subcontractor to a single citation does not take into consideration the role each subcontractor may have. We recommend the Government allow for the prime offeror to name one “significant subcontractor” and allow for two past performance references from the “significant subcontractor” while limiting all other subcontractors to a single citation. This will enable the Government to better understand the make up of each team during the Phase 1 competitive range determinations.Changes made to Instructions paragraph "I".186
431. Attachment 4 – Evaluation Factors for Award states “For subcontractors/teaming partners, the relevancy determination will focus on the present and past work history as it relates to the specific role and scope of work the subcontractor/teaming partner is proposed to perform for this effort.” How will the Government make this determination during Phase I?See instructions, phase I proposal content, (9).187
441. Attachment 4 – Evaluation Factors for Award states “To arrive at an overall Performance Confidence Rating for each Offeror, the evaluation team will consider: · The context of present and past efforts (i.e. previous performance as prime; contractor or subcontractor) in relation to the Offeror’s proposed role on this effort; · The percentage of effort the prime and each subcontractor is contributing to the effort;”o How will the Government determine proposed role and percentage of effort during Phase I?See answer 43.188
451. These services require over night work which requires different rates than the daytime positions. We recommend the Government provide a means for offerors to price the overnight hours.See answer 30.189
461. Please confirm that Phase II Technical is more important than Phase I Past PerformanceDuring trade-off, all three of non-cost factors are of equal importance.190
471. How do non-price factors relate to price? (equal or more important)When combined the non-cost/price factors are significantly more important than cost/price191
481. Please confirm the Monitoring Specialist - (Secret) (Language Enabled TBD) will not be evaluated as part of the total evaluated price.No it will not.192
491. Please confirm that resumes and signed letters of commitment are required for all 12 positions required at contract start on 6/3/19.Yes.
501. Please confirm the number of key personnel resumes required with Phase II submission.The initial FY19 twelve personnel.
511. Please confirm that the prime offerors past performance references and subcontractor references are limited to a maximum of 10 pages.Changed to 15 pages. The 15 pages are for the phase I proposal, the references are separate.
521. What is the expected timeline for making competitive range determinations following the submission of Phase I?Unknown, it depends on a variety of factors, including how many proposals are received.
531. Please confirm that everything required within Attachment 3 Instructions, 4. Business Management is outside of the 50 page limit for Phase II.There is no page limitation for the cost/price volume.
54For the Option Year CLINs, can the Government advise how the fiscal year (FY) FTE #’s align with Option Years for pricing purposes?I don't understand your question, it is fairly straightforward in regards to pricing and the number of FTEs.
55Are bidders required to complete the Unit Prices per CLIN Lot in the SF 1449 Line Item Summary as these do not align to the individual Labor Category Rates?They do align. There are different numbers of FTEs by FY, but the rates should theoretically be the same, but that's ultimately up to the bidder to decide.
56Item (g) requires a resume for each key personnel proposed. H-016 lists 12 labor categories as key:

1. Monitoring Specialist I (Secret) (SOW C.4.1)

2. Monitoring Specialist II (Secret) (SOW C.4.2)

3. Monitoring Specialist III (Secret) (SOW C.4.3)

4. Monitoring Specialist IV (Secret) (SOW C.4.5)

5. Monitoring Specialist III (TS/SCI) (SOW C.4.4)

6. Monitoring Specialist IV (TS/SCI) (SOW C.4.6)

7. Monitoring Specialist - (Secret) (Arabic) (SOW C.4.7)

8. Monitoring Specialist - (Secret) (Language Enabled TBD) (SOW C.4.7)

9. Overseas Support Analyst - (TS/SCI) (SOW C.4.8)

10. Special Programs Analyst - (TS/SCI) (SOW C.4.9)

11. Logistics Coordinator - (TS) (SOW C.4.10)

12. Office Management Specialist - (TS) (SOW C.4.11)

Can the Government confirm resumes for the above 12 labor categories are required?

If a resume is required for the Monitoring Specialist - (Secret) (Language Enabled TBD), can the offeror select the language to be represented in the resume?

No, only resumes for the twelve personnel that perform at the start of Base Year.
57Can resumes, signed statements of permission, and bilateral employment agreements be excluded from the 50 page limitation in the Technical Volume?No, they are included.
58Item 2. requires offerors to depict a structure “flowing down to the DoS organizations to be supported” and contractor staff “assigned to each DoS organization.” Can the Government provide a list or structure of the DoS organizations to be supported by this contract?Changed instructions and evaluation factors.
59Factor 2 Staffing Approach and Factor 3 Management Approach each require a recruiting flow diagram and a description of the recruiting process. Can the Government clarify in which section the offeror should address this requirement?See answer 25.
601. Is this a new requirement?Yes
611. Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing the work?No
621. Historically, has there been a contractor performing similar or exact scope of work? If yes, what are the company’s?Unknown.
63Regarding Attachment 4 Evaluation Factors -- How long of an evaluation period will there be between Phase I and Phase II?Unknown at this time.
64Regarding Section H-016 Key Personnel of the Draft RFP, 6 Labor Categories are enumerated, and in the Draft Pricing Spreadsheet for the Base Year, it enumerates 4 Monitoring Specialist III, 4 Monitoring Specialist (Arabic) and 4 Overseas Support Specialist for a total of 12 FTE’s - Who are considered Key Personnel for proposal submission? And how many resumes are required for proposal submission?See answer 41.
65DRFP SOW Section C.4.7. The government identifies all dialects are required for Arabic Language Enabled Monitoring Specialists. There are seven regional language groups holding 30+ common Arabic Dialects. Although most Arabic linguists are skilled in more than one dialect within a regional language group, it is nearly impossible for bidders to meet this requirement as written with the number of projected FTEs identified on the 13 February 2019 Industry Day Slide 6 and listed on pages 2-6 of the DRFP. Will the government please specify the specific dialect(s) required for this contract, so bidders can meet the key personnel requirement and properly bid this work?See updated SOW for dialects.
66DRFP Line Item Summary Descriptions Summary (Pages 2-6) and SOW Section C.4.7. The government identifies “Others at government discretion” in reference to types of Language Enabled Monitoring Specialists required. All languages are not equal in the availability of linguists, market salaries for various linguists, etc. Without clarifying the types of languages, it is nearly impossible to properly bid these TBD positions. Will the government consider either identifying all languages required to be bid or remove this portion from section C.4.7?Bidders do not need to bid a price for C.4.7.
67DRFP Section H-016 “Key Personnel” (page 46), Identifies all labor categories as key personnel. Will the government please clarify if just one position within each labor category is key personnel requiring a resume or if 100% of all FTEs are key personnel with a requirement to submit resumes in the proposal for every position?See answer 64.
68Attachment 2 Pricing Sheet. The Government placed the number of hours contracted per labor category in Column E. Will the Government please confirm that 2080 is the required level of effort (LOE) per full-time employee (FTE)/per a full year or does the Government want a contractor to propose an alternative LOE?Based on the amount of hours for 24x7x365, 2,080 plus some estimated Overtime is required per FTE.
69Industry Day information articulated that the monitoring labor category specialists will be required to use the Department of State (DoS) OSIN Tools and DoS will provide the necessary training. Draft RFP Sections C.4.1, C.4.2, C.4.3, C.4.4, C.4.5, C.4.6, and C.4.7 does not list this requirement under training. What are the location, length, and timeframe upon hire for the required DoS OSIN Tools training? Will this training have a travel requirement or is it on the job training?The govt will provide all necessary training.
70Draft RFP section C.4.11 office management specialist (top secret (TS) clearance) articulates the requirement for an undergraduate degree and 2+ years of specialized office experience preferred. All other labor categories specifically identify a requirement for a bachelor degree. Understanding that undergraduate degrees are either associate or bachelor. Is the requirement for the office management specialist to possess at least an associate degree or bachelor degree?Associate's Degree.
71Draft RFP section H-005, Page 41 EMERGENCY PERSONNEL identifies that personnel performing on this contract may be required to be designated as an Emergency Employee. Will the Government please clarify which labor categories are to be considered Emergency Employees or if all contract personnel are considered Emergency Employees since this requires upfront identification to applicants as part of their duty description and responsibilities?See updated SOW descriptions.
72Draft RFP section H-034, Page 45 Additional Security Requirements articulates that all personnel performing under this contract shall be U.S. citizens with a security clearance at the SECRET or TOP SECRET level. Specific TS-cleared personnel, if required by their position and assignment, will be required to be indoctrinated to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).

PART 1 - For TS cleared positions requiring SCI adjudication at the time of hire, is Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS) acceptable, or is it the intent of the Government to conduct their own SCI adjudication following hire?

PART 2 - Additionally, are TS/SCI eligible employees who are in Scattered Castles and/or JPAS acceptable to the Government?

The Government can't answer this at this time.
73Phase I Evaluation: Draft RFP Attachment 4 states “only those Offerors whose documented past performance garner the highest Performance Confidence Ratings will be included in the first competitive range.” Does the Government have a predetermined number of offerors they will consider for the first competitive rangeNo predetermined number.
74Phase II (Instruction and Evaluation): Draft RFP Attachments 3 and 4 describe Factors 2 and 3. Is there a Factor 1 that should have been included for Phase II?Factor 1 is Performance Confidence Assessment (Past Performance).
75Draft RFP describes DoS Subcontracting Goals and states the offeror shall provide a Small Business Subcontracting Plan (SBSP). Neither Instructions (Attach 3) or Evaluation Criteria (Attach 4) include any reference to an SBSP. Is there a requirement to propose an SBSP? If so, will the government provided instructions in Attach 3 and how this will it be evaluated in Attach 4?See Factor 3, (6)(iii) of Attachment 4.
76Instructions to offerors, Page 6, Cost/Price Proposal – Are Subcontractors required to submit a pricing proposal to the Government?No, but the subcontractor's proposed pricing shall be identified and discussed in the Price Proposal Notes.
77DRFP, Page 7, Section B-008 Travel Costs (Time-and-Materials/Labor-Hour) – Would the Government consider revising part D of this section to align more closely with part B for the application of indirect costs? We recommend revising as follows: “Hazardous duty premium pay shall not be burdened with any indirect costs unless specifically allowable in accordance with the Contractor’s usual accounting practices consistent with FAR Subpart 31.2. In no event shall hazardous duty premium be burdened with fee/profit.”Unfortunately I am not able to make this change.
78RFP Attachments 3 and 4 describes the Phase I submission and evaluation process, stating that only those offerors whose documented past performance garner the highest Performance Confidence Ratings will be included in the first competitive range; and only those offerors who are included in the competitive range will be invited to continue on to Phase II. Will the Government advise the time period between notification of selection to the competitive range to the time that offeror’s need to submit Phase II of the proposal?See answer 52.
79In accordance with FAR 19.502-2(a), can the contracting officer state the reason for an unrestricted purchasing strategy? Does this reason provide a basis for requiring at least 2 prime past performance references from the offeror?IAW 19.502-2(a) a reasoning was included in the contract file.
80Would the government consider replacing two prime reference requirement, and instead require offerors provide at least two past performance references, as either a prime or subcontractor, for contracts that each exceed a total value of $5 Million?See answer 42.
81Would the USG consider setting aside a portion of this opportunity for small businesses?There is a significant requirement for small business subcontracting participation IAW Clause 652.219-70. That is the current strategy.
82Should offerors provide blended rates for Language Enabled Monitoring Specialists (rates for personnel respectively proficient in Russian, Chinese, and Farsi) or price them separately as the current industry rates are different by language?See answer 66.
83Should offerors price all personnel in the Arlington, Virginia/National Capital Region?That is where the place of performance is, correct.
84When is the Phase I Past Performance submission due? When will the Past Performance Customer Satisfaction Surveys be due?It will be due as per box 8 of the SF1449, which hasn't been issued yet.
85When will we receive notice that we passed Phase I and can move on to Phase II?See answer 52.
86How much time will we be given to submit Phase II proposals after notification that we’ve passed Phase I?Hasn't been determined yet, but it may be 21 calendar days.
87Will you accept classified programs for Past Performance submissions? If so, can we submit Past Performance submissions through classified channels?Yes and Yes. The CO and the offeror's survey respondent will need to to coordinate.
88Will you be modifying the questions in Part II of the Past Performance Customer Satisfaction Survey to reflect the actual content of this solicitation? For example, nearly every question contains references to systems engineering, construction, and other work that isn’t relevant to the solicitation.The Government doesn't intend to modify the form at this time. The offeror's respondent should only focus on what is applicable to this requirement.
89Will you be modifying the questions in Part II of the Past Performance Customer Satisfaction Survey to be shorter and clearer so that customer know exactly what you’re asking and what they have to answer? For example, many of the questions span a page or more.See answer 19.
90The Instructions for the Phase I Page Limitation indicates a cover letter will be included in the page count. Can the Past Performance proposal include a cover sheet that allows the Offeror to simply state Company/DUNS/CAGE code and Company POC information (email, address, phone) and NOT be included in the page count? If not, will you be providing a separate cover letter attachment that allows us to provide our company contact and POC details?See answer 12.
91How many key personnel resumes are expected to be submitted with the proposal? In paragraph H-016, there are 6 Labor Categories assigned for Key Personnel and in the “Additional Instructions” attachment, it states we must submit a resume for each key personnel. Is this for the base year or for the entire program? For Year 1, there are only 3 separate Labor Categories identified (Monitoring Specialist III, Monitoring Specialist- Arabic and Overseas Support Analyst).See answer 41.
92Are you planning on establishing a Program Manager or a Site Lead to manage the contractor cadre onsite? If so, will they be included in the Key Personnel?See answer 5.
93What datasets and tools are currently used by Monitoring Specialists?The Government has not fully determined the toolset to be used.
94What database is currently used?Combination of COTS tools and Law Enforcement Tools which will process a wide range of tools.
95What regions are designated?Please see the Industry Day presentation.
96Is a SB Subcontracting Plan required for proposal submission? If so, what volume should it go in? What is the page limit? With it be evaluated, and if yes, how?See Question 75. Not required if proposing as a small business concern.
97Would the Government consider allowing Offerors to submit a SB Subcontracting Plan post-award?No
98Would the Government please clarify what the “requirements” as labeled in the LCAT descriptions mean? Are they part of the “minimum qualifications” for staff to be acceptable?Those requirements are part of the Position Descriptions and should be used by the offeror to find the personnel required on this contract.
99Is there a qualification training on current open source tools and databases for personnel on contract?See answer 93.
100Will the Government please clarify whether they want Arabic linguists proficient in any dialect or if they desire linguists for each of the various forms of Arabic? If it is the latter, would
the government please specify which dialects of Arabic are most critical? Would the Government consider including the following dialects: Maghreb, Egyptian, Levantine, Iraqi, and Gulf?See answer 65.
101Is the level for this position a Journeyman or a Novice?For the language enabled monitors, "Monitoring - Novice (minimum)"
102How many Key Personnel is the Government requesting in total? And how many Key Personnel is the Government requesting for each Labor Category?See answer 64.
103For the personnel on shift work, are these personnel expected to work during inclement weather and OPM closures or holidays?Yes. See SOW.
104Do the 24 Annual Personnel listed for Option Year 1 include the 12 FTE listed in the Base Year?The amount of personnel in FY20 as part of the base year is 24.
105Of the 69 personnel, how many contractors is the Government requesting by the end of FY2021?See option year 2, of the pricing spreadsheet.
106Does the Government anticipate also growing the contractor support level in Option Years 4 and 5?It is possible, but unknown at this time.
107Would the Government consider requiring Offerors to have a TS Facility Clearance at the time of proposal submission?That is not possible.
108Does the Government want the Offeror to provide a recruiting flow diagram and a timeline for the recruiting process in both the management and staffing approaches?See answer 25.
109How is the Business Management section of Phase II evaluated in terms of the evaluation factors listed in the Evaluation Factors for Award document?See section "V" in the evaluation factors in regards to matters of responsibility.
110Would the Government please clarify if Key Personnel must meet the “requirements,” the “minimum qualifications,” or both as listed in the LCAT descriptions?The proposed contractor personnel will be evaluated based on what's listed in the instructions and evaluation factors. Those descriptions in the SOW should be used to advertise for the necessary personnel.
111Is the 10 page limit for all the references or is it a 10 page limit for each reference? Would the Government consider a page limit of at least 4 pages per reference?See answer 51.
112Would the Government consider a period of at least 30 days between when the Government notifies bidders of their inclusion for consideration in Phase II and when submissions for Phase II are due?Yet TBD, but we will take that into consideration.
113Would the Government consider adding any factors that would allow the Government to evaluate technical innovations in open source intelligence that could aid mission success?Not at this time.
114Will the Government please confirm if proposed subcontractors are required to have current facility clearance?Yes, see Evaluation Factor 3(6).
115Will the Government clarify if key personnel resumes are excluded from the 50-page limitation for Phase II?See Answer 18.
116Will the Government provide instructions on which volume to submit this RFP section?I don't understand your question.
117RFP Pgs 2-6. Are the listed FTE numbers hard or are they a guideline?They are hard for the base year, but may change during contract performance.
118RFP Pgs 8-10. Operations for the MS-1 are described as 24/7 shift work, but there are no

MS-1s until Option Year 2. Also, is it to be assumed that a single 24/7 position is to be

manned by 5 FTEs.Propose on the personnel required in the Pricing Workbook. The difference between 4 and 5 personnel will be covered by OT or gaps in coverage TBD by management.
119Reference previous question, the FTE number for MS-2 and MS-3 (also 24/7) in their
first years is 4 FTEs. Is this the number to assume for a single 24/7 position?See answer 118.
120Do any of the positions require existing Secret or Top Secret clearances? All of the

clearance requirements say "may be subject to a Government...." and thus would indicate the personnel would only need to be eligible for the clearance. However, RFP Para H-034 indicates that the existing clearances must be at the level described in the

position description. Please clarify.See changes to SOW.
121RFP Para H-016, page 46. The wording of the Key Personnel paragraph does not indicate

if every person in that labor category is key or only one or some of them are key.

Additionally, it does not specify which resumes must be submitted, only those for the base year, or even for those positions which will not be filled until Option Year 2 or later.

Please clarify.See answer 41.
122RFP Para Ref 52-219-9 on page 65 states that the proposal shall include a small business

subcontracting plan and 652.219-70 lists overall State Department small business goals.

Will the Government be issuing guidelines for minimum small business participation in

this contract?652.219-70 states the necessary SB goals.
123How much time will be allocated from the notification of being in the competitive range
after Phase One and the delivery date for Phase Two proposals?See answer 112.
124There does not appear to be any contractor management/leadership FTE identified in the CLINs or Statement of Work, and several labor categories report directly to the USG Program Manager. Will the Government please clarify the role of contractor leadership in delivery of services under this contract?See answer 5.
125Will the Government please explain the changes to the required labor mix that occur between and within the contract periods of performance? As an example, Option Year 3 shows 1 Monitoring Specialist III (TS/SCI) for the first 3 months and then 0 being required for the remaining 9 months of Option Year 3. Option Year 4 then shows a requirement again for 1 Monitoring Specialist III (TS/SCI) for the entire period.The different levels provide for promotional opportunities that would encourage retention.
126How many bids or proposals does the Government intend to identify as “competitive range” and allow moving forward to Phase 2?See answer 73.
127All labor categories are identified as Key Positions. Does the Government require only 1 resume for each key position, or resumes for each of the 12 initial positions?See answer 50.
128If the prime offeror is a newly established joint venture, would the offeror be able to utilize past performance from either or both JV partners to satisfy the Past Performance requirements?Yes, that is acceptable.
129In light of the number of annual contract personnel identified on the Government price template, the 24x7 watch requirement and the technical nature of the work involved, the offer anticipates a significant Project Management responsibility will be required in order to ensure outstanding performance, quality assurance, new associate orientation and training, etc. However, there are no Labor Categories provided on the template for PM, DPM, QA, or similar type duties. Can the offeror add Labor Categories to the template? Or should these costs be included as part of the indirect cost burden?See answer 5
130Will there be any additional office space available for the Offeror to have Project Management personnel on-site?See answer 5.
131Can the Government assist the offeror in understanding how many 24x7 watch seats will be staffed by the annual personnel shown on the provided pricing template. For example, at the minimum, each watch seat which covers 24x7x52 weeks/year requires 8,736 hours of watch personnel (i.e., 24x7x52=8736 with no backup or cover during meal or other breaks, other absence coverage, training time, etc.). Using 2080 hours/FTE, each seat would require 4.2 FTEs plus some required level of backup and/or buffer. Can the offeror adjust the FTE count and/or the hours that have been pre-entered in the pricing template as it feels is necessary in order to ensure coverage and an outstanding level of performance?See answer 68.
132How many 24/7/365 watch desks does the State Department expect to operate at the end of each time period?See the pricing workbook for personnel required to be proposed.
133How many Annual Personnel (FTEs) does the State Department plan for each watch desk to achieve 24/7/365 coverage?See the pricing workbook for personnel required to be proposed.
134Does the government expect the offeror to mix the Secret and TS/SCI qualified roles on a single watch desk?See the pricing workbook for personnel required to be proposed.
135Does the State Department intend to operate an Arabic language capable 24/7/365 watch desk? If so, how can four annual personnel cover the hours with lunch breaks, travel, flex-time, holidays and vacation time?See answer 68.
136Are the Overseas Support Analysts expected to operate one 24/7/365 watch desk?See the pricing workbook for personnel required to be proposed.
137Does the State Department want TS/SCI coverage 24/7/365?See the pricing workbook for personnel required to be proposed.

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