Questions and Answers - Amendment 004.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 18 KB Posted
- Attached to
- ECA EX/IT Information Technology Transformation and Operations Support Services (8a set-aside)
- Solicitation number
- 19AQMM21R0302
About this file
This solicitation package seeks proposals for information technology transformation and operations support services for the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Key details include:
-
The solicitation is an 8(a) set-aside for an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract to provide IT support across multiple functional areas including platforms, applications, data and analytics, and project delivery.
-
Support will include operations and maintenance for the ECA infrastructure, shown in Attachment 4, along with assistance transforming technology and processes.
-
Proposals are due by September 7, 2021 with award anticipated in early 2022. The contract will have a one-year base period and four one-year options.
-
Pricing templates in Attachment 7 should be used along with labor categories in Attachment 3 when submitting fixed unit prices by labor category.
-
Attachments include evaluation criteria, past performance questionnaires, templates for tracking platforms and applications, and instructions for the two-phase evaluation and selection process.
View the file
Other files
Show all 22
On GovTribe
Work with this file
- Download the original file
- Contacts named in this file
- Similar government files
- Ask GovTribe AI about this file
Text version
Q&A - A004
| 19AQMM21R0302 - ECA EX/IT Information Technology Transformation and Operations Support Services - Questions & Responses - Stage 2 | |||
| # | Reference: | Question: | Government Response: |
| 1 | Attachment 008 - L.8 Stage II Instructions - Factor 4 - Page 9 of 12 | For the response to the "Preferred Qualifications" requirements, is it acceptable for offerors to provide the certification proof in of the Preferred Qualifications in an Appendix within the response, so they are not bound by the Page restrictions for the Volume. | Yes - Documentation substantiating proof of holding the preferred qualifications listed in Factor 4 may be submitted separately and will not be counted as part of the 25-page limit for the Stage 2 response. Attachment 8 has been updated to reflect this. |
| 2 | Attachment 3 - Labor Categories Position Descriptions - Mid-Level System Administrator, Senior System Administrator | Microsoft retired the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE), and MCSA certifications and exams. We recommend you allow substitution of skills demonstrated via experience performing Windows Server/Active Directory system administration or newer Microsoft exams and certifications. This change will result in securing a talent pool that is diverse and includes newer Microsoft technology. | Due to the retiring of these Microsoft certifications, the Government will change this from a requirement to a preferred qualification, and will substitute this requirement with a preference for a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certification and/or an Amazon Web Services (AWS) SysOps Administrator Certification, as EX/IT is transitioning to the cloud. Attachment 3 has been updated to reflect this. |
| 3 | RFP - C006 - Key Performance Indicators - Program Level KPIs - Page 27 of 80 | Within the Program Level KPIs table presented in the RFP, the object presented in the 3rd row is titled "SLA Targets Missed %". The object presented in the last row is also called "SLA Targets Missed %". Please explain the difference (if any) of these two KPIs? | These two rows represent an unintentional duplication of this KPI. The last row in this table has been removed and the referenced row 3 remains as originally stated. C-006 has been updated to reflect this. |
| 4 | Attachment 3 Labor Categories / Position Descriptions, Platforms Technical Lead, p. 9 | Can the Government please confirm if the Platforms Technical Lead will be responsible for all subareas of the Platforms Functional Area and should demonstrate expertise in all related skills, tools, methodologies, processes, etc.? | Yes. The Platforms Technical Lead will be responsible for all sub-areas of the Platforms Functional Area and should therefore have all the relevant skills and expertise required. |
| 5 | Attachment 8 A002, L.4 Proposal Content Requirements, Technical and Pricing Volumes (Table), p. 4 | Can the Government please confirm that (in addition to resumes) the following required items are also excluded from the 25-page limitations: proof of personnel certifications, proof of company certifications, Agile Development Management Plan (ADMP), and Program Management Plans (Transition Plan, Communications Plan, Quality Plan)? Each certificate is at least 1 page on its own and management plans are extensive and detailed working documents, unless the Government would like only a summary of what each plan addresses. | Per the response to question 1, company-level and key personnel certification documentation does not count toward the page limits. However, the Government strongly recommends including the certification information in the resumes and not sending over individual pages for each certification, in the interest of being concise. Each of the deliverables noted in C-004 Table 1 is included within the overall 25-page limit for the Stage 2 response. Offerors are encouraged to be both thorough and succinct in their draft plans. As noted in Table 1, the government will work with the selected Offeror post-award to finalize full versions of each plan. However, the draft plans submitted will be evaluated as part of the Stage 2 response and therefore should clearly document the Offeror's approach to addressing the objectives of each deliverable. |
| 6 | Attachment 8 A002, L.8 Stage II Instructions, Sub-Factor 4B: Agile Development Management Plan (ADMP), p. 9 | "Offeror to provide a draft ADMP that demonstrates how the Offeror will manage, develop, implement, and maintain the requirements described in the Scope of Work and the Task Order Procedures sections of this solicitation." Can the Government please confirm where the Task Order Procedures section is located? Is this section possibly "F-01 CONTRACT AND TASK ORDER MANAGEMENT" or "G-01 ORDERING PROCEDURES"? | The reference to "Task Order Procedures Sections" of the solicitation refers to all sections of the solicitation where task order level requirements or objectives are listed. This includes, but is not limited to, task order requirements listed in Sections B, C, F & G. Section C-002 lists a range of objectives to be incorporated into the Contractor's work products for the initial O&M task order to be issued under the IDIQ. |
| 7 | Attachment 8 A002, L.8, Sub-Factor 5C: Employee Tenure & Retention, p. 11 | Regarding: "Provide a count of current employees aligned to current positions held and the duration employed (prime and teaming partners). Each employee shall be referenced in a single position that is currently held by that individual. Please populate this information in the Excel template provided as Attachment 6 of the RFP." Should the employee count provided in response to the Employee Tenure table include all active employees of the firm, regardless of their ability to work on this contract? For example, if we have an employee that does not hold a security clearance, should we include them as part of this table? | Employee counts should include all active employees of the firm, not just ones who would work on this contract. The government's goal is to look at the ability to retain high-performing employees. |
| 8 | Attachment 7, Total Evaluated Price tab | The Total Evaluated Price tab shows the Senior Database Administrator and Cloud Operations Engineer with sample FTE of 2. These are key personnel positions according to Attachment 6. Are offerors required to submit candidates and resumes for two Senior Database Administrators and two Cloud Operations Engineers? Please clarify the number of key personnel at the IDIQ level. | As noted in Attachment 7 the counts and mix of FTE are for evaluation purposes only and do not represent any actual requirement. Actual staffing levels will be determined at the task order level as each task is issued. Please submit one qualifying resume per key position for government evaluation purposes. However, it is possible that some key positions may require multiple FTE at the task order level and the offeror should be capable of staffing multiple qualified personnel for any category other than Program Manager and the Technical/Functional Lead positions. |
| 9 | Attachment 8 Sub-Factor 4B, pg. 9; Sub-Factor 6C, pg. 12 | Sub-Factor 4B requires "an organizational chart showing the Offeror's organizational hierarchy" and Subfactor 6C requires "Offeror's organizational structure". Please confirm that the organization chart/structure is required in both sub-factors and as a graphic is outside of page count. | The articulation of the organizational structure is required in both sections and in both cases graphics do not count toward the combined 25-page limit. The organizational hierarchy requested in Sub-factor 4B is focused on the ADMP and demonstrating how the offeror will structure its support team to ensure effective use of Agile, DevSecOps and other required methodologies and management processes. The organizational structure requested in Sub-factor 6C is focused on the Quality Management Plan and should demonstrate how the organization is designed to enable comprehensive and effective quality control processes at both the contract and task order levels. |
| 10 | Attachment 8, Page Limits, pg. 4 | The asterisk on Page Limits appears to apply to all Factors. Please confirm that images/diagrams are excluded from the 25 page limit for Factors 4, 5, and 6. | Confirmed - images and diagrams are excluded from the combined 25-page limit for Factors 4, 5 & 6. |
| 11 | Attach. 8, L.4, pg 4 (#25 pages total for Stage II response) | Because not everyone will have the preferred certifications, in order to allow all companies to have the same page allotment for the rest of the proposal, will the government please confirm that the preferred certifications are outside page count and may be placed in an appendix with the Resumes. | Although there is not a formal page count limit for Resumes or preferred certifications, the government would strongly prefer mentioning preferred certifications in the Resumes, and not having separate pages for each certification, in order to be as concise as possible. |
| 12 | Attach. 8, L.4, pg 4 (#25 pages total for Stage II response) | Please confirm that you would like all key personnel to have letters of commitment (outside page count) if they are not current employees of the bidding company in order to guarantee that all staff that will be delivered will also be the staff being evaluated. | While not required by the government, if Offeror is providing letters of commitment to bolster confidence in individual staffing, we would welcome these, and they would be outside the restricted page count. Attachment 8 has been updated to reflect this. |
| 13 | Attachment 8 – Instructions, Sub-Factor 5B: Key Personnel Resumes (RFP language: Provide verification/proof that proposed key personnel satisfy all required qualifications and certifications listed in the Labor Category Description | Please confirm that Key Personnel certifications must be current/active (non-expired)? | That is confirmed. |
| 14 | Attachments 6, 8 and 9 (RFP language: • The extent that Offeror has succeeded in maximizing tenure and retention overall, including breakout by both prime and subcontractors/teaming partners, as expressed in the tenure table submitted with the Offeror’s technical response … | With reference to Attachment 6, newly won contracts and newly created positions or surge personnel may create an un-intentional bias by skewing the ratio in the evaluation of tenure and retention beyond one year. How does the government intend to evaluate “maximized tenure and retention” in the Tenure Table (Attachment 6) when new personnel as result of new contract awards and surge personnel are constantly being added in a successful and growing company? | The government's goal in requiring Offerors to fill out the Tenure Table is to make sure they can retain high-performing personnel. Please include extenuating context/information which affects tenure (e.g. recent surge in hiring) in the write-up. |
| • The extent that Offeror has succeeded in maximizing tenure and retention for key labor categories that align with solicitation requirements | |||
| 15 | General | As part of the modernization initiative, will their be a reorganization of ECA EX/IT? If so, could the government provide us a to-be organizational chart? | There has already been an approved re-organization, which this RFP directly aligns to. The vision and new functional areas have been communicated to Offerors in the requirements. The Government will not be providing an organizational chart as part of this solicitation. |
| 16 | RFP Att. 8, Section L.4 Proposal Content Requirements, Factor 6 | Reference: “#25 pages total for Stage II Response (technical only, pricing separate) excluding key personnel resumes.” Question: In order for bidders to provide detailed Tables of Content plus draft document content to provide the Government with specific, scoreable plans that demonstrate a complete, best value approach, would the Government consider removing the Factor 6 plans (i.e., Sub-Factor A: Transition Plan; Sub-Factor B: Communications Plan; and Sub-Factor C: Quality Plan) from the technical response page limit? Alternatively, would the Government consider increasing the Stage II technical response to 50 pages to accommodate for the completeness of our response? | No, the government will not increase the page limit beyond the 25 pages for Stage II responses, apart from the exclusions to the page limit already noted. |
| 17 | Stage I Questions & Answers, Amendment 002 | Reference: The Government anticipates all 8 key personnel positions will be full‐time on the first task order issued. Question: For recruiting and staffing purposes, could the Government please provide an approximate start date for Task Order #1? Having an approximate start date would greatly aid in the planning process and allow bidders to submit their best candidates. Does the Government intend to issue multiple Task Orders with specific requirements or simply one Task Order for the Base Year plus Options Periods? | The Government cannot provide an approximate start date at this time. We are anticipating award in the early months of 2022, but cannot confirm at this time. The intent is to have the flexibility to issue multiple Task Orders under this IDIQ. Reference to the "first task order" is specific to the O&M task order. |
| 18 | RFP, Att. 9, Section M.8. Facility Clearance Sponsorship / RFP, H-031 - Security Requirements | Reference #1: “A period of 90 days from the date of notification of award will be allowed for the uncleared firm to obtain the necessary FCL.” / Reference #2: “(b) Since it will be necessary for some Contractor personnel to have access to classified material and/or to enter into areas requiring a security clearance, each Contractor employee requiring such access must have a personnel security clearance at SECRET level prior to contract performance.” ------- Question: Based on the wording of references 1 and 2, may bidders propose key personnel who are clearable, but do not yet have an interim or final Secret clearance | Yes. |
| 19 | RFP Att. 8, Section L.8, Factor 6C: Quality Plan | Reference #1: “Submit a proposed draft Quality Plan to ensure the requirements are provided as specified in the SOW, which includes the following elements '- Offeror’s organizational structures and functional statements showing the relationship with work items in the contract” ------ Question: Would the Government clarify in Section L, Subfactor 6C, what type of organizational structure is requested as part of the Quality Plan, e.g., bidder’s quality organization, corporate organization, or the proposed program organization? | See response to Question 9. |
| 20 | RFP Att 8, Section L.4, Table of guidelines for format and page limitations / RFP Att. 8, Section L.8; Sub-Factor 5C: Employee Tenure & Retention / RFP Att. 9, M.4 Stage II Evaluation, Sub-Factor 5C: Employee Tenure & Retention | Reference #1: “II / Factor 5 / Format / Excel (Tenure Table)” / Reference #2: “Please populate this information in the Excel template provided as Attachment 6 of the RFP.” / Reference #3: “The extent that Offeror has succeeded in maximizing tenure and retention overall, including breakout by both prime and subcontractors/teaming partners, as expressed in the tenure table submitted with the Offeror’s technical response (Attachment 5).” -------- Question: Given that Attachment 6 Employee Tenure and Retention Table is to be submitted in Excel, could the Government please confirm that it is excluded from the Technical Volume 25-page limit? | Yes, the Employee Tenure and Retention Table in Attachment 6 is excluded from the 25 page count limit for the Stage 2 response. |
| 21 | RFP Att. 9, M.3 Stage I Evaluation (Technical); Factor 1: Technical Work Product: Data Analytics & Visualization | Can the Government share how many offerors were rated high, medium, low, or not viable after the first Factor 1 grading? | No. |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .