RFP Questions for 19AQMM21R0041.pdf

RFP Questions

Department of State

Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Specialized Iterative Software Development and Support Services

19AQMM22R0041

Question # RFP Section #, Title

& Page

Vendor Question &

Recommendation

Response

1 52.212-1 Instruction to

Offerors - Submission of Offer

Can the Government confirm that Key Personnel, Past

Performance, Technical

Approach, and Price Proposal will each be submitted as separate documents?

They just need to be separate like tabs.

2 H-016, Key Personnel, Pages 10-11, Appendix B, SOW

Section 5, Page 14

Can the government clarify the

Solution Architect position?

It is included in the RFP but not listed in the SOW as a

Part-time Key Personnel

Position. In Appendix B, it’s listed as “Project Manager/Sol

Architect.”

The Solutions

Architect position provides expertise

(detailed in question

3) to the development team and the USG.

3 H-016, Key Personnel, Pages 10-11

Can the government provide qualifications for the Solution

Architect position?

BA/BS + 7YRS:

Level - Establish system information requirements using analysis of the information in the development of enterprise-wide or large-scale information systems.

Design architecture to include the software, hardware, and communications to support the total requirements as well as provide for present and future cross-functional requirements and interfaces. Ensure these systems are compatible and in compliance with the standards for open systems architectures, Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Specialized Iterative Software Development and Support Services

19AQMM22R0041

the OSI and ISO reference models, as they apply to the implementation and specification of information management solution of the application platform, across the

API, and the external environment/software application. Ensure that the common operating environment is compliant with the

Agency enterprise architecture and applicable reference models. Evaluate analytically and systematically problems of workflows, organization, and planning and develop appropriate corrective action. Provide direction to staff.

4 52.212-3 Offeror

Representations and

Certifications. Page

24.

Instructions state that Offeror should complete Paragraph B of the provision. Where in the proposal would the government like offeror’s response to Paragraph B to appear?

Anywhere in the pricing proposal.

5 52.212.-1 Instructions to Offerors. Past

Performance. Page 40.

Can the government provide a list of places (Besides this contract) within the

Department of State where

ArrisFederal Software is used?

No response.

6. SAM.gov December

10 Overview Update.

Can the government elaborate on how the awardee will be expected to work with the

The vendor is responsible for detailing a transition

Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Specialized Iterative Software Development and Support Services

19AQMM22R0041

incumbent? Is the awardee expected to capture the incumbents as part of its team or will the incumbent have its own separate contract and maintain its current staff?

plan to allow them to perform the SOW.

7. SOW 2.3.1 - Activity

1: Information

Discovery, Analytics, And Batch Data

Processing, page 8

“Building initial analytics capabilities utilizing the newly created data processing environment”

Can the government identify what system the newly created database processing environment is? Meaning

Arris Federal as a whole or a separate analytics system.

The intent here is to ensure that the contractor has to capabilities to enhance the system to provide more reporting and data analytics work for

PSS going forward. It could in theory be done in a custom manner within the current codebase (i.e.

.NET / ArrisFederal) or through something like PowerBI /

PowerAutomate or one of the analytics tools being looked at.

8 SOW 2.1.6 – Subtask

6 Update Quality

Control Plan (QCP), This SOW section states the following: “The Contractor shall update the QCP submitted with their quote and provide a final

QCP as specified in Section 5. The

Contractor shall periodically update the QCP, as specified in

Section 5, as changes in program processes are identified.”

There is no reference to the QCP in Section 5. Can the government provide clarification?

The vendor should follow the schedule in SOW Section 3.4

Schedule and

Milestone Dates

9. RFP 52.212-1,

Instructions to

Offerors, Technical

Approach, Page 41

The technical approach has a 20 page limit but is supposed to include a description of the offeror’s approach to the SOW tasks, project management

The Project

Management Plan and Quality Control

Plan to be separate and limited to 4 pages each. The Transition

Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Specialized Iterative Software Development and Support Services

19AQMM22R0041

plan, quality control plan, and

Transition plan. The page limit is too low to include all of this information. Can the government increase the page limit or allow the plans to be included as Appendices that don’t count towards the page count?

plan should not be separate.

10. RFP 52.212-1,

Instructions to

Offerors, Technical

Approach, Page 41.

SOW 3.4 Schedule and Delivery

Milestones, Pages 11 -

Instructions for the technical approach say that a project management plan and quality control plan are required.

According to the SOW, the draft of those plans aren’t due until the KickOff meeting after award. Can the government clarify?

The Project

Management Plan should be part of the vendors proposal.

The awarded vendor will also present the

Project Management

Plan at the kick off as a standalone item for review and comment by the USG.

Question # RFP Section No., Title and Page

Vendor Question Response

11. Section H-016, Key Personnel, Page 10

Page 10 states there are three key personnel. These include

• Subject Matter Expert- Technical Lead/Lead Software Engineer - 2 positions

• Solutions Architect - part time;

However, Appendix B only lists the two engineering positions as Key Personnel. Which is correct?

Section H-016 is correct See Response to Questions 2 & 3

12.

52.212-1 -

Instructions to

Offerors-

Commercial Items

(Sep 2021), Submission of

Offer, pages 40-41

The RFP is requiring 3 past performances using

ArrisFederal. While we, and our other teaming partners, have extensive experience using similar Geospatial tools, finding companies with specific ArrisFederal past performance that are not attached to the related

The vendor can provide information that represents their past performance. The requirements are not changed.

Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Specialized Iterative Software Development and Support Services

19AQMM22R0041

opportunity fulfilled by DCS, has been a challenge.

Would the government accept past performances utilizing similar Geospatial tools in place of ArrisFederal experience?

13.

52.212-1 -

Instructions to

Offerors-

Commercial Items

(Sep 2021), General

Information, Due to the proximity to the holidays, would the Agency consider granting a two-week extension for proposal responses?

The Government will extend the proposal response deadline until

4 p.m. January 4, 2022.