Attachment D - Questions and Responses_Finalized_19AQMM22R0202_A0003.xlsx
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- Data Analytics - R/PPR
- Solicitation number
- 19AQMM22R0202
About this file
This is a solicitation for data analytics services to support public diplomacy efforts of the Department of State. The solicitation seeks to establish an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to secure a broad array of technical, consultative, and support services in data analytics. Services will include collecting and analyzing data to help the Department of State better understand global audiences, international media environments, efforts of adversaries to deploy disinformation, and effectiveness of Department programs. The contractor will be expected to acquire and deploy industry standard and emerging tools and practices for collecting and analyzing data. In addition to the Bureau of Research and Public Diplomacy Planning, task orders may be issued by other Department of State bureaus involved in public diplomacy efforts. The period of performance is a one-year base period and four one-year options periods. Proposals are due by specified dates in 2022 with contract award anticipated by the end of 2022.
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Questions
| Attachment D_19AQMM22R0202 - Data Analytics - Questions & Responses | ||
| 19AQMM22R0202 - Data Analytics - Questions & Responses | ||
| Reference: | Question: | A/OPE/AQM's Response: |
| Notice ID -19AQMM22R0202 for Data Analytics -R/PPR | Would you consider companies with no security clearances but their Consultants having Security clearances? | No, Offeror's must hold the appropriate facility clearance. |
| NOTE: Was Not Submitted as Attachmnet D | It states that the contract is required to have a Top-Secret Facilities Clearance, as a 8a contractor, it is still difficult to obtain a TS FCL, if we partner with a company that has a TS FCL, would that be acceptable? Our Joint Venture partner also has a TS FCL. Would that be acceptable? | If an Offeror elects to respond as a Joint Venture with another firm so long as one of the two firms holds a Top Secret Facility Clearance their response will meet the security requirements. |
| Attachment C; Section L.5/1 | Can the paragraph be amended to have CMMI SVC3 at time of award or have alternate certifications in ISO 20000 and 27001 in lieu of CMMI SVC3? | No, the paragraph and requirements will not be amended |
| Attachment C, Section L.4, 1.g states that "a) If the prime entity is a JV, a copy of the JV agreement approved by the Small Business Administration" | Reference states that "a) If the prime entity is a JV, a copy of the JV agreement approved by the Small Business Administration" |
Per SBA (https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/joint-ventures):
SBA no longer approves joint venture agreements formed to pursue competitive 8(a) contracts. This includes joint venture agreements formed under the SBA MPP to perform a competitive 8(a) contract. SBA will continue to review and approve all joint venture agreements formed to pursue sole source 8(a) contracts.
Given that this is a competitive bid, can DOS clarify that there is no requirement to submit an SBA approved JV agreement? Attachment C, Section L.4, 1.g has been revised to state the following: "If the prime entity is a JV, a copy of the JV agreement is required. DoS understands that the Small Business Administration no longer approves joint venture agreements formed to pursue competitive 8(a) contracts."
| Offeror Due Date/Extension | Would the Government be willing to extend the offeror due date to 1 August 2022. | The Phase 1 due date has been updated, proposals are due on Monday August 1st, 2022 at 12PM EDT. |
| SOW Projects | Are the expectations that a vendor provides services for all Project Groups, just one Project Group, or several Project Groups? | Offeror(s) must be able to provide services for all Project Groups; however, the State Department is under no obligation to require services in all groups over the life of the IDIQ. |
| Attachment F - Past Performance | Does the vendor send the Past Performance questionnaire to references? How many are needed? | Attachments C & F have been revised. |
Yes, the Offeror shall request completed PPQs from three (3) references, the reference will then submit the PPQs directly to Department of State for consideration by the specified PPQ due date.
| C-001 -Background (Data) | What forms will the data be in? | Forms are contained on the WVS website. |
| NOTE: Was Not Submitted as Attachmnet D | Is this considered a new requirement? If not could you provide me with the incumbent contract number and or vendor name? | This is considered a new requirement. |
| NOTE: Was Not Submitted as Attachmnet D | 1. Would you kindly confirm if this is an entirely new effort or is there an incumbent currently providing these services? If so, would you please provide the incumbent contract details? | See Cell C12. |
| NOTE: Was Not Submitted as Attachmnet D | I hope you are well. We reviewed yesterday’s R/PPR Data Analytic BPA release. We had a question on why the use of NAICS Code 541519 instead of NAICS code 541513 which is being used for the EVOLVE Procurement? This will hurt the number of small businesses who can participate (including our team consisting of a number of small businesses.) In addition, Why the requirement of both CMMI Dev and CMMI Services. A small business usually chooses one or the other to pursue due to the cost of the certification process. This again will not allow qualified small businesses to participate and respond. Thank you. | The NAICS code shall not change, the government requires both CMMI Dev and CMMI Services certifications for this procurement. |
| Overall RFP | In view of the Federal holidays in July, please consider providing a 1-week extension for the Phase 1 Submission? | See Cell C8. |
| Attachment C , Page #4, Section L.5 -Go/No-Go Initial Screening | Please confirm there are only two requirements for Go/No-Go: |
1) Offerors shall be certified at the CMMI Development – Level 3 or higher and the CMMI Service – Level 3 or higher (both)?
| 2) Offerors shall be ISO 9001 certified and provide proof of such certification with their Phase 1 submission. | Confirmed. | ||
| Attachment C , Page #6, Section L.6 : Factor3 Management approach | Can the government please identify clearly the Key Personnel at the IDIQ level? | No Key Personnel shall be required at the IDIQ level but may be required at the Task Order level. | |
| Attachment F, PPQ document, Page 1 | Given that the Phase1 proposal due date is 07/25/2022, why is the government expecting PPQ to be submitted by the relevant agency customers by 07/22? We would request given its summer vacation time and the clients have to deliver multiple PPQs, the DOS R/PPR team should give until end of July (29th of July) to submit the PPQs | The PPQ due date is revised to August 1st, 2022 at Noon (12PM) EDT. | |
| Attachment F, PPQ document, Page 2 | Reviewing the PPQ questionnaire closely, is it necessary for the customer (COR/TCOR/Program stakeholders) to fill out every single row under each of the sections? | Yes, if a section is "Not Applicable" then marking "N/A" is sufficient | |
| Attachment F, PPQ document, section2, Page 3 | The questions being evaluated under the PPQ don't exactly align with the Scope of Work. For example, section 2.9 refers to cloud migration, section 2.10 refers to cloud operations which are not relevant to the work being solicited in the RFP. We request the Government to reevalute the questions being asked as part of the PPQs and align them more towards the 8 project areas for fair evaluation. | Attachment F has been revised. | |
| Attachment C, page #5, Factor 2 | Factor 2: Past Performance and Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) - Please clarify what content is required as part of the response to this section? Are offerors required to provide a write-up for each past performance in addition to the PPQ? If so, please clarify the page limitations for past performance write-ups. | PPQs are examples of relevant work written by the Offeror's former Government Customers. The past performance write-up should indicate the Offerors overall relevant experience and qualifications written by the Offeror. | |
| Attachment C, Section L.5 | Please clarify if the Govt requires offerors to use a specific file name for the Go/No-Go Initial Screening document. | No specific file name is required. | |
| PWS, Project Group 5: Digital Analytics. | Please provide a list of websites that require web metric analysis under this contract. | No specific websites are defined. | |
| PWS, Project Group 5: Digital Analytics. | Please provide a list of social media handles that require social metric analysis under this contract. | No specific social media lists are defined. | |
| Attachment C, L.4, Page 2 | Will the Government please clarify if PPQs are to be included within the Phase I response or if completed PPQs should be submitted directly to the Government? If our clients are to send the completed PPQs back to the Offeror to include in our phase 1 proposal, can we please include them as part of an Appendix outside the 25 page count limit for the volume? | Attachment C has been revised. |
PPQs are to be sent "DIRECTLY to the Government" by the references (Namejko, Robert B <NamejkoRB@state.gov>; Fitzgibbon, Maurice E <FitzgibbonME@state.gov>)
| Attachment A , in numerous places. E.g., "Bachelor’s Degree and 10+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s Degree and 8+ years of relevant experience " | Are four or more additional years of experience and acceptable substitution for a Bachelor’s degree in LCAT requirements? | No, it is not an accepetable substitution for response to the IDIQ soliciation. However, LCAT requirements will be specified at the IDIQ Task Order level. |
| Attachment C, Page 4, "Past Performance and Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs)" | Is there a limit to the number of PPQs provided? May offerors submit past performance write-ups and/or PPQs for subcontractor teaming agencies on their teams? | Attachment C has been revised. |
Offerors may submit up to 3 PPQs. No, Offeror's may not submit past performance write-ups and/or PPQs for subcontractor teaming agencies on their teams unless the Offeror is a Joint Venture and submitting for one of their venture partners.
| Attachment C, Page 4, "Past Performance and Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs)" | Would PPQs be included in the technical volume/ Or should references submit them directly to the CO to maintain confidentiality of their reviews? | See Cell C25. | |
| Attachment C/ L1. Proposal Submission | Will the government provide guidance on the estimated number of concurrent task order envisioned during the life of the IDIQ given that it will service all offices within the Department of State with public diplomacy equities. | The number of prospective Task Orders has not been determined. | |
| Attachment C/ L1. Proposal Submission | Given the breadth of public diplomacy entities that will have access to ordering off of this IDIQ, will the government provide additional ordering procedure guidance concerning support request prioritization and deconfliction? | Ordering procedures will be provided at or after time of IDIQ award. | |
| General | Will the Department of State provide guidance on how it envisions the awardee will interface with the existing technologies and platforms in use and analytics infrastructure and resources available within the Department? What guidance can be provided on the process for leveraging a new analytics tool within the Department's infrastructure if needed? | Guidance will be provided at or after time of IDIQ award. | |
| SOW/ Deliverables/ Reporting Requirements | To enable vendors to bring the necessary breadth of domain experts to bear in delivering these analytic products (e.g., commercial marketing and social engagement experts), will State Department allow vendors to use staff who do not have national security clearances for performance of IDIQ task orders not requiring the handling of classified information? | All proposed staff must be able to obtain and maintain an MRPT clearance at a minimum. Required clreance levels will be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 1 Marketing and Strategic Planning | Does the Department of State plan to purchase and place targeted advertising content directly with content platforms/ vendors or will this be the responsibility of contract support? | This has not yet been determined. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 1 Marketing and Strategic Planning/ Bullet 1 | Is the Department of State open to combining traditional labor hours with software as a service in order to accomplish its goals/create these deliverables? If so, are there any government procurement regulations which apply? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 1 Marketing and Strategic Planning/ Bullet 1 | Does the Department of State intend to make available any existing data sets or research in the identification of target audiences abroad? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 1 Marketing and Strategic Planning/ Bullet 1 | Is the Department of State open to the acquisition of third-party data sets as part of deliverable creation? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 1 Marketing and Strategic Planning/ Bullet 2 | Will the Department of State require/be open to conducting focus groups outside of the US? If so, are there particular protocols that apply to the delivery of focus group research with individuals outside of the US, and is the government open to using virtual conferencing tools (such as Zoom) to conduct these focus groups? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 1 Marketing and Strategic Planning/ Bullet 3 | Will the Department of State provide an estimated budget or historical for media buying? | No estimated budget will be provided to Offerors. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 2 Program Measurement and Evaluation | Will the Department of State provide information related to the transition process such as current work activities, critical milestones, and other related areas related to completing a successful transition? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 3 Product Development, Consultation, Sales | Will the Department of State provide guidance on the need for contract support to access and work in classnet to fulfill IDIQ requirements? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 3 Product Development, Consultation, Sales | Is it the Department of State's intention that recruiting focus groups will be the responsibility on the contractor? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 3 Product Development, Consultation, Sales | Does the Department of State envision defining product owners who can make decisions and be available to work with the delivery team as products are developed and fielded? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 3 Product Development, Consultation, Sales/ Bullet 2 | Will the Department of State provide examples of the concepts, products, and services referenced in Project Group 3? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 5/ Bullet 2 | Can the Department of State confirm it is currently operating on the platforms referenced in Project Group 5 and intends for social metrics to be analyzing State Department social network performance? | The Department of State uses the platforms referenced in the RFP and other various platforms. Social metrics are required to analyze Departmental and non-Departmental media. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 5/ Bullet 4 | Does the Department of State believe that bot detection is distinct from open source analytics and if so, will it please describe this in more detail? Further, will the Department of State define what it means by source validation? | Bot detection and open source analytics are distinct subject matters, though with overlaps. Source validation compares end data to the source data to ensure accuracy, especially when data transformation occurs. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 6 Digital Engagement | Will the Department of State provide details on the budgeting and allocation of funds for targeted ads supporting digital engagement? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SOW/ Project Group 7/ Bullet 1 | Will the Department of State describe what media/source coverage it is referring to in Project Group 7? | The Department of State conducts analysis of various social media sources and online media sources | |
| SOW/ Project Group 7/ Bullet 2 | Is the Department of State intention that vendors apply human domain specialists utilizing technology accelerators to deliver multi-source analysis? | Specific means of analysis will be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| General | Will the government provide details on what technologies and platforms are used for marketing campaigns and analytics currently? | Details will be provided at or after time of IDIQ award. | |
| General | How many campaigns does the government expect to run every month / year? | The government does not have an estimate at this time. | |
| Attachment F, Questionnaire | The questionnaire does not seem to be specific for data analytics. For example, there are questions regarding cyber security, DevsecOps and others. Will the government please review the past performance questionnaire from a data analytics perspective and align it to the PWS? | See Cell C20. | |
| Attachment F, PPQ document, Page 1 | If the government makes any amendments to the PP questionnaire then we would appreciate if the governments gives appropriate additional days and revised deadline to get the PPQ properly populated and submitted by the respective government client. | See Cell C18. | |
| RFP; pg 1; SF 1449; | |||
| The SF 1449 (block 10) does not reflect the designated NAICS for this procurement. The SAM Notice reflects 541519. | Will the Government confirm 541519 is the correct NAICS code? | Confirmed. | |
| Attachment C; pg 1; Section L.2, Source and Advisory Down-Select Process; | |||
| Offerors will receive an Advisory Notification between Phases I and II and this Notification will be the only notice the Government will provide from Phase I. However, L.6 (pg 5) states "After receiving their Advisory Notifications, Offerors choosing to continue to Phase I...." which implies the Advisory Notification will be provided prior to Phase I. | Will the Government clarify when the Advisory Notification will be issued? | Attachment C has been revised. |
Advisory Notices will be issued to Offeror's compliant with the submission requirements after the close of Phase I. The Advisory Notices will indicate which Offeror's the government considers viable to move to Phase II. All Offeror's who receive Advisory Notices are welcome to participate in Phase II should they elect to participate.
| Attachment C; pgs 1-2; Section L.2, Source and Advisory Down-Select Process; | ||
| L.2 states Phase I includes Factors 1, 2, and 3 while Phase II includes Factors 4, 5, and 6 as well as Pricing (Factor 7). However, the proposal table on pg 4 as well as L.6 and L.7 only addresses Factors 1 through 5. | Will the Government clarify if there are 5 or 7 Factors? | Attachment C has been revised. |
There are five (5) factors in this RFP.
| Attachment C; pgs 2-3; Section L.4, Proposal Content Requirements; Business Volume; | |||
| A completed Business Volume must be received as part of Phase I proposal. | Should the Business Volume be submitted in PDF format? | Yes, the Business Volume shall be submitted in PDF format. | |
| Attachment C; pg 4; Section L.4, Proposal Content Requirements; Table | Are Factors 1, 2, and 3 to be submitted as separate PDF files or consolidated into a single Technical Volume file? | Factors 1, 2, and 3 shall be submitted in a single Technical Volume. | |
| Attachment C; pg 4; L.5, Go/No-Go Initial Screening | Can the Government please confirm that the required certifications listed under L.5 are due at the same time as the Phase 1 submissions, currently July 25, 2022? | Attachment C has been revised. |
Confirmed.
| Attachment C; pg 5; L.6, Phase I Instructions; | |||
| "After receiving their Advisory Notifications, Offerors choosing to continue to Phase I must submit their Phase I proposals via email to the Contracting Officer/Specialist on the cover page of this solicitation by the deadline provided at the time of the Notice." | Can the Government please clarify what is required for submission, and when, to receive an advisory notification to continue to Phase 1? Or, is Phase 1 still due July 25, 2022 as listed in Amendment 2? | See Cell C54. | |
| Attachment E; pg 1; Section M.1, Evaluation Overview and Advisory Down-Selection; | |||
| All evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are significantly more important than price. | Are each the non-price factors equal in importance or how are they otherwise weighted in relation to each other? | Yes, each of the non-price factors are equal in importance. | |
| Attachment E; pg 1; Section M.1, Evaluation Overview and Advisory Down-Selection: | |||
| States "preferred (but not required) qualifications will also rise in importance as other factors." | 1. Will the Government identify preferred qualifications? | ||
| 2. Where should these preferred qualifications be included in the proposal? | Attachment E; pg 1; Section M.1 has been revised. | ||
| Attachment C, L.4, Table, pg 4 | Could you please clarify or amend the statement that images and diagrams are excluded from page count? Since such figures are typically less than a full page and integrated into the proposal narrative, verifying total page count of the volume would not seem possible, unless figures are to be placed on separate whole pages or segregated into a discreet section/appendix, which does not seem to be the intent of this solicitation. | Attachment C has been revised. |
Appendix: Offerors have the option to include an Appendix of no more than 5 pages to the proposal that includes all of the tables and diagrams referenced in their proposals, with the caveat that all tables, diagrams, etc. must have Times New Roman fonts that are 10 pt as a minimum. This will not count toward the 25 page limit.
Att C, L.5 Go/No-Go Initial Screening The referenced section states: "Please submit a response confirming that the PRIME offeror meets each individual required qualification below.The Prime cannot rely on any proposed team members (Subcontractors or teaming partners)to meet the Go/No-Go requirements."
1)Offerors shall be certified at the CMMI Development –Level 3 or higher andthe CMMI Service –Level 3 or higher (both). Proof must be provided with Phase 1 submission.
2)Offerors shall be ISO 9001 certified and provide proof of such certification with their Phase 1 submission.
| Could the Government please provide a deadline for the Go/No-Go submission and a firm date for Government's response to it? | The Go/No-Go submission is due with Offeror's Phase I Proposal Submission. | ||
| Attachment E, M.2, pg 1-2 | The Government states that "The Prime cannot rely on any proposed team member (SubK or teaming partners) to meet the G/NG requirements." Can the Government please confirm either entity of the Prime Joint Venture's (JV) credential(s) shall fulfill requirements of the G/NG criteria? | Either entity of the Prime Joint Venture's (JV) credential(s) can fulfill requirements of the G/NG criteria. | |
| ATTACHMENT F1ECA EX/IT Past Performance QuestionnaireDepartment of StateData Analytics Support ServicesPresent and Past Performance AssessmentQuestionnaire | Is section 1 of the PPQ sufficient to include in the Past Performance section (vs. entire PPQ) and remain outside of the page count? | No, see Cell C21. | |
| SOW, page 6 and Solicitation AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT, page 12, section F-003 - GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED EQUIPMENT / INFORMATION | The referenced SOW section states: "The vendor will be expected to equip staff assigned to calls/TOs with laptops and any other computer hardware required to perform the work." The referenced Solicitaiton section states: "For contractor personnel working onsite, DOS will provide work spaces with all office equipment and supplies necessary. This includes furnishings, computer hardware, telephones and other material appropriate to the performance of this task. All computer resources in use at the U.S. Government facility will be provided for exclusive use at that facility. Contractors working offsite are expected to provide all equipment and supplies required to perform their duties unless OpenNet access is required, in which case the government will provide the necessary equipment as GFE." | ||
| Can you please calirfy and reconcile these two sets of statements, which appear to contain contradictions? | These statements are not contradictory. Personnel working onsite will have access to Government equipment. Personnel working offsite will be required to provide their own equipment. (The Government may choose to provide equipment to personnel working offsite, but it is under no obligation to do so.) | ||
| L.4 Proposal Content Requirements | The table on pg 4 of Attachment C Instructions to Offerors notes exclusions to the page count, including Images/Diagrams. Please confirm that an 8x11 page of images may be submitted as an Appenix to Volume I and will be excluded from the page count. | See Cell C62. | |
| L.4 Proposal Content Requirements | The table on pg 4 of Attchment C Instructions to Offerors does not include the Business Volume. Please confirm that the Business Volume is submitted during Phase I as a separate PDF file. Please also confirm that there is no page limitation for the Business Volume. | Attachment C has been revised. |
The Business Volume is submitted during Phase I as a separate PDF file. There is no page limitation for the Business Volume.
L.4 Proposal Content Requirements / Business Volume Item 1e requires confirmation of 8(a) certification. Please confirm that a written response from the Offeror affirming 8(a) certification is sufficient to comply with this requirement.
(https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/joint-ventures#section-header-4)
| Offeror's SBA Office and Offeror's Point of Contact at that office must be included at a minimum. | |||
| L.4 Proposal Content Requirements / Business Volume | Item 1g requires a copy of the Joint Venture (JV) agreement approved by the SBA. SBA only approves Mentor-Protégé agreements (where Mentor is large business) and not small business JV. Please confrm that if the bid is being submitted by a small business JV that is NOT a Mentor-Protégé, no additional information is required to be submitted to address 1g. | ||
| (see https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/joint-ventures#section-header-4) | See Cell C7. | ||
| L.4 Proposal Content Requirements / Business Volume | Item 2 lists required certifications/signed statements. May offerors submit a copy of their Reps & Certs from SAM in lieu of submitting individually completed clauses/signed statements? | Yes, Offerors may submit a copy of their Reps & Certs from SAM in lieu of submitting individually completed clauses/signed statements and will NOT COUNT toward the 25 page limit. | |
| L.5 Go/No-Go Initial Screening | Please confirm that as has been allowed on similar IDIQ/BPA bids (such as CIO-SP3/SP4, STARS II/III, Alliant etc) certification requirements such as CMMI and ISO may be met by any member of the joint venture, when a Joint Venture will be submitting a bid as the Prime. | Either entity of the Prime Joint Venture's (JV) credential(s) can fulfill requirements of the G/NG criteria | |
| L.5 Go/No-Go Initial Screening | Please confirm that the documentation supporting the Initial Screening requirements is to be submitted as a stand-alone file. | Offeror's may submit it as a separate file or include their response within their Technical Proposal. | |
| L.6 Phase I Instructions / Factor 2 Past Performance and PPQs | Please confirm that the only required written submittal for Factor 2 is the actual PPQ forms which are submitted directly to the Government. | See Cell C21. | |
| 652.239-70 (Pg 56 of RFP) | 652.239-70 (pg 56 of the RFP) specifies that all offers/bids submitted in response to this solicitation must address the approach for completing the security plan and certification and accreditation requirements as required by the clause at 652.239-71. Where should the approach for completing these items be included as they are not listed in Attachments C or E? | The IT Security Plan shall be submitted after issuance of the IDIQ award. | |
| Attachment E | Page 5 indicate that government will evaluate a sample LOE "using a specified level of effort (LOE) and staffing mix provided as a separate tab in the Excel Pricing Workbook". Will the government provide this tab or will this language be deleted from the solicitation. | Attachment E, Factor 5 has been revised. | |
| Attachment E | Will the government allow offerors to submit two sets of rates to cover on and off-site performance, as that could help the government leverage cost benefits associated with a non-DC based workforce | Only one set of rates (Off-site) shall be submitted for evaluation purposes. | |
| General Pricing, General Section B | Due to unknowns with inflation rates over the next five years, it would lower overall costs and increase validity of bids if a mechanism were put into effect pre-award. Would DOS be willing to incorporate an EPA clause to account for potential inflation? | It is the Offeror's prerogative to include escalation costs. No EPA Clause will be included. | |
| M.2, L.1, L.2, L.5 | Go/No-Go submission. There seems to be inconsistent scheduling/requirements for submission of the Go/No-Go criteria. Through best synthesis, our understanding is a separate PDF is to be submitted with Phase I proposal submissions, on or before July 25. Can the government confirm this, or is there an additional evaluation deadline of this document that must take place before Phase I begins (as outlined in L.6)? | See Cell C73. | |
| Page 1, Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL.doc “assessment of messengers” | Please clarify the messengers to be assessed. | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Page 2, Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL.doc | |||
| Use and assessment of “content platforms/vehicles” | Please list the content platforms/vehicles currently in use. | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Page 2, Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL.doc | |||
| “designing visual creative elements” | May the offeror provide an example of previous design work in portfolio format as an appendix to demonstrate technical capability for project group 1? | No, Offerors shall submit the required materials only. | |
| Page 2, Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL.doc | |||
| “Web Metrics” | Would you like the vendor to analyze mobile app usage metrics as well? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Page 2, Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL.doc | |||
| “Marketing Campaign Planning” | May the offeror provide an example of previous marketing campaign as an appendix to demonstrate technical capability for project group 1? | No, Offerors shall submit the required materials only. | |
| Page 3, Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL.doc | |||
| “Analyzing social network performance metrics from sources including Twitter, Facebook, Sina Weibo, WeChat, and VKontakte Analytics retrieved through GUI platform or API.” | What tools are currently used to listen to and analyze social media metrics? Does the government prefer to keep these tools in place? | Details will be provided at or after time of IDIQ award. | |
| Page 3, Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL.doc | |||
| “Using digital engagement tools (e.g., collaboration platforms such as Slack, email optimization, digital marketing and outreach, social media, contact relationship management tools (including Salesforce and other industry standard tools) and online virtual meeting platforms) for public engagement purposes.” | Which digital engagement tools aside from social media and email are currently in use to engage the public? | The solicitation provides a sample list of engagement tools. The list is illustrative and not comprehensive. | |
| Page 3, Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL.doc | |||
| “A/B testing of digital templates and content for websites” | Does DOS intend to provide templates and content for testing, or is the intent for contract staff to develop these templates and content? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Page 6, |
Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL.doc
| “Situational or Part-Time Domestic telework may be mutually agreed upon” | Would the government clarify the amount and type of telework available? Does the government prefer full remote options or a hybrid model? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL | Is there an incumbent for this project and if so can you describe any solutions that the incumbent would transition to a potential new vendor? | See Cell C12. | |
| Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL | What analytic and social media tools does DOS have available for the Vendor to use for this project? Are these tools managed by the DOS or its contractors? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL | Is the Vendor responsible for moving data into a data store and managing that data in order to conduct analytics? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL | Can DOE provide the size of data that the vendor would need to manage and / or analyze? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL | If the Vendor were to propose additional tools, would the tools be deployed within DOS’s environment (cloud or on-prem) or would the Vendor have responsibility for deploying and managing new tools within its own environment? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Data+Analytics+Statement+of+Work_RPPR_FINAL | If the Vendor were to propose commercial tools as part of the technical solution, how would DOS evaluate technical proposals without license pricing? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Attachment+C+-+Instructions+to+Offerors_Advisory+Down-Select+Process_19AQMM22R0202 | Would the Government consider providing an extension up to 10 business days to allow more time for customers to respond to the Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs)? | See Cell C18. | |
| Attachment+C+-+Instructions+to+Offerors_Advisory+Down-Select+Process_19AQMM22R0202 | Could you please confirm what Key Personnel are requested? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| SF1449, Size Standard | Would the Government consider utilizing NAICS 541513 which offers a larger, and therefore more competitive pool of potential small business proposal participants? | The NAICS code shall not change. | |
| Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract (19AQMM22R0202), B-010 - Type of Contract, p. 9 | Can the government clarify what work they anticipate to award as fixed price and what they intend to be time and materials? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract (19AQMM22R0202), B-003 - Other Direct Costs (ODCs) and B-004 - Travel, p. 6 | Can the government please clarify if offerors are permitted to add their NICRA G&A to travel and ODCs, defined and negotiated at the task order level? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract (19AQMM22R0202) | Can the government provide an estimate of how many task orders may be released during each year of the IDIQ? | The government does not have an estimate at this time. | |
| 1. Statement of Work - Security Clearance |
2. Evaluation Factors (Attachment E), L.5 Go/No-Go Initial Screening: Required Qualifications Instructions, p. 1 Can the Government clarify if it is required for the Prime to hold a Top Secret Facility Clearance.
| The SOW indicates this is a requirement. However, the Evaluation Factors, marks out the TOP SECRET requirement and indicates it is not needed. | It is required for the Prime or Joint Venture to hold a Top Secret Facility Clearance. | ||
| Statement of Work, Place of Performance | Does the government anticipate work performed on this IDIQ to require personnel located in a project office, outside of the government’s facilities? If yes, will the government permit this expense to be directly billed to awarded task orders? If a project office may be required, does the government anticipate any classified material being stored at the site? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| General | Assuming awarded task orders under existing mechanisms will continue while task orders awarded under this IDIQ begin, what coordination does the government anticipate between the incumbent and awardee of this IDIQ? | See Cell C12. | |
| General | Will the assigned Program/Project Manager of the IDIQ be permitted to serve in required roles on task orders, assuming the work is in support of the requested deliverables by the government? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| General | How many awardees does the Government plan on awarding? | A single awardee, one. | |
| General | Assuming awarded task orders under existing mechanisms will continue while task orders awarded under this IDIQ begin, what coordination does the government anticipate between the incumbent and awardee of this IDIQ? | See Cell C12. | |
| General | Will the assigned Program/Project Manager of the IDIQ be permitted to serve in required roles on task orders, assuming the work is in support of the requested deliverables by the government? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Statement of Work, Requirements | If more than one awardee is planned, do Offerors need to assume they must perform is all Project Groups listed in the SOW or are Offerors who specialize in select Project Groups encouraged to apply? | See Cell C105. | |
| Statement of Work, Place of Performance | Does the government anticipate work performed on this IDIQ to require personnel located in a project office, outside of the government’s facilities? If yes, will the government permit this expense to be directly billed to awarded task orders? If a project office may be required, does the government anticipate any classified material being stored at the site? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| 1. Statement of Work - Security Clearance |
2. Evaluation Factors (Attachment E), L.5 Go/No-Go Initial Screening: Required Qualifications Instructions, p. 1 Can the Government clarify if it is required for the Prime to hold a Top Secret Facility Clearance.
| The SOW indicates this is a requirement. However, the Evaluation Factors, marks out the TOP SECRET requirement and indicates it is not needed. | See Cell C101. | ||
| Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract (19AQMM22R0202), B-010 - Type of Contract, p. 9 | Can the government clarify what work they anticipate to award as fixed price and what they intend to be time and materials? | This has not yet been determined. | |
| Section L.2 states, "Those Offerors meeting the initial GO/NO-GO required qualifications will enter a two-Phase source selection process (Phase I and Phase II). Following the initial screening, Phase I will focus solely on technical evaluation for Factors 1, 2 and 3. " |
| Also, Attachment+C+-+Instructions+to+Offerors_Advisory+Down-Select+Process, L.5 | This section seems to imply that Offerors submit a response addressing only the GO/NO-GO requirements prior to preparing a Phase 1 response. However this step is not represented in the Solicitation Milestone Schedule on pg 2 of Attachment C. Could the government clarify whether Offerors need to submit a separate response before the Phase 1 response addressing the GO/NO-GO requirements? If so, should this response to the GO/NO-GO requirements be in the form of an email to the points of contact listed in the RFP? | GO/NO-GO is due with Offerors Phase I response, refer to Cell C73. | |
| Attachment+C+-+Instructions+to+Offerors_Advisory+Down-Select+Process | How many offerors does the Government anticipate will advance from Phase 1 to Phase 2? | This has not yet been determined. | |
| Attachment+C+-+Instructions+to+Offerors_Advisory+Down-Select+Process, Business Volume 1 (c) | We would like to confirm that a JV comprised of an 8a small business and a large business, can submit a response as a prime for this 8a set-aside RFP. | Joint Ventures are permitted; however, SBA will continue to review and approve all joint venture agreements formed to pursue sole source 8(a) contracts. | |
| Attachment+C+-+Instructions+to+Offerors_Advisory+Down-Select+Process, L.5 | This section states: "The Prime cannot rely on any proposed team members (Subcontractors or teaming partners) to meet the Go/No-Go requirements." We would like to confirm that a JV that submits as a Prime would not be viewed as "teaming partners" but rather as a single entity. | Joint Ventures will be considered as the "Offeror". | |
| Attachment+C+-+Instructions+to+Offerors_Advisory+Down-Select+Process, Factor 2 | Are there required minimums or maximums for the number of past performance examples that must be presented by the Prime versus teaming partners or subcontractors? | See Cell C27. | |
| Attachment+B+-+Not-To-Exceed_Fully-Loaded+Hourly+Labor+Rates_Pricing | Is there a profit cap for these labor rates? | It is the Offeror's Business Decision. | |
| Attachment+B+-+Not-To-Exceed_Fully-Loaded+Hourly+Labor+Rates_Pricing | Is there a maximum escalation rate for option years? | It is the Offeror's Business Decision. | |
| Attachment E, section M.2 | A comment/edit in M.2 states that the FCL is not required, however other sections indicate that it is required, such as section M.4 (page 4) and H-031. Will the Contractor need to have their FCL at the TOP Secret level? | See Cell C101. | |
| Data Analytics Statement of Work, Project Group 5 | Could the Govnerment please clarify who is responsible for getting the API to the social media like Sina Weibo, WeChat, and VKontakte Analytics? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| Data Analytics Statement of Work, Project Group 7 | Could the Government please clarify how many existing data sources and platforms there are and where they are each currently stored? | Data unavailable. | |
| Data Analytics Statement of Work, Deliverables | Could the Government please confirm that the deliverables will be submitted as files and not as protected, hosted solutions? | To be determined at the Task Order level. | |
| RFP, Attachment C, L-001 – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS & ADVISORY DOWN SELECT PROCEDURES, L.3 Timeline | Would the Government issue a one week extension in order to allow industry time to recalibrate their proposal responses based on any significant proposal changes that may occur as the result of the questions and answers? | See Cell C8. | |
| Attachment C - Instructions to Offerors & Advisory on down-select procedures | When will the Government let Offeror's know if they were not selected for the initial "GO" screening and their Phase I response will not be reviewed? | After review of Offeror's GO/NO-GO submission. | |
| Section: L-002 Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) | With this being an 8(a) contract, will the government require the 8(a) managing partner of the JV to submit at least one PPQ? | The JV is considered the Offeror; therefore, the partner's PPQs will qualify. | |
| Attachment C, L.4, Proposal Content Requirements, Business Volume | Can the government please clarify that the Phase I submission must include: | ||
| Business Volume (No Page Limit); and Technical Volume (25 Page Limit) - including Factor 1, 2, and 3. | Confirmed; however, the Business Volume should only include essential information, it is not to be used as a marketing tool. | ||
| Attachment C, L.4, Proposal Content Requirements | Can the government please clarify that the Phase I submission should NOT include the Pricing Volume, though it is listed in Attachment C, L.4 | Correct, Offeror's should not include a pricing volume with their Phase I submission. | |
| Attachment C, L.4, Proposal Content Requirements | The Times New Roman 11-pt font for Graphics and Charts is a burden to vendors. Would the government consider changing this to allow a Non-Serif font such as Arial at 9pt and above? | Times New Roman 10-pt font or larger is acceptable for Graphics and Charts. | |
| Attachment C, L.6, Factor 2 | Can the government elaborate on how they want the Past Performance Questionnaire's structured/submitted? A template for this has not been provided. | Attachment F has been provided to all Offerors, it serves as the template. | |
| Attachment C, L.6, Factor 2 | Please confirm that when a Past Performance Questionnaire template is provided, it is to be filled and signed by the vendor's customers, but submitted by the vendor themselves as part of their Phase I, Factor 2 response. | See Cell C25. | |
| Attachment C, L.6, Factor 2 | Past Performance Questionnaires are listed in Attachment C - Instructions, but not in Attachment E - Evaluation. Does this mean that PPQs will not be evaluated? | Attachment C has been revised. | |
| L.2 Source and Advisory Down-Select Process | What is the due date/time for Go/No Go Documentation Submissions? | See Cell C63. | |
| Attachment F Past Performance Questionnaire | Can Offerors submit CPARS in lieu of the PPQ form? | No, Offerors shall not submit CPARS in lieu of the PPQ form. | |
| Attachment C - INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS & ADVISORY DOWN SELECT PROCEDURES | How many Past Performance References can the offeror submit? | Offerors may submit up to three (3) PPQs. | |
| Attachment C - INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS & ADVISORY DOWN SELECT PROCEDURES | What additional information should offerors provide for Factor 2 Past Performance, aside from PPQs? | See Cell C21. | |
| Are Resumes and Letters of Commitment Required? | No, but these may be required at the Task Order level. | ||
| L.4 Proposal Content Requirements | Section L.4 lists a Business Volume is part of the submission. Is this volume separate from the Price volume? | Yes. | |
| L.5 Go/No Go Initial Screening | Can the government confirm that the submission requirements for the Go/No Go screen | Submission requirements are outlined in Attachment C. | |
| Statement of Work and Attachment A Labor Categories | The statement of work indicates that data analytics services will be provided under this IDIQ. However, the descriptions in the Project Groups and the labor categories indicate marketing, strategic planning, and curriculum development are part of the scope of work as well. Please confirm. | See Cell C9. | |
| L.6 Phase I Instructions | Instructions under Factor 1: Technical Approach state that offerors must include a sound explanation of how we will deliver timely, flexible, responsive, compliant, and cost effect services to meet the training needs of DOS. However, it is not clear what DOS' training needs are. Please advise. | DOS's training requirements may include training individuals whose backgrounds in data analytics range from novice to expert-level in the usage of data collection/data analytics software, the statistical analysis of the data that software collects, and/or the interpretation of that analyzed data to reveal key insights and the application of those insights to the work of U.S. public diplomacy. | |
| L-001,Technical and Proposal Volumes, pg. 4 | The schedule shows Factor 2 past performance questionnaires are included in the 25 page limit. However, if past performance questionnaires are to be submitted to the government, what other information does the government require to be included in the page limit for Factor 2? | See Cell C21. | |
| L.6 Phase I Instructions | The third bullet states that the Government will evaluate the technical appraoch for evidence of the timeline and schedule serves as the framework for the contractor's process for deliverying quality services. Because this is an IDIQ, it is unclear what activities should be included in a timeline or schedule. Can the government please advise if including a timeline and or schedule is a requirement at the IDIQ level? | No timeline or schedule is required to be submitted in the proposal response. | |
| L.6 Phase I Instructions | If a timeline or schedule is required to be submitted in the proposal response, please confirm if it is not included in the 25 page limit | See Cell C142. | |
| L.6 Phase I Instructions | If a timeline or schedule is required to be submitted in the proposal response, please confirm what activities should be included at the IDIQ level. | See Cell C142. | |
| L.6 Phase I Instructions, Factor 2 Past Performance and Past Performance Questionnaires | Can all past performances submitted cover all of the project groups collectively? | Yes, they may, it is Offeror's decision. | |
| L.6 Phase I Instructions, Factor 2 Past Performance and Past Performance Questionnaires | Do past performances submitted need to be relevant to each project groups or can it be relevant to performaning data analytics work? | It is the Offeror's decision. | |
| General Question | Is this a single award or multi-award IDIQ? | See Cell C105. | |
| General Question | If it is a multi-award, up to how many contractors will be awarded? | See Cell C105. | |
| Attachment+C+-+Instructions+to+Offerors_Advisory+Down-Select+Process_19AQMM22R0202.docx |
Section L, Sub-Section L.5 Go/No-Go Initial Screening: Required Qualifications Instructions
| Please confirm how the separate .pdf for the Initial Screening Phase, Required Qualifications Factor should be submitted to the government? Should we email the .pdf file to NamejkoRB@state.gov and FitzgibbonME@state.gov? What should this document be titled? Should this document be submitted along with our Phase/Phase 1 proposals and Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs)? | See Cell C63. | |
| RFP Section L, Sub-Section L.4 Proposal Content Requirements | Please allow all Graphs and Charts to conform to the Times New Roman 10-pt font or larger. | See Cell C128. |
| Attachment+F+-+Past+Performance+Questionnaire_19AQMM22R0202.docx |
| RFP Section L, Sub-Section L.4 Proposal Content Requirements | Please confirm that the three (3) Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) do not count against the Phase/Phase 1, 25 page count, as they are not being submitted to the government by contractors (but rather by government customers). | Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) do not count against the Phase 1, 25 page count. |
| Attachment+F+-+Past+Performance+Questionnaire_19AQMM22R0202.docx |
| RFP Section L, Sub-Section L.4 Proposal Content Requirements | Please allow for Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Past Performance references in lieu of Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs). PPQs can cause an undue burden on government staff. | See Cell C133. |
| Attachment+F+-+Past+Performance+Questionnaire_19AQMM22R0202.docx |
| RFP Section L, Sub-Section L.4 Proposal Content Requirements | Please allow for more than three (3) and up to five (5) Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs)/Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) past performance references. The variety of niche data analytics and aggregation requirements will make it difficult for small business offerors to showcase their solutions/capabilities via solely three (3) Past Performance references. | See Cell C10. |
| Attachment+F+-+Past+Performance+Questionnaire_19AQMM22R0202.docx |
| RFP Section L, Sub-Section L.4 Proposal Content Requirements | Please confirm that the three (3) Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) do not count against the Phase/Phase 1, 25 page count, as they are not being submitted to the government by contractors (but rather by government customers). | See Cell C151. |
| Attachment+F+-+Past+Performance+Questionnaire_19AQMM22R0202.docx |
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