Responses to Vendor Questions - A0002 FINAL.xlsx

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RFP - Vaccination and Occupational Health Support Services (VOHSS) - A0002 Final.pdf PDF
19AQMM23R0017 A0002.pdf PDF
Attachment 1 - VOHSS Pricing Table -A0002 FINAL.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
RFP - Vaccination and Occupational Health Support Services (VOHSS) - A0001 Final.pdf PDF
Responses to Vendor Questions - A0001 Final.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Attachment 5 - Labor Category Descriptions A0001-Final.pdf PDF
Attachment 1 - VOHSS Pricing Table -A0001 Final.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
19AQMM23R0017 A0001 Final.pdf PDF
19AQMM23R0017.pdf PDF
Attachment 3 - P.Perform Survey VOHSS 12082022.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Attachment 4 - Subcontracting Plan Template.docx DOCX document
Attachment 6 MRPT.pdf PDF
RFP - Vaccination and Occupational Health Support Services (VOHSS) Final.pdf PDF
Attachment 2 - Template for Vendor Questions.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Attachment 1 - VOHSS Pricing Table 12-09-2022.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Attachment 5 - Labor Category Descriptions Final.pdf PDF
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Questions and Clarifications

IdentifierTechnical, Cost, or Business ManagementRFP Section and Page ReferenceQuestion or Clarification RequestOfferor Recommendation (if any)Government ResponseChange to RFP? If so, where?
1Small Business Subcontracting Plan (unassigned)H.11, p.32 SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN REQUIREMENT The small business subcontracting plan shall be submitted in accordance with FAR 19.708(b) (1) and DOSAR 652.219-70(a). Offerors shall follow the instructions provided in FAR 52.219-9(d) (Small Business Subcontracting Plan), including Alternate II of the clause.Alt II of the referenced clause requires the plan to be submitted with the proposal; however, a location within the proposal is not specified in the instructions. What volume should it be included in or should it be submitted as a stand-lone document?The completed Small Business Subcontracting Plan shall be submitted as a part of Volume 3, as described in the Business Management Proposal Requirements section of the RFP (see section L.7.5.4.).Yes; Section H.11 has been removed and replaced with sections L.7.5.4 and L.7.5.5. Also, section M.8 has been added.
2TechnicalL.7.3.3, p. 42, Factor 3: Quality of the Proposed Administrative Support Services Plans. Operational Deliverable Plan; provide a comprehensive plan to address each of the listed deliverables, with detailed descriptions and sub-plans (i.e., a Medical Credentialing and Privileging Process Plan, and a Clinical Quality Assurance and Improvement (CQA&I) Plan)Could you please clarify the complete list of deliverables to which this requirement applies and/or point to the location in the RFP where these are listed?Section L.7.3.3, subparagraph 3., is specifically referring to the deliverables described in section C.2.3, b) and c), i.e., a Medical Credentialing and Privileging Process Plan, and a Clinical Quality Assurance and Improvement (CQA&I) Plan.Yes; Section L.7.3.3, subgraph 3., has been revised to provide clarity.
3TechnicalL.3, p, 41, Factor 2: Experience in providing the scope of tasks described in Section C.2 of the SOW (e.g., providing vaccination and immunization support, surveillance and care for emerging medical threats, specialized medical examination, occupational health and wellness support services).

L.7.3.2, p. 42, Factor 2: Experience in providing the scope of tasks described in Section C.2 of the SOW (e.g., providing vaccination and immunization support, surveillance and care for emerging medical threats, specialized medical examination, occupational health and wellness support services)

M.4, p. 48, Factor 2: Experience in providing the scope of tasks described in Section C.2 of the SOW (e.g., providing vaccination and immunization support, surveillance and care for emerging medical threats, specialized medical examination, occupational health and wellness support services).The three referenced RFP sections require that relevant experience for Section C.2 of the SOW be provided in the technical proposal; however, it is unclear how the subsections of C.2 (C.2.1, 2.2, 2.3), which are Performance Execution Expectations vs. instances of relevant experience, should be covered in the proposal and will be evaluated. It would seem that an approach to implementing these requirements, vs. describing past experience, would be appropriate. Can you please clarify how subsections C.2.1, 2.2, 2.3 should be addressed in the proposal and how those sections will be evaluated?The Government will expect each offeror to address their company's experience in providing the scope of tasks listed in Section C.2, subparagraphs a) through e) on page 11 of the RFP.No
4CostB.4.g, pg. 5Please clarify if offerors may include the cost for medical malpractice insurance within its fully-loaded hourly rate. If not, where are offerors to include the cost for this insurance rate?A0002: The Government will not directly cover the cost of a contractor employee's medical malpractice insurance. However, such costs may be included if, in accordance with an approved Forward Pricing Rate Agreement, a proportionate share of those costs are considered an allowable indirect cost that is allocated to multiple contracts.No
5CostB.4.i, pg. 6Please provide the "TBD" amount in the statement: "For labor-hour arrangements and the time portion of time-and-materials arrangements, the Government will pay the negotiated fixed fully-loaded hourly labor rate minus TBD% attributable to profit for those hours the Contractor incurs when replacing or correcting services or materials."The "TBD" amount will be the NTE profit percentage the awardee proposes (or is negotiated) in the "Attachment 1 - VOHSS Pricing Table," under the "Profit and Fee Percentages" tab. At the time of award, the percentage to be listed in section B.4.i), will represent the proposed or negotiated base period NTE profit percentage, which will also be reflected in section B.5 of the award document.No
6CostL.7.4.2, pg 44This paragraph includes "The labor rates proposed will not be subject to adjustment post award." Please confirm whether the fully loaded bill rates for positions that are classified as covered by the Service Contract Labor Standards will be adjusted for changes in the Department of Labor Wage Determination minimum hourly wages and/or Health and Welfare requirements.Any positions that are classified as covered by the Service Contract Labor Standards are subject to adjustment in accordance with clause FAR 52.222-41.Yes, L.7.4.2, has been revised to address this point.
7CostL.7.4.3, pg. 44Are there specific requirements for the narrative description?There are no specific requirements for the narrative descriptions. Offerors must provide sufficient information to enable the Government to understand how the proposed fully burdened labor rates were derived and must address any unique or special circumstances that may exist in establishing the rates.No
8Section H- Special Contract RequirementsH.11, pg. 32Please clarify the NAICS code to be used to determine small business classification since page 3 of the RFP lists multiple with varying size standards.The primary NAICS code is 621111 - Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists). Please use this NAICS code to determine the small business classification.No; also see the changes resulting from question #1.
9TechnicalL.7.3.4 Factor 4: Past Performance, page 43Please clarify whether CPARs and Past Performance Surveys are excluded from the page limitation.The CPARs and Past Performance Surveys should be excluded from the page limitations.The CPARs and Past Performance Surveys are excluded from the page limitation.No
10TechnicalL.7.3.3 Factor 3, part 3, page 43Is the Government asking offerors to submit the referenced subplans (i.e., Medical Credentialing and Privileging Process Plan, and a Clinical Quality Assurance and Improvement (CQA&I) Plan), or rather describe them within the context of the Operational Delivery Plan?Recommend the full plans are not required to be submitted with the proposal.See the response to question # 2.No
11TechnicalL.7.3.4 Factor 4: Past Performance, page 43Does the requirement for providing past performance information on at least three (3) but no more than five (5) of the most recent and relevant contracts pertain to the offeror's team (prime and major subs) as a whole, or is each member to provide information on three to five contracts?The requirement applies to the offeror's team as a whole.No
12Business Management19AQMM23R0017.pdf, page 12Regarding 652.204-70 (DEPARTMENT OF STATE PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION CARD POLICY AND PROCEDURES (FEB2015)), the link to access DOS Personal Identification Card Policy and Procedures at https://usdos.sharepoint.com/sites/DS-In/C/ST/SSI/NSM/IDM/OneBadge/SitePages/OneBadge.aspx. requires access and password. Can a copy of this policy and procedure be provided?DOS is unable to resolve the issue with the link at this time. The awardee will be provided the information needed to address this requirement.No
13TechnicalRFP, C.2.1 Performance Execution Expectation 1: Program Management, page 12Will DOS provide supporting letters for obtaining professional and business licenses in foreign countries?
"Obtain all necessary professional and business licenses and permits required by U.S. and host nation laws and regulations"The requirement for OCONUS has been eliminated. If the requirement arises, DOS will provide support letters.No
14CostRFP F.3, Place of Performance, page 18Should the specified Labor Category NTE rates take into consideration the DOS's right to task the contractor to perform in OCONUS or will the "mutual agreement" allow for increased in rates for OCONUS work?
"The Government anticipates that majority of work to be completed within the National Capital Region (NCR) but reserves the right to task the contractor to perform at any location CONUS or OCONUS, based upon mutual agreement between the Government and Contractor."The NTE rates should be based on CONUS performance. The OCONUS requirement has been eliminated.Yes; see changes to section F.3.
15TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.10 Specialty Outpatient Registered NurseIs the following "written plan" a requirement for an ADN RN to be employed for all task orders?
"Education: BSN or ADN - Within 6 months of start date: meet with nurse leader, identify which Accredited School the employee plans to attend, submit a review of transcript from the school indicating the required pre-requisites and timeline for taking the courses, Provide a written plan with anticipated BSN completion date"The Specialty Outpatient Registered Nurse position has been eliminated.Yes, see changes in section B.4.b) a., Attachment 1, and Attachment 5, section 5.10.
16TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.10 Specialty Outpatient Registered NurseWill this position not require AHA ACLS as well simply for liability and the ability to assist in codes?See response to question #15.Yes, see question #15.
17TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.7 Physician Assistant/Nurse PractitionerWill all Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner be required, regardless of assignment location, be licensed in District of Columbia as stated in the Job Description?
"Must be licensed as an NP in the District of Columbia"The requirement to work at a Federal Agency is to have a US State license.Yes, see changes to Attachment 5, section 5.7.
18TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.7 Physician Assistant/Nurse PractitionerWill all Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner be required, regardless of assignment, to be Certified as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner as stated in the Job Description?

"Master's Degree in nursing; Registered Nurse license and Certified as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner"

The psychiatric element has been eliminated.Yes; see changes to Attachment 5, section 5.7.
19TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.7 Physician Assistant/Nurse PractitionerAre there separate job description requirements for Physician Assistant?While the certification requirements will be different for the NP versus the PA, the job requirements will be identical within scope. Please see Attachment 5, section 5.7.No
20TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.2 Health EducatorIs it possible to utilize a paramedic that has three years experience as a training officer, all AHA and training certifications and a master's degree vs a registered nurse? This expands the potential employment tool without degrading the capabilities.The Health Educator position has been eliminated.Yes, see changes in section B.4.b) a., Attachment 1, and Attachment 5, section 5.2.
21TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.7 Physician Assistant/Nurse PractitionerAre Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner to be used interchangeably? Will there be separate Education and Related Experience criteria for Physician Assistants such as current NCCPA certification, graduation from a credentialed Physician Assistant course with no mention of registered nurse or degrees in nursing?Yes, PA and NP are used interchangeably and both must have current certification relevant to their designation.Yes; see changes to Attachment 5, section 5.7.
22TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.7 Physician Assistant/Nurse PractitionerAre the PAs and NPs required to have BLS, ACLS and PALS?Yes, BLS & ACLS are required. PALS is not required.Yes; see changes to Attachment 5, section 5.7.
23TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.7 Physician Assistant/Nurse PractitionerWill all Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner be required, regardless of assignment, to "Complete progress notes in EPIC and bill for services provided"?
Requirement deleted.Yes, see revised Attachment #5, section 5.7.
24TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.7 Physician Assistant/Nurse PractitionerWill all Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner be required, regardless of assignment, to have the training to be able to "Responds in a timely manner to request psychiatric consultation for adults who are patients on med/surg units"See response to question #18Yes; see question #18
25CostRFP, B.4 FIXED FULLY LOADED HOURLY LABOR RATES, page 4When and how will the TBD% attribution be disclosed?
"For labor-hour arrangements and the time portion of time-and-materials arrangements, the Government will pay the negotiated fixed fully-loaded hourly labor rate minus TBD% attributable to profit for those hours the Contractor incurs when replacing or correcting services or materials [reference FAR 52.246-6(f) (Inspection – Time-and-Material and Labor-Hour)]."See response to question #5No
26TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.3 Logistics SpecialistIs the Degree/Experience substitution an either or , or are both criteria required for any substitution ?

"Six (6) years of experience in at least two directly related technological areas, including experience in all phases of logistics acquisition and logistics planning."

"Eight (8) years of progressive professional experience and a high school diploma or equivalent GED may be substituted if the professional lacks a degree."This is an "either or" requirement.No
27TechnicalAttachment #5 - 5.9 Registered NurseDoes this mean that only Resisted Nurses with one or more years experience have to have ACLS or that we can only hire registered Nurse with one or more years of experience?
"All Registered Nurses with one or more years of experience will achieve and maintain ACLS Certification."ACLS requirement has been removed. One year experience and BLS are required.Yes; see changes to Attachment 5, section 5.9.
28GeneralGeneralIs there an incumbent performer of these services? If so, will the Government identify the firm(s)?The incumbent contractor is INOVA HEALTH CARE SERVICES, 19AQMM21D0052.No
29GeneralGeneralRegarding the temporary overseas tasking, will DoS require staff to be American Nationals, or will Local Nationals or third country nationals be permitted?See response to Question #14Yes. See question #14
30Cost and Business ManagementGeneralCould the Government provide general guidance on the period of performance typically required for overseas and national capital region task orders?The OCONUS requirement has been eliminated, see response to question #14. The period of performance for NCR task orders will vary from 1 to 5 years.No
31Cost and Business ManagementGeneralCould the Government provide general guidance on the number of FTEs typically required for overseas and national capital region task orders?Four (4) RN FTEs in the NCR and one (1) Physician consultation service as needed.No
32Cost & Business ManagementL.7.4.1, pg. 44; L.7.5.1, pg. 44The RFP discusses Standard Form (SF) 33 under both the cost proposal and the business management proposal. Please confirm that the completed SF 33 is only required in the business management proposal.We recommend requiring the SF 33 in only one proposal volume, either the cost proposal or the business management proposal.The Government confirms that the SF33 is required to be submitted as a part of the business management proposalNo
33GeneralG.7, Task Order Proposal Submission, a), pg. 24This section requires contractors to reply within 2 calendar days of receipt of the TORFP if they are unable to submit a proposal. As this is a single award IDIQ, can you please confirm the intent behind this requirement?Because the task orders will be related to the provision of medical services, the Government requires the awardee to respond in a short time frame to indicate if the awardee will not be able to perform the work.No
34GeneralN/AIs this program new or existing? If existing, can DOS please provide the incumbent?The incumbent contractor is INOVA HEALTH CARE SERVICES, 19AQMM21D0052.No
35GeneralN/AIf this is an existing program, are there any current task orders that will need to be transitioned to the new contract holder?There may be one or two task orders that will need to be transitioned to the new contractor.No
36GeneralN/ADue to the condensed timeframe between questions due, distribution of answers, and the proposal deadline, will DOS therefore consider extending the current proposal deadline?We respectfully recommend extending the current proposal deadline by one week.The closing date for proposal submissions has been extended to February 01, 2023 at 2:00pm.Yes
36CostL.7.4.2, pg. 44 / Attachment 1CONUS vs OCONUS labor has a significant variance. To ensure accurate and fair pricing will the government consider adding OCONUS labor rates in addition to the CONUS labor rates found on Attachment 1?We recommend adding another tab on Attachment 1 for OCONUS rates.See response to Question #14Yes. See question #14
38TechnicalAttachment 5, pg. 5Will the offeror be required to bill private insurance or will DOS reimburse the offeror for labor hours?We do not recommend requiring offerors to bill private insurance. For ease of contract management/administration, we recommend offerors bill the government directly for services.Insurance costs should be considered as an indirect costs and included as a part of the fully burdened labor rates.No
39CostB.5 , L.4.2, Attachment 1Will DOS please confirm Profit to be applicable to fixed pricing/rate arrangements and Fee to be applicable to cost-type arrangements?N/AConfirmed.No
40TechnicalL.7, pg. 40Can DOS confirm that a cover page (with company identifying information) is also out of page count?Include "cover page" in documents excluded from the page count.Confirmed, see section L.7.No
41TechnicalL.7.3.4 & M.5 Evaluation: Non-Price and Price Evaluation, pg. 49Can DOS confirm that the Sub-Factors in Factor 4 should be addressed within the Technical Proposal and that this information will not simply be gleaned from the Past Performance Surveys / CPAR?Add a write up addressing the Subfactors to the bulleted list in L.7.3.4 and extend the total page allocation for the technical volume to 30 pages.See section L.7.3.4. Offerors are to submit copies of relevant CPAR reports and/or prepare a PPS for each reference. The Government will obtain the information needed to assess the subfactors from those sources. There is no requirement for offerors to address the subfactors.No
42Cost & Business ManagementL.7.1 Proposal Validity Period; L.7.4.1 Standard Form 33 (SF-33)In L.7.1 the period required is 180 calendar days. In L.7.4.1 the period required is 120 days. Can DOS clarify the required Proposal Validity Period?Section L.7.4.1 has been corrected to reflect "180 days."Yes
43TechnicalL.7.1 (pg 40) and L.7.4.1 (pg 44)RFP Section L.7.1 (Proposal Validity Period) states that "all proposals shall be valid for a minimum of 180 calendar days from the closing date for this RFP." Section L.7.4.1 states that "The Offeror agrees to commit to the prices in its offer for 120 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers."
Please specify the proposal validity period for this response.We recommend the government update the RFP to require a proposal validity of 180 days.See response to question #42.Yes
44Attachment 5 - Labor Categories5.10 (pg 8 of 8)The current education and experience requirements for the Specialty Outpatient Registered Nurse LCAT (5.10) do not list any specialized certifications.
Please clarify that this position does not require any specialized certifications, as this could affect pricing for this LCAT.We recommend the government update this LCAT to include any certifications that this LCAT will require in order to derive more accurate pricing from offerors.See response to question #15.Yes, see question #15.
45Attachment 5 - Labor Categories5.7 (pg 5 of 8)The Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner (NP) LCAT requires the NP to have psychiatric certification.
Please clarify that a PA would also require a specialty psychiatric certification.We recommend the government amend Attachment 5 to remove the requirement for psychiatric certification for the NP, and (if necessary) to modify the requirement at the Task Order level, to allow for consistent pricing (whether the LCAT is a PA or NP) across all offerors.See response to question #18.Yes; see question #18
46Attachment 5 - Labor Categories5.7 (pg 5 of 8)Please confirm that the PA/NP LCAT requires in-patient services.We recommend that the government clarify whether this LCAT requires any in-patient services. In-patient services at most medical institutions require facility-specific credentialing and privileging that could impact an offeror's timeline for providing medical services.There are no requirements for inpatient services. See changes to Attachment #5, section 5.7.Yes, see changes to Attachment 5, section 5.7.
47Attachment 5 - Labor Categories5.7 (pg 5 of 8)Attachment 5 states that the NP must be "licensed as an NP in the District of Columbia".
Please confirm that candidates who are licensed outside the District of Columbia will not be allowable/compliant?We recommend the government remove the requirement that this individual must be "licensed as an NP in the District of Columbia" to provide a broader pool of candidates.See response to question #17.Yes; see changes to Attachment 5, section 5.7.
48TechnicalPlace of Performance (pg 3)The RFP currently states that the government "reserves the right to task the contractor to perform at any location CONUS and OCONUS based upon mutual agreement between the Government and Contractor."
Please confirm that any OCONUS medical care will occur on locations determined to be "U.S. soil'?Recommend the government amend the RFP to account for the length of time it takes to license and credential medical practitioners overseas. The amount of time licensing and credentialing take in an OCONUS host country could dramatically impact an offeror's ability to provide these services quickly, IAW the SOW.See response to Question #14.Yes. See question #14
49TechnicalB.4 page 519AQMM23-R-0017Under B4.(a) please add a sentence stating that the pricing requested is for the work that will be performed in the Washington DC or surrounding areaThis change was made.Yes; B.4, b) a. has been revised.
50TechnicalC.4.1 page 14Please clarify that this applies to the data for this contract onlyUnder C.4.1(a) please add " Developed under this contract"This change was made.Yes, C.4.1 a) has been revised.
51TechnicalH.8.1 Page 29Please clarify what does "freely" stands for in the last sentence under H.8.1 (a)Please change the work "freely" to "openly"The term "freely" was removed.Yes, H.8.1 a) has been revised
52ContractPull down clausesUnder the resulting contract, the contractor will be providing commercial services and products as those terms are defined by FAR 2.101. Many of the clauses included in the contract are not applicable to the services being sought by the RFP and ultimately provided under the resulting contract. Will the DOS please remove all clauses that are not applicable to a contract for commercial products and services?Will the DOS please remove all clauses that are not applicable to a contract for commercial products and services?Multiple clauses and provision of the RFP has been removed and added.Yes
53CostB.5 page 6It is our understanding that the Profit and fee percentage tab on the Attachment 1 is to be completed at the time of the award. Please confirm that our understanding is correctCan you please provide clarity around when and how to calculate profit and fee percentage tableThe NTE Profit and Fee Percentage tab is to be completed by offerors and submitted with their initial proposal. The percentages proposed should reflect the NTE maximum profit and fee that the vendor will be entitled to receiving as explained in section B.5.No
54TechnicalAttachment 4, and H.11 SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN REQUIREMENT - page 32Section H.11 and Attachment 4 states "This plan follows the format for addressing the fifteen elements as shown at Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.219-9(d). If any of the information below is not consistent with FAR 52.219-9(d), the requirement at FAR 52.219-9(d) will supersede this document." Accordingly, we have developed a small Business Subcontracting Plan that aligns with FAR 52.219-9(d) and Section H.11 on page 32, Can the Offeror use their own template/format to fulfill this requirement?Offeror can use their own template/format for the Small Business Subcontracting PlanThe Government requires each contractor to use the same Subcontract Plan Template (i.e., Attachment 4) so that the information will be gathered and evaluated in a consistent manner. No other format will be acceptable.No
55TechnicalB.5 NOT-TO-EXCEED (NTE) PROFIT PERCENTAGES - page 6Would the government considering removing section B.5 Not-to-Exceed (NTE) Profit Percentages?Remove section B.5 Not-to-Exceed (NTE) Profit PercentagesNo.No
56CostAttachment 1 - VOHSS Pricing Table, Profit and Fee Percentages tabWould the government considering removing the Proposed NTE Profit and Fee Percentage in Attachment 1 - VOHSS, Profit and Fee Percentages tab of the worksheet?Remove the Proposed NTE Profit and Fee Percentage for the Pricing table on the two tabs.No.No
57TechnicalScope and Section C - Statement of Work (SOW) (C.1) "The subject IDIQ is planned to provide a broad range of medical services and ancillary medical supplies to the DOS." - page 11Can the government please provide examples of ancillary medical supplies and when and where they may be needed?Specify the type(s) of ancillary medical supplies that will be required for the Contractor to supply and clarify if the government will provide any supplies.The Government will provide supplies. However, if the Government should require the awardee to provide ancillary medical supplies they will be identified in a task order request for proposal.No
58TechnicalC2 Statement of Objectives - "The Contractor shall: b) Staff, operate, equip, and supply health care facilities in locations prescribed by the Department of State as required at the task order level" and also "a) Provide competent staff to operate, equip, and supply health care facilities" - page 11It is unclear if "supply health care facilities" means that we have to lease or own a physical building space/asset, or if we have to provide medical supplies for the operations of a Dept of State-owned/leased facility?Clarify that the government will provide the facility, and Offeror may have to provide medical supplies.The Government will provide the facility and supplies, but the Awardee also may be required to provide certain medical supplies.No
59NANAIs there an incumbent contractor and if so, will the Government provide the incumbent company name, contract number, and contract value?The incumbent contractor is INOVA HEALTH CARE SERVICES, 19AQMM21D0052.
60NANAWill the Government allow a two-week extension to all Offerors?Extend the proposal due date until 3 Feb, 2023.The closing date for proposal submissions has been extended to February 01, 2023 at 2:00pmYes
61TechnicalSECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)Is the contractor required to provide a clinical data system for this effort, or will contractor staff be using DOS systems for clinical encounters?Internal systems only.No
62TechnicalL.7.3.1 "Factor 1: Ability to provide trained and certified health care professionals to support MED operations within the National Capital Region (NCR) and overseas" - page 42Noting the requirement for temporary overseas support and the significant cost saving and reduced mobilization timelines associated with credentialed non-US personnel (either FYEV or host-nation, at the government’s preference) that may already be located in the theater where services would be required... Would it be acceptable to the government to propose the use of such staff on a case-by-case basis?See response to Question #14.Yes. See question #14
63TechnicalC.5 "This is an unclassified contract. Contractor employees will require the issuance of a DOS Personal ID Card. Contractor employees requiring access to OpenNet will require an MRPT (moderate risk public trust) determination. See Attachment 6." - page 15Given that MRPT is only required for staff with OpenNet access, would there be other Security requirements to meet for any potential FVEY or host-nation staff filling positions that do not require OpenNet access?See response to Question #14.Yes. See question #14.
64TechnicalSECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)Are there specific onboarding requirements/training that the Department of State provides outside of normal clinical onboarding?When Contractor staff are brought onboard, a Travel Immunization SOP and an orientation to Department will be provided by the Government.No
65CostAttachment 1 Pricing TableThe list of labor categories only provides the job title without position descriptions and/or certifications, which may result in a wide discrepancy in pricing by offerors.Please provide labor category descriptions, with education/experience requirements.See attachment 5.No
66TechnicalC.2.3 (e) Pharmaceutical Formulary - page 14It is unclear what exactly is required to be provided by the Contractor to "define the formulary". It is also unclear who will define the list of acceptable medications (Government or Offeror).Will the government confirm that to satisfy this requirement, the Government will provide the desired medication list, and Offeror must maintain a list of the actual prescription drugs (that includes both generic and brand names) that is kept on hand?This would be defined in a Task Order should it be needed; if a formulary was required the offeror would develop a list based on industry standards and vetted through the COR.No
67NANAWhat is the expected future volume of Task Order in a 12 month period?The Government anticipates a minimum of two (2) task orders to be issued during the base performance period.No
68NANACan the government provide historical volume of Task Orders from the previous contract? (if applicable)A total of three (3) task orders have been issued under the expiring contract over a period of 1.5 years.No
69TechnicalC.2.3 (c) Clinical Quality Assurance and Improvement (CQA&I) Plan - page 13Are the Standards of care (SoC) referred to in C.2.3c. related specifically to standards for occupational health care SoC for any medical diagnoses made during an occupational health exam, or both?The language has been changed, see edited section C.2.3 c ).Yes; see changes to section C.2.3 c).
70Please clarify requirement for a blood bankC.2.3 (c) Clinical Quality Assurance and Improvement (CQA&I) Plan - page 13Is the Blood supply Management Plan requirement related to needing a deployed blood processes for OCONUS or is blood transfusion a clinical role in the DoS clinic in DC?See response to Question #14.Yes. See question #14.
71TechnicalC.2.3 Performance Execution Expectation 3: Proposal and Operational Deliverables (e) Pharmaceutical Formulary - page 14Pharmaceutical formulary - Is this relating to common meds kept in a primary care clinic or is there an unspecified requirement for a contracted pharmacy?See response to Question #66.No
72TechnicalC.2.3 (c) Clinical Quality Assurance and Improvement (CQA&I) Plan - page 13Will the Government define what is meant by timing of care and expectations for meeting timing of care?See response to question #69.Yes. See question #69.
73TechnicalC.2.3 (c) Clinical Quality Assurance and Improvement (CQA&I) Plan - page 13In order to meet the requirement for the CQA&I, our quality auditors will need to have access to medical record documentation to assess quality of care delivered by our providers. Will the Government confirm this access will be provided?Please confirm that offeror's quality auditors will have medical record access.A preliminary CQA&I Plan is required to be submitted with the proposal as one of the requirements of addressing evaluation factor 3. Post award, the awardee will be provided access to the Governments medical records, if needed, to update the plan.No
74TechnicalC.2 STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES: d) Provide routine and specialized medical examination services.Will the Government specifically list the exact routine and specialized examinations that the Offeror will conduct (e.g. pre-employment, pre-deployment, post-deployment, drug testing, etc.)?Not at this time, routine and specialized exam services will be outlined in a Task Order should they be needed.No
75TechnicalC.2.3 (d) Laboratory and Blood Supply Management Plan - page 13In what period of time from a Task Order release date are the Laboratory policy, Blood Supply Management Plan, CLIA certificate, and other laboratory credentials delivered to the Government?Within 90 days of task order award.No
76TechnicalC.2.3 (d) Laboratory and Blood Supply Management Plan - page 13Will cold chain management regarding blood products be confined to the blood distribution center?A Laboratory Specimen Plan would be further specified in a Task Order. We have edited section C.2.3. d) to eliminate the need for Blood Supply Management.Yes, see changes to section C.2.3. d)
77TechnicalC.2.3 (d) Laboratory and Blood Supply Management Plan - page 13At what location are the blood type confirmation, type and cross, and blood screening procedures performed?See response to Question #76.Yes. See question #76.
78TechnicalC.2.3 (d) Laboratory and Blood Supply Management Plan - page 13A Medical Laboratory Technologist is required to oversee the entire blood management process, such as receiving the blood units and confirming the blood type. Will Dept. of State provide this position or should this LCAT be added to Attachment 1 for the offeror to submit the rate for?See response to Question #76.Yes. See question #76.
79TechnicalC.2.3 (d) Laboratory and Blood Supply Management Plan - page 13Will the blood units be transferred from the Blood Distribution Center to the offeror? If so, how many maximum units of blood are anticipated to be needed for the task force on deployment?See response to Question #76.Yes. See question #76.
80TechnicalL.7.3.2 Factor 2: Experience in providing the scope of tasks described in Section C.2 of the SOW (e.g., providing vaccination and immunization support, surveillance and care for emerging medical threats, specialized medical examination, occupational health and
wellness support services) - page 42Section C.2 is quite broad, and includes subsections for C.2.1 Program Management, C.2.2 Customer Service and Support, and C.2.3 Proposal and Operational Deliverables (page 12-13). Writing to these in Factor 2 appears repetitive with Factor 3. Will the Government please confirm that Factor 2 experience narrative is to be limited to the 5 specific tasks in the SOW (bullets a-e, page 11)?L.7.3.2 Factor 2 should be restated to "Experience in providing the scope of tasks outlined on page 11: (a) Provide competent staff to operate, equip, and supply health care facilities, and provide program and project management in locations prescribed by the Department of State. (b) Provide vaccination and immunization support services to include infectious disease testing. (c) Support to the Department of State’s ongoing mission to contain and provide surveillance and care for emerging threats. (d) Provide routine and specialized medical examination services. (e) Provide occupational health and wellness support including clinical services (including law enforcement medical exams and other specialized occupational health expertise) and occupational health and wellness consultation, staff, and services as required for the Department.See response to question #3.No
81TechnicalF.3 Place of Performance. - page 18Will the locations of OCONUS services be randomly located or within U.S. installations such as military bases and/or embassies? Does the government consider services and information compiled under this contract as regulated under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?See response to Question #14.Yes. See question #14.
82TechnicalF.3 Place of Performance. - page 18In relation to the GDPR regulations, does the Government consider itself a data processor or data controller, and what does it consider the Offeror's role to be on contract?Under the proposed contract the Government will not be collecting EU citizens data. Therefore, GDPR does not apply.No
83TechnicalC.2 STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES: c) Support to the Department of State’s ongoing mission to contain and provide surveillance and care for emerging threats. - page 11Will the Government clarify the exact type of surveillance support that is expected of the Offeror?Future surveillance requirements would be defined at the Task Order level.No
84Cost ProposalPage 2 RFPMED has continued to operate multiple task force centers that provide services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, requiring employees to continue performance of work beyond their normal tour of duty. Do contractors need to provide shift differential pricing or will that be negotiated at the task order level.Suggestion contractors provide the government rates based on multiple shifts in order to have accurate comparison of rates being proposed.DOS does not anticipate issuing task orders that will require shift differentail pricing. If such a requirement arises we will negotiate appropriate rates with the awardee at the task order level.No
A0002-85L.7.5.5 In completing the respective plans, Offerors shall follow the instructions provided in FAR 52.219-9(d) (Small Business Subcontracting Plan), including Alternate II of the clause. The Subcontracting Plan is not a requirement for evaluation in source selection, but rather, will be considered as a part of the responsibility determination of the prospective other than small business awardee and it will be incorporated into the resultant contract as a Section J, Attachment entitled, Small Business Subcontracting Plan.Can the Gov’t define what it means that only the OTSB awardees need to do a plan after the award? All the other sections regarding the SB plan appear to have the plan be required with proposal submission. Can the Gov’t please clarify the use of “awardee” in this statement above?All other than small business offerors must submit a subcontracting plan and it will be used as a part of the responsibliy determination. The plan will not be analysed as a part of the techical evaluation. However, if the award goes to a large business, the awardee's plan will be incoporated into the contract award.No
A0002-86L.7.5.5 To be considered acceptable, the Offeror’s plan shall address, in adequate detail, and shall contain all elements required in FAR 52.219-9, except goals. The Contracting Officer may elect to establish separate goals for each order under the awarded IDIQ, in accordance with FAR 19-705-1(b). Failure by a other than small business Offeror to submit and/or negotiate a subcontracting plan that addresses each element identified in FAR 52.219-9, except goals, in adequate detail may make the Offeror ineligible for award of a contract. See FAR 19.702, Statutory Requirements (a)(1), regarding failure of the apparent successful Offeror to negotiate and submit a Plan acceptable to the CO.The addition of “except goals” is very confusing. Does the Gov’t want us to list goals? Just percentage goals or just dollar goals? Or no dollar goals? The Gov’t say “except goals”, but then list minimum %’s. Can the Gov’t please clarify which do they want?
Our thinking is since the Gov’t cited FAR 19.705-1(b) that says the CO can establish separate goals at the TO level, but no more than one plan, then they are perhaps saying that the Gov’t don’t want dollar goals and just the %’s on our IDIQ plan. Since both dollars and %’s are the “goals” in FAR 52.219-9. Can the Gov’t please clarify what they mean by “except goals”.Neither dollar goals nor percentage goals are required at this time because the contract award will be an IDIQ and there are no task orders available at this time to assign such goals to.No
A0002-87TechnicalScope, Place of Performance p. 3

L.3 Factor 1, p. 42 L.7.3.1 Factor 1, p. 43

M. 4 Factor 1, p. 51In the Answers to Questions released January 18, #14 states that "The requirement for OCONUS has been eliminated." However, the locations we've noted in column C still use either the term "OCONUS" or "overseas."For clarity, we suggest that the terms "OCONUS" and "overseas" be eliminated from the Scope, instructions, and evaluation sections.All inappropriate references to OCONUS and overseas has been removed.Yes, edits throught the document.
A0002-88CostAtt 1 Pricing Table (Amend 0001), IDIQ Labor Rates, Occupational Medicine PhysicianThe referenced line item in the new Att 1 is missing a CLIN number.We suggest revising this sheet to include complete chronological CLIN numbers for all Labor Categories.The correction has been madeYes, see Attachment 1.
A0002-89BusinessL.7.5.4 Small Business Subcontract Plan Requirement
M.8 SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLANCould you please confirm goals will not be required in the submitted small business plan but will be individually identified when individual task orders are issued?See response to question A0002-86.No
A0002-90Previous Answers to QuestionsQuestion #4The answer to Question #4 refers to Amend 002. Could you let us know when to expect Amend 002?As soon as possible.No
A0002-91CostAmendment 0001, Attachment 1 VOHSS Pricing Table A0001 FinalPlease confirm the CLIN structure within Attachment 1, VOHSS Pricing Table, as there is no CLIN number provided for the "Occupational Medicine Physician" position.See response to question A0002-88Yes, see Attachment 1.
A0002-92TechnicalResponse to Vendor Questions A0001 Final; RFP Vaccination and Occupational Health Support Services (VOHSS) A0001 Final, Factor 1, pgs 42 & 43The government's response to question 14 states that the requirement for OCONUS has been eliminated. However on pages 42 and 43 of the revised RFP, Factor 1 still requires offerors to describe their ability to provide trained and certified health care professionals overseas. Please confirm that offeror's are not required to provide information on their overseas capabilities.Remove "overseas" and "OCONUS" references in revised RFP.See response to question A0002-87.Yes, edits throught the document.
A0002-93TechnicalRFP Vaccination and Occupational Health Support Services (VOHSS) A0001 Final, Factor 3, 3a & 3b, pg. 44The revised RFP indicates that offerors must provide a Medical Credentialing and Privileging Process Plan and Clinical Quality Assurance and Improvement Plan; however, the page allocation for Volume 1 is still 25 pages. Will the government consider extending the page allocation to accommodate these plans in addition to the rest of the Volume 1 requirements to allow for the offeror to demonstrate the true quality of its plans, and allow for an equal evaluation?Increase the total Volume 1 page allocation to 35 pages.Section L.7 has been revised to address this concernYes, see edits to Section L.7.
A0002-94Business ManagementAttachment 4 Small Business Subcontracting PlanPlease confirm that the %s and values provided on Attachment 4 are to be calculated for total planned subcontracting dollars.See response to question A0002-86.See response to question A0002-86.No
A0002-95Business ManagementAttachment 4 Small Business Subcontracting PlanPlease clarify how to complete Section (2) as these values are uncertain at the IDIQ stage.See response to question A0002-86.See response to question A0002-86.No
A0002-96In reviewing and finalizing our response based on Amendment 1, we had an additional clarification about the OCONUS requirement being removed, but it still being included as part of the response and evaluation requirements. Please see question 85.The requirement for OCONUS has been eliminated. If the requirement arises, DOS will provide support letters.Yes, edits throught the document.

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