Questions and Answers Part II.pdf

Department of State (DOS) Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) Facility Maintenance Support Services (FMSS) IDIQ

Solicitation No. 19AQMM25R0060

Questions and Answers Pat II

1. According to SAM.gov, the Department of State Worldwide Facility Maintenance

Support Services (FMSS) requirement under Solicitation No. 19AQMM25R0060 is “being solicited as a 100% small business Set-Aside in accordance with FAR 19.5 which governs set-asides for small business concerns. Only proposals from eligible small business entities, as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the applicable NAICS code, will be considered.”

However, on Request for Proposal (RFP) page 25, the Contracting Officer has marked “52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole-Source Award (Oct 2022) (15 U.S.C.

657a).”

Will the Government clarify if Solicitation No. 19AQMM25R0060 is a 100% small business Set-Aside in accordance with FAR 19.5, or a HUBZone Set-Aside per FAR 52.219-3?

Answer: Solicitation has been revised, this is a 100% small business Set-Aside in accordance with FAR 19.5.

2. Attachment+14+-+Pricing+Sheet All Tabs"Within ""Task Order Performance Location:

OCONUS"", a labor rate for Facility Manager III is required.

Will the Government please identify the location for this OCONUS work?

Considering the breadth of potential OCONUS locations covered by this contract's 290 facilities, the Government is likely to receive a broad range of pricing approaches for this position as requested. If the Government is unable to forecast the location for this OCONUS work, will the Government please consider clarifying how offerors should develop costs for this position to avoid risk of non-performance after award?"

Will the Government please confirm that Offerors are not to enter any information into this area at time of proposal?

Answer: See revised Attachment 14 under task order 004. The exact OCONUS performance location varies depending on the needs of service. Submit labor rates for standard and overtime hours in the orange highlighted column. The same labor rates will apply no matter the location, uplifts (allowances) will be different for each location.

3. Attachment+14+-+Pricing+Sheet All Tabs "OCONUS ODC amounts.

Question: Will the Government please confirm that these are placeholder values (plug numbers) and upon award and performance the offeror will bill actual costs that may exceed these values?

Answer: That is correct!

4. Attachment+14+-+Pricing+Sheet All Tabs "OMTC, Athens, Greece.

Question 1: The value for allowances is blank for this location. Will the Government please confirm that ""Allowances"" should include COLA at a minimum?

Question 2: If so, will the Government please amend Attachment 14?"

Answer: Allowances will include Post Differential and Danger Pay in accordance with the DSSR. No COLA!

5. Attachment+14+-+Pricing+Sheet All Tabs "For plug numbers (Training, Travel, Housing, Allowances, and DBA), each offeror calculates cost differently based on their unique business practices and commonly accepted standards.

Question: Will the Government please confirm that the awardee will be able to include G&A and/or Fee to these ODCs based on their standard accounting practices?

Answer: Yes, the awardee will be able to include G&A and/or Fee to ODCs based on their standard accounting practices. Note that allowances should not be burdened with fees/profit.

6. Attachment+14+-+Pricing+Sheet All Tabs "The RFP is silent on ODCs not defined as Training, Travel, Housing, Allowances, and DBA.

Question: Will the Government please identify in which CLIN (and which line in Attachment 14) offerors should price general ODCs like PPE, uniforms (if desired), tools, etc?"

Answer: PPE, uniforms, tools, etc are not part of the contract. Only the ODCs listed.

7. Attachment+14+-+Pricing+Sheet All Tabs; CLIN x011, row 17; CLIN x022, row 33"At the Rosslyn, VA location, four (4) Elevator Inspectors are required in each performance year (BY - OY4). The Government has identified levels for other positions (e.g., General Engineer IV, General Engineer V, and Project Coordinator - Architect IV).

Question: To accurately price the Elevator Inspector position at Rosslyn, will the Government please provide the correct level I, II, or III for offerors to bid?"

Answer: Elevator II…see revised Attachment 14

8. Attachment+14+-+Pricing+Sheet All Tabs (Rows 141-199 on FMSS BY, OY1, OY2;

Rows 142-200 on OY3, OY4) "Regular hours for the OMTCs in Athens, Nogales, Mexico City, Merida, Chiang Mai, and Casablanca show 2,000 hours; whereas, the OMTC in Beirut shows 2,600 hours. The 2,600 hours for one (1) position represents 52 straight weeks at 50-hours per week (5 x 10-hour days/week) without a break.

Question: Will the Government please either validate the 2,600 hours is correct, or correct the regular hours and reissue Attachment 14 in an amendment?"

Answer: The 2,600 hours for Beirut is accurate. OMTCs are provided 15 days of R&R for every 12 months.

9. Attach+13+Ceiling_Rates All Tabs Question 1: Will the Government please confirm these are ceiling rates for CONUS and OCONUS?

Answer: Yes, ceiling rates for CONUS and OCONUS.

Will the Government please confirm that these rates cover labor, fringe, indirects and fee but do not include ODCs (PPE, Uniforms (if applicable), DBA, Hardship, Medical Exams, Visas, Danger Pay, Housing allowances, Education allowances, Site specific taxes, etc.)?

Answer: Correct, the rates cover labor, fringe, indirects and fee but do not include ODCs (PPE, Uniforms (if applicable), DBA, Hardship, Medical Exams, Visas, Danger Pay, Housing allowances, Education allowances, Site specific taxes, etc.)

10. Attach+13+Ceiling_Rates; Attachment+14+-+Pricing+Sheet All Tabs; CLIN x009, row 15; CLIN x020, row 31 "Attachment+14+-+Pricing+Sheet requires a labor rate for one

(1) General Engineer V in Rosslyn, VA, but this position is NOT included in Attachment 13, which only has General Engineer I, II, III, IV, and Analyst (rows 10-19).

Question: Will the Government please confirm the correct level of ""General Engineer"" for CLINs x009 and x020, and reissue Attachment 13 and/or 14 as appropriate?"

Answer: See revised Attachment 13 and 14 as appropriate.

11. Facility+Maintenance+Suppor+Services+RFP pp. 54, 56, and 65 of 65 "L.1 (p. 54) identifies the Price Proposal as ""the RFP Pricing Templates (Attachments 13 & 14)."" L.4 (p. 56) identifies ""(Attachment 13 and 14), and a corresponding narrative response which speaks to the basis of the presented prices and responds to identified requirements in this RFP."" And M.5 (p. 65) explains that the ""basis for evaluating price as a factor for award under this solicitation will be an evaluation of the reasonableness of the offerors' respective overall proposed prices submitted in accordance with the attached pricing sheet.""

Question 1: Will the Government please confirm that Volume II - Price Proposal should contain only the RFP Pricing Templates (Attachments 13 and 14).

Answer: The Offeror’s response to Pricing will include completed Excel documents (Attachment 13 and 14), and a corresponding narrative response which speaks to the basis of the presented prices and responds to identified requirements in this RFP. The narrative shall be a Word document or searchable PDF document.

Question 2: If a ""narrative"" is also required, will the Government please provide instructions for the content of the narrative, to ensure an apples-to-apples comparison of pricing information?"

Answer: The offerors price proposal narrative should provide a clear and structured explanation of your pricing strategy that aligns with the RFP requirements.

12. Facility+Maintenance+Suppor+Services+RFP p. 65 of 65 "M.5 (p. 65) states ""The principal basis for evaluating price as a factor for award under this solicitation will be an evaluation of the reasonableness of the offerors’ respective overall proposed prices submitted in accordance with the attached pricing sheet. The Government will conduct an evaluation to determine ultimately that the final agreed-to overall price is fair and reasonable. The Government will use one or more of the proposal analysis techniques stipulated in FAR 15.404 to conduct the evaluation.""

Question: For offerors to effectively develop a reasonable, balanced price that mitigates the Government receiving varying details within the ""attached pricing sheet""(s), would the Government please define the calculation for the ""overall proposed prices submitted""?

Answer: Prices should be provided based on the revised pricing sheet

13. clarify whether the past performance information should be included in volume one or stand alone as volume two. On page 54 of the RFP it is listed as a subfactor in volume one. On page 56 past performance is volume II.

Answer: Past Performance should be submitted with Volume I.

14. Will the government allow the font size for headers, footers, graphics, and images to be at minimum 8 pt. Arial?

Answer: The Government will accept a minimum of Arial 9-point font for headers, footers, graphics, and images.

15. Section M evaluation factors do not seem to align with section L requirements for the offerors management approach. Can the government deconflict this?

Please confirm based on the definition of "Offeror" that we may include subcontractor past performance under L.3.

Answer: Subcontractor past performance may be included.

16. the USG clarify if the suspense is meant to be in EST or EDT?

Answer: EST (Eastern Standard Time).

17. In section 52.212-5 - Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2024) HUBZone question number 15 is checked off indicating HUBZone set-aside, however throughout the proposal there is evidence that this effort is simply categorized as a small business set-aside. Please confirm if this solicitation is restricted to HUBZone entities or if it is meant to be a Total Small Business Set-Aside.

Answer: This is a 100 % Small Business Set-Aside.

18. Is there any standard GFE or materials on-site for contractor use?

Answer: Cubicle, chair, computer, laptop, cell phone, tools.

19. If the site is union, can we get a copy of the Seniority List Roster?

Answer: At this time, we cannot guarantee the provision of such information. Offerors are encouraged to factor in assumptions regarding workforce details in their proposals

20. If the site is union can the government provide a copy of the CBA?

Answer: At this time, we cannot guarantee the provision of such information. Offerors should include reasonable assumptions regarding labor obligations in their proposals.

21. Can the USG confirm that when contractor staff are not at a task order location, they will work from assigned USG office space (with appropriate furniture) at their base location, e.g., Rosslyn, Manila, etc?

Answer: When contractor staff are not on temporary duty (TDY) at a OCONUS government location, they will work either at a government location in CONUS with appropriate furniture or at a COR approved remote work location.

22. Will the USG issue GFP to contractor staff as part of the base IDIQ requirements or will GFP only be issued as part of a task order assignment?

Answer: GFP issue will be at the task order assignment.

23. Would the Government consider increasing the page limit of the Past Performance section to seven pages to receive a more comprehensive picture of the Offeror’s experience?

Answer: Page number will not be amended.

24. Which positions does the government consider Key Personnel or is it the responsibility of the offeror to identify positions considered to be Key Personnel?

Answer: No position will be considered “Key Personnel”.

25. L.2.1.a discusses approach to manage its workforce; labor; quality management;

scheduling; and phase-in plan. However, M.3.1 a. discusses approach to managing the overall project, including planning, execution, monitoring, and control. L.2.1.b asks for evidence of reach-back capability. M.3.1.b states that the same section will be evaluated for key personnel and staffing plan. It seems that L and M conflict for the Management Approach. Which set of criteria would the Government like to receive for the Management Approach: L or M?

Answer: Section L, see revised Section M

26. Can the spacing of the boxes in the Past Performance Survey template be adjusted or expanded to provide detail while remaining within the maximum page count?

Answer: Boxes may be adjusted or expanded.

27. Would the government please provide labor category descriptions for the Generator

Technician, Project Coordinator – Water Treatment III, and Project Coordinator – Plumber positions?

Answer: Those positions are no longer part of the labor category, see revised Attachment 13 and 14.

28. Is the Training Specialist listed in Attachment 13 the same position that is described in

Attachment 11 for the Program Analyst (Training)?

Answer: Yes, it is the same. See the revised Attachment 13

29. There is not a CLIN for the Training Specialist and Generator Technician positions. Can the government please amend the CLIN structure to include these positions?

Answer: See CLIN 006 in Attachment 14.

30. Section C.7.2 states that rest and recuperation (R&R) is designed to provide employees rest and recuperation. The task order will identify if R&R is allowed. Does the offeror need to include paid time off in the applicable IDIQ Labor Category CLINs for the potential R&R trips authorized to ensure the rate bid at the task order level encompasses this additional cost?

Answer: Yes

31. RFP Section L.4, in this section, it states that vendors are required to submit a price for sample task orders. Will these sample task orders be awarded based on the price proposed in this submission? Will these sample task orders be awarded based on the price proposed in this submission?

Answer: Yes, the proposed price in the sample task orders will be used when task orders are issued.

32. RFP Section B 003, In this section, it states that travel will not be burdened with any indirect costs unless specifically allowable in accordance with the contractor’s usual accounting practices. In addition, in this section, it states that hazardous premium pay will not be burdened with any indirect costs. Will the government consider allowing indirect costs if they are in accordance with the contractor’s usual accounting practices for the danger pay and post differential pay.

Answer: No

33. Attachment 14 requests a labor rate for a General Engineer V position, but Attachment 13 does not have this position. Can the government please either add the General Engineer V position to Attachment 13 or amend the level of the General Engineer to one that is already included in Attachment 13?

Answer: See revised Attachment 13

34. Under the Rosslyn, VA task order section, it indicates the offer must provide a labor rate for an Elevator Inspector. Can the government please indicate what level of an Elevator Inspector is needed for this task order?

Answer: Elevator Inspector II - See revised Attachment 14

35. Attachment 14, in this spreadsheet, the offeror is to provide pricing for the Ft.

Lauderdale, FL.Can the government please provide the applicable wage determination for this location?

Answer: Wage Determination for Florida has been attached.

36. Attachment 14, in the total column, the formula is multiplying the number of positions times the rate times the number of hours. Can the government please correct this formula to multiply the number of hours times the rate?

Answer: See revised Attachment 14

37. L.3 VOLUME II PAST PERFORMANCE, L.3 is named VOLUME II vs Factor 3, Can the government please update the title of this section to Factor 3.

Answer: This has been updated.

38. Section M.1 and M.2, page 61; Section M.5, page 65 The government states the following:

“…..technical merit is more important than cost or price.”

“All evaluation factors other than price when combined are more important than price.”

“Factor 1, Technical Capability is the most important factor. When combined, Factor 1 - Technical Capability, Factor 2 – Quality Control and Factor 3- Past Performance factors are more important than Factor -4, Price.”

The price evaluation states “The principal basis for evaluating price as a factor for award under this solicitation will be an evaluation of the reasonableness of the offerors’ respective overall proposed prices submitted in accordance with the attached pricing sheet” and that the government will evaluate the price to determine the overall price is fair and reasonable. As this contract has been identified as an IDIQ contract with ceiling fully-burdened labor rates (Attachment 13), the government will not be able to use Factor 4 – Price as part of the weighted evaluation criteria since there is no way to score “fair and reasonable” other than by using Pass/Fail.

Answer: As per Section M.5 Price Evaluation of the RFP The Government will use one or more of the proposal analysis techniques stipulated in FAR 15.404 to conduct the evaluation.

39. Would the government clarify how IDIQ rates will be used in the weighted evaluation scoring?

Answer: The have been provided with sample tasks to propose their best pricing.

40. If it is the government’s intent to use the pricing on the Sample Task Order as part of the evaluation score, would the government please update M.5 to reflect how Factor 4 – Price will be evaluated?

Answer: Yes.

41. RFP SF33, Does the offeror need to include a signed copy of this?

42. RFP Section K, Does the offeror need to include completed Reps and Certs?

Answer: Please refer to FAR Clause 52.204-7 of this RFP for additional guidance.

43. L.4 VOLUME III PRICE PROPOSAL, this section is labeled Volume III instead of Volume II

Answer: Updated.

44. Will the Government consider renaming this section to VOLUME II PRICE

PROPOSAL?

Answer: Updated.

45. Section C.5.5 states “The Contractor shall submit a resume limited to two pages for each position containing two references. The Program Office and COR reserve the right to request a meet and greet to verify technical capabilities.” Can the government clarify that the resume requirements outlined in this section are for post award purposes and should not be included in our proposal?

Answer: The resume requirement is for post award purposes.

46. Can the government clarify which positions are currently considered SCA positions?

Answer: Please refer to Attachments 16 & 17 (Wage Determination) for SCA positions.

47. What is the historical staffing level by Labor Category for all task orders combined on this contract?

Answer: No historical staffing information available.

48. Section L.8 in the RFQ document requests a Cover Letter would the government like this Cover Letter as a 3rd attachment or would they like it at the begging of the technical volume and is it exempt from page count?

Answer: Cover letters should be provided at the begging of the technical volume and yes it is except from the page count.

49. Attachment 1 states in the qualifications for the “Operations maintenance Transition Coordinator” that an optional Crypto-Clearance will be identified in task order requests.

Can the government add an additional row in attachment 13 for offerors to price out an OMTC with a Crypto-Clearance?

Answer: The clearance will either be Secret or Top Secret, Crypto is not a clearance.

50. At the top of the Past Performance Survey, the government requests the “Project #” is this referring to the contract’s solicitation number or something else?

Answer: This would be for how the vendor identified that particular project.

51. Attachment 7 (Facility Manager) gives 4 different levels of Facility Manager, however Attachment 13 Ceiling Rates only has a row for the Facility Manager III. Are Facility Managers I, II, and IV intentionally omitted from the ceiling rates attachment?

Answer: Yes, intentionally omitted.

52. Attachment 8 (SENIOR MAINTENANCE MECHANIC) gives 2 different levels of Senior Maintenance Mechanic, HVAC Technician, however Attachment 13 Ceiling Rates only has a row for the Senior Maintenance Mechanic, HVAC Technician II -should it have a spot to price the HVAC Technician I as well? Further, Attachment 8 gives qualifications for a Master Level Certified Plumber Levels I & II, however there is no row in Attachment 13 to price a "Master Level Certified Plumber" - could the government clarify if this LCAT is to be priced?

Answer: Only price the labor categories listed.

53. Attachment 13 has the LCAT "Project Coordinator - Plumber." Can the government identify what level Project Coordinator the government intends for this LCAT to be, there are four levels of Project Coordinator. Further, Attachment 2 - Project Coordinator does not mention "plumber" as one of the trades. Can the government confirm that Attachment 2 contains the correct Job Description for the Project Coordinator - Plumber?

Answer: See revised position descriptions.

54. Attachment 13 has the LCAT "Generator Technician," however we didn't find that Job Title in any of the attachments that contain job descriptions. Can the government please direct offerors on where to locate the Generator Technician job description?

Answer: Plumber has been removed from the revised Attachment 13.

55. Who is the incumbent contractor and what is the contract number?

Answer: Alutiiq Essential Services LLC, Contract #19AQMM19D0040

Muscogee Muscogee International, LLC, Contract #19AQMM19D0041

56. For Past Performance, would the Government consider increasing the number of Past

Performance Surveys from 3 to 5 projects?

Answer: The Government only requires 3 projects.

57. The Price Proposal requirements state for vendors to complete the attached sample task order price proposal worksheet. Please confirm if the Sample task order worksheet is Attachment 14.

58. The Staffing Plan states to provide the roles and responsibilities of key team members including their expertise in critical areas. What positions does the Government consider key?

Answer: Staffing Plan has been removed from the revised RFP Section L.2.2.

59. Does the Government intend to award this contract to a single contractor or multiple?

Answer: Single.

60. What is the ceiling value of this contract?

Answer: $50 Million.

61. What costs are to be included in our ceiling labor rates by labor category?

Answer: Fully burdened labor and overtime rates.

62. Please clarify how many Volumes of the proposal should be submitted. Page 54 of the

RFP says two volumes (Non-Price and Price), however, the instructions state three volumes (Technical Capability, Past Performance, Price).

Answer: Two Volumes, RFP has been updated.

63. Would the Government consider increasing the page count for Past Performance from 5 pages total to 5 pages per project?

Answer: No.

64. Please confirm that a PDF is acceptable for submission for the Non-Price (Technical) Proposal.

65. Can the Government please clarify what they are looking for in regards to the Staffing Plan, considering that the staffing for the task orders will be determined upon the issuance of a task order. What are you looking for at the IDIQ level?

Answer: Section L.2.2 Staffing Plan has been removed.

66. Are there any limitations or restrictions on using subcontractors’ past performance in proposals?

Answer: Subcontractors past performance may submitted.

67. Could you kindly confirm the preferred method or point of contact for submitting inquiries?

Answer: Inquiries may be submitted to Jose Vasquez at vasquezj4@state.gov.

68. The RFP lists a 65-page overall limit for the technical proposal, but the individual factors add up to more than 65 pages (15+15+15+15+5=65, not including the price proposal).

Can you clarify the intended page limits for each section and the overall proposal?

Answer: The overall page limit is 65 pages.

mailto:vasquezj4@state.gov

69. On page 56 of 65, under L.3 Volume II Past Performance, last paragraph states: "The

Offeror must submit three (3) completed Relevant Past Performance Surveys (See Past Performance Survey, Attachment 15) from past or current clients within the past three (3) years which demonstrate substantial experience in performing the same or similar services in type, scope, and complexity of those required by this solicitation. Past Performance Surveys shall highlight worldwide Facility Management Support Service efforts." Attachment 15 is only one page and does not provide space for an evaluator to provide comments, nor room for the offeror to provide an evaluator's contact information.

Will this form be revised accordingly, and included with an Amendment?

Answer: The form will not be amended.

70. On page 55 of 65, under L.2.1 Management Approach, item e, asks for an Org Chart, and L.2.2 Staffing Plan, item b, asks for the roles and responsibilities of team members, including their expertise in critical areas. There are detailed position descriptions for 12 Labor Categories, and between Attachment 13 & 14 there are approximately 44 positions.

Please clarify where full resumes should be placed between those two sections.

Answer: Resumes must be submitted to the COR at the task level for Government acceptance or rejection before personnel begin work.

71. Is it acceptable to place the signed SF33 behind the Cover Letter in Volume I: Non-Price (Technical) Proposal?

Answer: Yes.

72. Is it acceptable to put any signed Amendment(s) behind SF33, even though they will be acknowledged on SF33?

Answer: In addition to the SF33, offerors shall also submit signed amendments as well, and yes they can be put behind the SF33.

73. C.7.1 Labor During Travel: Labor during travel shall be considered work.

Reimbursement will only be allowed for eight (8) hours of travel within a 24-hour calendar day. This may not be combined with normal working hours (e.g., it would not be allowable for a person to work an 8-hour day and then travel 8 hours during the same day). Travel on weekends should be avoided to the maximum extent practical. For any TDY travel from Rosslyn to most OCONUS places outside of the northern countries in Latin America, it requires much longer than eight (8) hours to get to.

How does the government propose travelling to those locations if they stipulate that only eight (8) hours can be charged per travel day (and recommended not to travel on a weekend)?

Answer: The government discourages contractor employees from working eight (8) hours and then traveling on the same day, expecting to be paid for both work and travel. Therefore, this practice is not allowed.

While weekend travel is generally discouraged, it may be necessary in certain circumstances. In such cases, the government will be billed for a maximum of eight (8) hours of travel within a 24-hour period in a calendar day.

74. Pricing Sheet: For the positions located in Manila, are uplifts/ housing/ ODCs included in the base rate or would they be split out into separate CLINs while they are located in Manila? Understand they will TDY to address issues regionally and that will hit the travel

CLIN.

Answer: Uplifts/housing/ODCs are not included in the base rate, they will be included under separate CLINs.