Government Response to QA2 - 19FS1A22R0002.xlsx
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- Solicitation number
- 19FS1A22R0002
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Department of State
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This request for proposal from the Department of State solicits administrative and training program support services. Offerors must submit capability statements, technical proposals, pricing spreadsheets, and other required documents by June 6, 2022. The base period of performance is estimated to begin in October 2022 and run through August 2023. The solicitation is set aside exclusively for 8(a) entities and requires relevant experience in areas such as office administration, program management, training and instruction support. The incumbent contractor will provide transition documentation and services to the awardee.
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Q&A_5.27.2022
| Question # | RFP Section | Vol # | Attach # | Page # | Para # | Question / Comment | Contractor Rationale | Government Response | |
| Q001 | 6.4 | NA | NA | 50 | 6 | There is potential for Overseas travel. Can the government provide and estimated duration or location? | We are unclear on the specifics of travel, which may impact pricing. | Trips are a case by case basis. Most trips duration would be two to three weeks and are regionally based. | |
| Q002 | 1. - Intent to Award | N/A | RFP | 9 | 1 | The PWS indicates the government intends to award at least one Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) labor hour contract. Can the government confirm whether it will consider awarding to multiple offerors? | The Government intends to award a single contract. | ||
| Q003 | 2. - Place(s) of Performance | N/A | RFP | 44 | 3 | Will the government identify any LCATs that will be performed 100% remotely? | Will identify at the time of recruitment and will depend on the individual component. | ||
| Q004 | 5 - Hourly Rates | Volume III | RFP | 11 | 5 | This paragraph requires that billing for a schedule approved for work on a Sunday or at night follows the OPM Guidelines. Are offerors required to provide this rate under the Fully Loaded Overtime Billable Hourly Rate in Appendix A? | See updated Appendix A. | ||
| Q005 | AMD 0001 | SF30 | RFP | 1 | Will the government consider moving the proposal due date to at least two weeks from the date that answers to questions are posted? | Yes, one week. Due date will be June 13, 2022. | |||
| Q006 | Amendment 0001 | 44 | Please confirm the actual start date of the contract. | Approximate award date is October 31, 2022 | |||||
| Q007 | Amendment 0001 | 22 | Please confirm that the Labor Category “Technology Writer and SharePoint Administrator" should be “Technical Writer and SharePoint Administrator.” | Updated solicitation to read Technical Writer and SharePoint Administrator | |||||
| Q008 | Amendment 0001, Section F, Para. 1 | 44 | 44 | Will the Government provide an anticipated start date for the base year period of performance? This information is needed for the purpose of recruiting. | See Q006. | ||||
| Q009 | Amendment 0001, Section M.1 | 96 | 96 | Does the term “offeror,” as described in Tier Three and Tier Four criteria for Phase 1 proposal evaluations, include experience of subcontractors/teammates? | Yes. | ||||
| Q010 | B | n/a | RFP | 9 | 2. - Set Aside: This requirement will be reserved 100% exclusively for 8(a) entities, including 8(a) Joint Ventures. Offers shall be considered a small business under the NAICS code 561110 on the System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) at both time of proposal submission and contract award. ”- In section 2.0 above, it requires 8a certification at both submission and time of award but in section L.3 it only requires 8a certifications at time of proposal submission please clarify? | Section L.3 has been revised to state at time of proposal and contract award. | |||
| Q011 | B | CLINS / Period of Performance | The CLINS state the period of performance begins 10/30/2022. However, the incumbent contract is schedule to end 08/30/2022. Is it the Government's intention to extend the incumbent contract to 10/29/2022 or does the Government intend to amend the CLINS? | Clarify the period of performance for pricing. | We intend to extend the period of performance of the incumbent contract to cover any gap in service until award. | ||||
| Q012 | B | NA | NA | pp 5-9 | CLINs 001-4003 | The delivery date for every CLIN is shown as 10/31/2022, regardless of the CLIN period of performance. Please confirm each CLIN's delivery date will be corrected as appropriate prior to award. | Clarify correct delivery dates. | Yes, delivery dates will be corrected at award. | |
| Q013 | B | NA | NA | pp. 9 and 10 | Para 1 Intent to Award and Para 3 Indefinite Quantity Contract | Para 1 states "The Foreign Service Institute, Department of State, intends to award at least one" IDIQ contract; while Para 3 states “Orders will be issued to the single awardee of the IDIQ contract that results from this solicitation.” Please clarify if this RFP will result in a single IDIQ contract award, or if it may result in multiple IDIQ contract awards. | Clarify conflicting language. | See Q002. | |
| Q014 | B | NA | NA | p.10 | Para 3 Indefinite Quantity Contract | Para 3 states "Oral orders are only authorized when placed by a warranted FSI CO and confirmed in writing by a Notification/Authorization to Proceed (NTP/ATP). Please see Section for individuals" (Incomplete sentence.) It appears the incomplete sentence is meant to refer the reader to the names of individuals authorized to place oral orders and issue NTPs/ATPs; however, please clarify. | Clarify meaning of incomplete sentence. | Typo corrected. | |
| Q015 | B | NA | NA | pp. 10-11 | Para 5 Hourly Rates | Para 5 states "If the contractor determines that a particular labor category/position description is nonprofessional and subject to the Service Contract Act (SCA) this rate shall be no less than the applicable wage rate listed on the prevailing wage determination. Please see Section J for Wage Determination No: 2015-4281 Revision No: 17 Date of Revision: 03/15/2022." Q1. In the event the contractor determines one or more labor categories are subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards, please confirm FAR 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (Aug 2018) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67) and either FAR 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards-Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (Aug 2018) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67) or FAR 52.222-44, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards--Price Adjustment (May 2014) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67) will apply. Q2. We are unable to find the referenced Wage Determination in Section J; please provide. | Confirm Service Contract Labor Standards clause applicability and request the referenced Wage Determination. | Section J has been updated to include wage determination. | |
| Q016 | B | NA | NA | p.11 | Para 6 Rate Refreshment | Para 6 states "The labor rates are fixed for all ID/IQ year periods (base and option years), however, the Contractor may submit a proposal to reduce the fixed labor rates at any time during the life of this ID/IQ." The word "fixed" as used to describe the awarded labor rates indicates the contractor is prohibited from proposing discounted labor rates on a task order basis, which is permitted when the awarded labor rates are "capped." Please confirm whether the awarded labor rates are "fixed" or "capped." | Clarify if awarded labor rates are fixed, or if they are capped; unless reduced at the IDIQ level as described in Section B, Paragraph 6. | This is question of semantics. The term "fixed" in the context of "The labor rates are fixed for all ID/IQ year periods..." meaning the Government is requiring the contractor to submitted prices to the Government that will be evaluated and established for the entire life of the award. Those prices will not be permitted to increase (unless modified by the Contracting Officer), but the contractor may submit a decrease in the future | |
| Q017 | B. Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs | III Cost/Price | Attachment A Pricing Spreadsheet | 5 of 104 | Section B, Par. 3 | Section B pg. 5 of 104 states that Base Period runs from (Award Date) Oct 30, 2022 through Aug 30, 2023 which is 10 months; however, the Pricing Spreadsheet uses 1920 hours for all periods, inclusive of the Base Period. Also Paragraph 3. Indefinite Quantity contract Page 10 of 104 references Base Period of a Base Year + 4 Option Years. Can the Government please clarify and revise the Period of Performance to be consistent across all sections and attachments? | Section B is inconsistent with the Pricing Attachment and Paragraph 3. | See Q006. | |
| Q018 | B.5 | III | 11 of 104 | 1 | The RFP references Wage Determination No 2015-4281, Revision 17 dated 3/15/22. Per SAM.gov, there is a newer Revision 23, dated 4/28/22. Should offerors refer to the new Revision 23? | Offerors need clarification on which WD to use | See Q015. | ||
| Q019 | C | 1.7 | Section 1.7, Labor Category Descriptions, On-Site Program Manager – is it the Government’s expectation that the APM is to fill in during any PM absence? Or only those circumstances when both PM’s are unavailable? | Only when both PM's are unavailable. | |||||
| Q020 | C | NA | NA | p.37 | Para 1.9 - Billing for Program Manager (FFP) | Para 1.9 provides billing instructions for the PM (FFP) positions; however, Section B CLIN listing indicates both the PM and SLS Evaluation Specialist positions are FFP. Are we correct in assuming the billing instructions and additional details in Para 1.9 also apply to the SLS Evaluation Specialist positions? If not, please provide the billing instructions and any additional details for the SLS Evaluation Specialist positions. | Confirm billing instructions for SLS Evaluation Specialists (FFP). | SOW updated to include all FFP labor categories. | |
| Q021 | C | NA | NA | p.38 | 1.12 Compensation Plan | Para 1.12 states "The Contractor Company shall not alter, cease, or defer compensation plans for the duration of the awarded IDIQ without concurrence from the CO," and "contract staff employed by subcontractors shall receive the same Compensation Plan/fringe benefits detailed in the technical proposal, i.e. although providers may differ, actual benefits and employee contributions shall be uniform." A company's compensation plan is part of its established corporate practices and is a significant pillar of a corporation's overall financial structure. When developing its compensation plan, a responsible company thoroughly and thoughtfully considers its employees' needs and staffing retention. Q1. While we understand the Government's intent in requiring prior CO approval for compensation plan changes may be to ensure employee retention under this contract, we suggest Government involvement in an internal corporate function is unnecessary in this case, since staffing adequacy is part of the contractor's performance metrics under this contract. Q2. We understand the Government's intent in requiring identical benefits and employee contributions across all prime and subcontractor staff may be to ensure equity and therefore retention; however, each company has a well-considered compensation plan integral to its corporate financial structure. Requiring identical benefits across the prime and all subcontractors will necessitate creation of a unique compensation plan specifically for this contract, likely increasing the indirect rates applied to direct labor under this contract. We again suggest this requirement is unnecessary, since staffing adequacy is part of the contractor's performance metrics under this contract. We suggest the Government remove these requirements and more appropriately permit the Contractor to administer this contract within the required performance metrics, against which the Government will rate contract performance. | Confirm the inherently internal nature of corporate compensation plan development and administration, indicate potential financial impact of the Government's Para C. 1.12 requirements, and suggest the requirements are not necessary, in light of the contract's performance metrics, against which the Government will rate Contractor performance. | Updated to remove prior CO approval for compensation plan changes and requirement for identical benefits for all employees across prime and subcontracts. | |
| Q022 | C | NA | NA | p.41 | 2.3 - Performance Metrics- CPARS Evaluation Areas | Para 2.3 includes a section titled "Management of Key Personnel" against which Contractor performance will be rated; however, the RFP does not identify any of the listed labor categories as "Key." Please clarify which positions the Government considers to be Key Personnel for the purposes of rating against the listed criteria. | Clarify which positions are "Key Personnel." | Removed the word "Key". Now reads Management of Personnel | |
| Q023 | C & L | NA | NA | pg. 36 | |||||
| pg. 88 | 1.7 Labor Categories/ Position Descriptions and L.3 Instructions for Preparation of Proposal Content | Confirm experience requirement for oversight for number of staff by PM. |
The PM Position Description (Page 36) states experience with oversight of 150+ employees.
| Tier 3 requirement (Page 88) cites contract of 100+ employees. | If the PM is held to an experience threshold of 150 pp, shouldn't the company be held to the same standard? | These requirements are confirmed. | |||||||
| Q024 | C.1.10 | 37 of 104 | 4 | What is the cost of FSI's Unconscious Bias Training? | This training is listed as a requirement, with the option of purchasing from FSI, but no cost is listed for this training should the Offeror elect to purchase it from FSI | FY22 rates for PT144 Mitigating Unconscious Bias, classroom delivery: $630, PT144 Mitigating Unconscious Bias, virtual classroom: $545, or PT144 Mitigating Unconscious Bias, distance learning: $90. Rates are per person and are subject to change each fiscal year. Additional details to be provided upon award. | |||
| Q025 | C.1.4 | 13 of 104 | C.1.4 | The RFP states "The Government may request both cleared and uncleared contractor staff, although it is anticipated that the majority of staff require clearances." There are only 7 LCATS (aside from PMs) that specify "Secret" level clearance required and those positions correspond to an estimated total of 13 positions. Will the Government provide additional information on which positions will require a "secret" level clearance? | Required clearance impacts pricing, resumes/recruiting, and all aspects of the Offeror's proposal | Level of clearance will be provided at time of recruitment. | |||
| Q026 | C.1.4 | n/a | RFP | 13 | Historically, which labor categories were required to have secret clearances? | All labor categories have historically required Secret Clearances. | |||
| Q027 | C.1.5 andC.1.7 | 21,35 of 104 | For several LCATS there is a degree requirement specified along with an alternate number of years of experience that may be provided in lieu of the degree requirement. Is there an acceptable # of years of experience that would be acceptable in place of the degree requirement for these positions: Educational Specialist, Educational Technology Advisor I, Educational Technology Advisor II (p.21); Knowledge Management Specialist I (p.35) | Offerors need clear, exact position descriptions and all requirements (education, experience) in order to accurately bid and subsequently recruit and hire for this program | Added in alternate number of years of experience in lieu of degree requirement: |
| Q028 | C.1.7 | 30 of 104 | How many years of experience are preferred for the Communication Specialist LCAT? | Offerors need clear, exact position descriptions and all requirements (education, experience) in order to accurately bid and subsequently recruit and hire for this program | Updated SOW to include 3 years experience. | |
| Q029 | C.1.7 | N/A | 27 | The educational requirement under the Course Chair/Instructor Labor Category is listed as "professional education." Can the Government please clarify the education requirement of this Labor Category? | "Professional education" refers to a wide range of skill sets, education and experience. Professional experience, as it is outlined currently, does not clearly identify what the requirement is for this labor category. Clarification on required education and years of experience is vital to understanding the labor category and what is expected in the resume. | Updated to include requirement for a Bachelor’s degree. |
| Q030 | C.1.7 | N/A | 27 | The experience requirement under the Course Chair/Instructor Labor Category is listed as "Professional experience." Can the Government please clarify the number of years experience required for this Labor Category? | The requirement is not clearly defined, as professional experience can be left up to interpretation. A clearly defined number of years' experience is necessary to clearly meet the requirement/compliance. | Updated to include 3 years experience. | ||
| Q031 | C.1.7 | N/A | 27 | What areas of discipline are required for the Course Chair/Instructor labor category? | Required qualifications for this position include "professional and expert-level knowledge which is pertinent to a number of disciplines in various fields." The requirement is not clearly outlined to include what disciplines are required to meet this qualification. | Examples of areas of discipline could include: Leadership Courses and EEO/Diversity-related courses; Crisis Management; Foreign Affairs and Policy; Tradecraft; Regional World Affairs courses, and others as required. | ||
| Q032 | C.1.7 | N/A | 34 | Can the Proofreader II - Office of the Historian Labor Category be amended to reduce the experience requirement to minimum of 10 years' experience in editing manuscripts, removing the requirement for U.S. Foreign Relations? | This requirement, as written, is too restrictive to meet the requirement. | The requirement will remain. | ||
| Q033 | C.1.7, L.3.1.2.2 | N/A | 29 | The Evaluation Specialist - School of Language Studies (SLS) is written as one (1) job description in the Labor Category. However, the duties within the job description appear to be three (3) different job descriptions. Can the Government please clarify if the Evaluation Specialist - School of Language Studies (SLS) is intended to be three (3) different job descriptions/Labor Categories? And, if so, can the Government please revise the JD's accordingly? | It is not clear if this Labor Category is intended to be submitted as one (1) sample resume or, if clarified to be three (3) different job descriptions, which is to be submitted with required sample resumes. | This has been changed to be three separate FFP labor categories | ||
| Q034 | G.1 | n/a | RFP | 46 | Section G 1. “The Contractor Company and subcontractors (if applicable) are required to have a unified time and attendance system (e.g., Deltek, Paycom.com, ADP, etc.) and will provide a uniform invoice with printed timesheets detailing daily hours worked for each employee, with their submitted invoice.” Does this mean each of the contractor companies has to have the same time and attendance system or are they only required to have a professional time and attendance systems? | Removed requirement for a uniform time and attendance system and updated to submit a standardized format for T&A report for all employees for invoicing. | ||
| Q035 | H.1, Security Requirements | solicitation | 52 | 1 | In November 2020, the SBA ruled that "a joint venture may be awarded a contract requiring a facility security clearance where either the joint venture itself or the individual partner(s) to the joint venture that will perform the necessary security work has (have) a facility security clearance." This ruling was upheld by the GAO in August 2021 (file #B-419856). |
According to the DD254 and PWS section 2.6.15, a SECRET facility clearance is required. We intend to bid on this opportunity with our unpopulated joint venture. The JV does not hold a facility clearance, but both JV partners have current TS facility clearances.
| Can the government confirm that it will proceed with this procurement in accordance to the SBA rules such that a JV entity without a clearance, but comprised of individual partners that do have SECRET or TOP SECRET clearances, is eligible to bid on this contract? | This question will help us determine JV eligibility to bid on this contract. | No, all parties in response to this solicitation, to include the JV, should hold an active facility clearance. This is why the Bidder's DD-254 is attached. The JV will be the awarded vendor on the contract, and that vendor will need to have the appropriate facility clearance. | |||
| Q036 | L | 83 | Section L | Under FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iii) and GAO B-407917.2, agencies should take into account affiliate past performance unless restricting the use of such affiliate past performance reasonably relates to the agency’s needs in choosing a contractor that will best serve the government’s interest. |
Question: Can the Government confirm offerors may rely on affiliate past performance to answer the 1) pass/fail requirements; 2) corporate experience requirements; and 3) past performance?
| Question: If affiliate past performance is not permitted, what is the basis for the restriction? | Requesting the use of affiliate past performance IAW FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iii) and GAO B-407917.2. | Yes, affiliate past performance is acceptable. | |||||||
| Q037 | L | NA | NA | p. 83 | L.1.2 Submission of Proposals | Para 1.2 specifies electronic submission of proposals via SAM; while the SF33 Block 9 indicates Offerors are required to submit four copies of the proposal. Please clarify. | Clarify required submission method. | Hard copy submissions are not required. | |
| Q038 | L | NA | NA | p. 86 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | The referenced paragraph states "A Table of Contents shall be created." Please confirm the Table of Contents is not included in the page limitations for each proposal volume. | Clarify page limitation excludes required Table of Contents. | A Table of Contents is not included in the page count, however no information in the TOC will be evaluated. | |
| Q039 | L | NA | NA | p. 88 | L.3 Instructions for Preparation of Proposal Content, Phase 1 Pass/ Fail Requirements | L.3 Phase 1 lists Tiers 1-4, as items the Government will grade as pass/fail prior to moving to the Phase 2 factor evaluations and states "The Offeror is required to submit the requirements listed in the following Tiers." Where in the proposal submission shall Offerors include the information supporting Phase 1 Tiers 1-4, and specifically, what documentation is required for each Tier? | Clarify proposal location and required supporting documentation for Phase 1 Tiers 1-4. | See the amended chart to provide references to where this is documented within the solicitation. | |
| Q040 | L | NA | NA | pg. 89 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications | Please confirm total number of resumes to be provided is 13. | A total of 11 is cited under this section but the list of labor categories and 2 PM comes to a total of 13 | The number of resumes to be submitted is 13. | |
| Q041 | L | NA | NA | pg. 91 | L.3.1.3.4 Transition Plans | Is there an existing Transition Out Plan (TOP) from the current contractor? If so, will this be part of the documentation provided to the awarded contractor? | Exiting Transition Out Plan (TOP) can serve as baseline of current operations to support development/refresh of new TIP and further ensures smooth and efficient transition | Yes, a Transition Out Plan (TOP) will be provided. | |
| Q042 | L | NA | NA | pg. 92 | L.3.2.1 Corp Exp & Past Performance | "The Offeror shall provide experience information on up to three contracts performed by the Offeror and up to three (3) contracts performed by each proposed subcontractor or other performing entity…the three (3) contracts described in the relevant corporate experience section shall also be included in the past performance section of the proposal..." Q: Is it a requirement that all of the offeror's corporate experience from Factor 2 also be included in past performance (Factor 3)? | The offeror and its subcontractors may supply up to three corporate experience examples per company. Please clarify which corporate experience examples must be included under past performance. | The contractor must submit all required documentation for Corporate Experience in Factor 2 and Factor 3 Past Performance. Some/All of this information may overlap. | |
| Q043 | L | NA | NA | pg. 92 | L.3.2.1 Corp Exp & Past Performance | Can examples of corporate experience meeting the 5 areas extend beyond the past performances provided under Factor 3? | Relevant corporate experience may not be fully captured in the past performance citations provided. | Yes | |
| Q044 | L | NA | NA | p. 93 | L.3.2.2.3 Terminated Contracts. | L.3.2.2.3 states "The Offeror will provide a listing of any contracts of the Offeror, subcontractors, or other performing entities that were terminated, including the reasons therefore, within the last 60 months." The table on RFP page 86 specifies a three-page limit for the past performance introduction and a five-page limit per past performance reference contract but does not mention the list of terminated contracts. Where in the past performance portion of the proposal shall Offerors include the required list of terminated contracts? | Clarify past performance proposal structure. | Submission of Terminated contracts does not count against page limit. | |
| Q045 | L | NA | NA | p. 94 | L.3.3 Volume III: Factor 4 – Cost/Price | Attachment B shows 10/30/22 as the base period start date, while Section F shows the base period start date as date of award. What performance start date must Offerors use for pricing purposes? | Clarify start date for pricing purposes. | See Q006. | |
| Q046 | L | NA | NA | p.94 | L.3.3.1 Pricing Spreadsheet | Are all Offerors required to propose all labor categories, in the estimated quantities specified in Appendix A - Pricing Spreadsheet? | Clarify requirement. | Yes | |
| Q047 | L | NA | NA | p.94 | L.3.3.2. Pricing Narrative | L.3.3.2 states "The Offeror shall show a clear audit trail from the technical approach to the associated labor categories." What does the Government mean by "audit trail," and what information constitutes an "audit trail" for the purpose of linking the technical approach to the labor categories? Is the Government simply requesting the Offeror's rationale? | Clarify "audit trail." | Yes, clear rationale on how the labor categories will meet the technical approach | |
| Q048 | L | NA | NA | pp. 94-95 | L.3.4 Volume IV: Contract Documentation | L.3.4 lists Executive Summary, Vendor contacts, All Signed Amendments, and Completed Section K as requirements for this volume. Q1. Are Offerors also required to submit a signed SF33 in this volume? Q2. Section L.1.3 Business Representatives (p. 83) requires Offeror completion; should Offerors also include the completed L.1.3 in Volume IV? | Clarify Volume IV requirements. | Yes | |
| Q049 | L.1 | N/A | 83 | L.1.1 | The solicitation states - “Offerors shall submit the proposals, with a cover letter in accordance with the date and time referenced in block 8 of the Standard Form (SF) 33.” Are Offerors required to submit a separate cover letter as a stand-alone document? If not, can the Government confirm which Volume to insert the cover letter? | Clarifying which volume to submit this requirement | The offerors are not required to submit a separate cover letter. Submit as part of Volume IV. | ||
| Q050 | L.1.2 Submission of Proposals | N/A | 83 | L.1.2 | The solicitation is required to be submitted through SAM.gov. 1) We do not see a place on SAM.gov to submit a proposal through the portal; and 2) Given the recent system issues and downtime SAM.gov has experienced with the transition from DUNS to UEI, will the Government consider amending the submission requirements to allow for email submissions? | Submitting the proposal via email would be preferable for Offerors to avoid any potential system issues. | Solicitaion corrected to have vendors submit proposals to fsiproposalsubmission@state.gov. | ||
| Q051 | L.1.3 | NA | NA | 84 | L.1.3 Business Representative asks for us to provide up to two business representatives for correspondence. Are the Business Representatives the same as the Vendor Contacts requested in Volume IV? If not, where and when should the Business Representative information be provided? | We are unclear on the requirement for submission of Business Representative information. | Yes | ||
| Q052 | L.1.3 Business Representatives | N/A | 83-84 | L.1.3 | Are Offerors to submit this as part of Volume IV? | Clarifying which volume to submit this requirement | See Q048. | ||
| Q053 | L.2.4.3.2 SF-33 | N/A | 85 | L.2.4.3.2 SF-33 | Can Offerors place their signed SF-33’s in Volume IV? Or should this be a stand-alone document? | Clarifying which volume to submit this requirement | Yes, place signed SF-33's in Volume IV. | ||
| Q054 | L.2.4.3.3 | All | 86-87 of 104 | L.2.4.3.3 | Where the solicitation refers to a specific "pitch" font, is it actually referring to a standard MS Office suite "pt." (point) font? Please confirm. | A specific "pitch" font size is different from a specific "point" font size. The relation between pitch font size and typographic font size (points) is usually inverse. In addition, pitch only applies to fixed fonts, such as Courier New, and not to proportional fonts, such as Times or Arial. Understanding font size limitations is important in page-constrained documents. | Word documents should be Times New Roman, 12 pitch font. | ||
| Q055 | L.2.4.3.3 | II | Appendix B | 86 of 104 | L.2.4.3.3 | Is Appendix B limited to 4 pages with the option to attach one additional sheet (total of 5 pages per reference per L.2.4.3.3), or does the 5 page per contract limit apply to Appendix B with the option to attach one additional sheet (total of 6 pages)? Please clarify. | Section L.3.2.2.1 states that “The Offeror will submit its past performance information on the Past Performance Information Form contained in Appendix B. One form will be provided for each past performance reference (contract). Appendix B indicates that it is permissible to “Attach additional sheet if necessary (one additional sheet maximum)”. | Reference to one additional page has been deleted from Appendix B - Past Performance Information Form. Each Submission shall be no more than 5 pages, to include the PPIF. | |
| Q056 | L.2.4.3.3 | II | Appendix B | 87 of 104 | L.2.4.3.3 | Can Acrobat file Appendix B - Past Performance Information Form 19FS1A22R0002 be provided in its native MS Word format or reformatted with fields in each block to enable text addition/editing? | To facilitate completion of the Appendix, understanding that when the Acrobat file represents a Microsoft Office Word document, the Microsoft Office format restrictions apply. | Yes | |
| Q057 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | VOL II | RFP | 86 | Table line 2 and 3 | The Past Performance factor includes a Past Performance introduction (3 pages) and CPARS/PPIRS (5 pages per contract reference). The Past Performance Information Form for each reference is also required. Should the Past Performance Information Form be included in the Introduction page count, or the CPARS/PPIRS page count? | PPIF should be included in the CPARS/PPIRS. | ||
| Q058 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | N/A | 85 | L.2.4.3.3 | Are the pass/fail criteria to be submitted as a separate file? If not, can the Government specify in which Volume the Pass/Fail belongs? | Clarifying which volume to submit this requirement | See Q039. | ||
| Q059 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | N/A | 85 | L.2.4.3.3 | Does the Government intend to use the information provided in the proposal volumes 1-4 to make their pass/fail assessment for Tiers 3 and 4? Or is this content considered separate and distinct? | Clarifying whether this requirement is new writing or will be determined based on the submitted proposal. | See Q039. | ||
| Q060 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | N/A | 85 | L.2.4.3.3 | Reference bullet - “Notation of active SAM account. "Can the Government which Volume and/or section/requirement Offerors are to submit this information? | Clarifying where this requirement belongs. | See Q039. | ||
| Q061 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | N/A | 86 | L.2.4.3.3 | Regarding Factor 3 Past Performance page limitations. The page limitation for past performance is 5 pages – is that one for each PPI? If so, The PPI attachment allows for an extra page for the narrative. Will the Government increase the page limitations to 10 pages to account for the extra page? | Conflicting page limits between the table in L.2.4.3.3 and the PPI attachment. | See Q055 | ||
| Q062 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | N/A | 86 | L.2.4.3.3 | Regarding font, the solicitation states “Tables and graphics: Calibri – 9 pitch font.” Is Times New Roman font also allowable for tables and graphics? | Clarifying font requirements. | Tables and Graphics are Calibri 9 pitch font. | ||
| Q063 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | III | 86 | L.2.4.3.3 | The solicitation states “All pages of each volume shall be appropriately numbered and identified by the complete company name, date and RFP number in the header and/or footer.” Are spreadsheets exempt from the header/footer requirement? | Clarifying header/footer requirements across different document types. | No | ||
| Q064 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | All | NA | 85-86 | Table | The table lists Page limits and notes exclusions. Are Cover pages, ToC, Acro lists, and cross reference matrix excluded from page count if used? | "Administrative" artifacts that aid in review but are not being evaluated should be excluded from page count. | Yes, they are excluded but no information contained in these will be evaluated. | |
| Q065 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | NA | NA | 85 | 1 | Is offeror expected to provide additional document for Phase 1? |
| If yes, is it is own standalone volume and is there a page count? | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals Section 1 states "The following Volumes of material shall be submitted" and lists Phase 1 but has NA for limits and no instructions. Since this is a Pass/Fail requirement, we want to make sure we are responding appropriately to the government's request. | See Q039. | |||||||
| Q066 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | Vol 2 | NA | 85 | 1 | Can the government clarify the page counts for the past performance volume? | The page counts, 3 page intro and 5 page per CPAR, doesn't seem to line up with the requirements to provide the PPIF, corrective actions, and terminations. | See Q055 | |
| Q067 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | Vol 2 | NA | 85 | 1 | Are CPARS required? | The page counts list 5 page per CPAR, but CPARS aren’t listed as a requirement in the instructions. | No, the offeror must provide past performance information. In the event of no Past Performance, the offeror will receive a neutral rating. | |
| Q068 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | Volume 2 | NA | 86 | Table | Can the government confirm if the 10 page Corporate Experience is a separate section from the PPIF and additional page in the past performance section? | We are unclear where the PPIF form is intended to go in the volume, such as embedded in the volume or sent as an attachment. | The 10 page Corporate Experience submission is separate from the PPIF. See Q055 for clarity on PPIF page count. | |
| Q069 | L.2.4.3.3., Proposals | solicitation | 85 | Table | The submission format and date for the Phase 1 Pass/Fail Requirements is not clear. |
| Could the Government specify if the Phase 1 information is to be included within a cover letter or in a separate document? | Clarity on the Phase 1 Pass/Fail Requirements | See Q039. | ||||
| Q070 | L.2.4.3.3., Proposals | solicitation | 85 | Table | The submission format and date for the Phase 1 Pass/Fail Requirements is not clear. |
| Could the Government please confirm that the submission date for the Phase 1 is the same as Phase 2 (i.e., June 6 or 3). | Clarity on the Phase 1 Pass/Fail Requirements | See Q039. Should be submitted at the same time as the proposal. | |||||||
| Q071 | L.3 | 88 | 1 (Phase 1 - Pass/Fail Requirements) | Tier Three of the Pass/Fail requirements states that "the offeror must have held a contract with oversight of more than 100 employees." This pass/fail criteria eliminates most 8(a) companies who would be otherwise eligible and qualified to compete for this requirement. Would the government consider broadening this eligibility criteria to include companies with demonstrated experience overseeing more than 100 employees across a number of contracts? | Broadening this criteria will increase the number of qualified 8(a) companies eligible to compete for this requirement. | The estimated number of employees for this contract is 192 (Total Colunm F - Appendix A ). The Government will not consider a cumulative approach to meeting the 100 employee Tier Three. The offeror must have held a contract with oversight of more than 100 employees. | |||
| Q072 | L.3 | Phase 1 | RFP | 88 | Tiers One-Four | Please clarify what is required to be submitted to prove the pass/fail requirements? Is the Offeror to just summarize this information/experience or provide contract documentation and/or screenshots? | See Q039. | ||
| Q073 | L.3 | Phase 1 | RFP | 88 | Tier Three/Four | Please confirm that the Offeror is able to use experience from an affiliate company to meet these requirements. | See Q009. | ||
| Q074 | L.3 | Phase 1 | RFP | 88 | Tier Three/Four | Please clarify if the pass/fail experience needs to fall within a given timeframe? | Same as past performance. | ||
| Q075 | L.3 Instructions | Phase 1 | RFP | 88 | 2 | In what section / format does the government want the offeror to include verification of Tier 1-4 Requirements? | See Q039. | ||
| Q076 | L.3 Instructions | Phase 1 | RFP | 88 | 2 | Will the government accept subcontractor past performance to satisfy the Tier Three Requirement: Offeror must have held a contract with oversight of more than 100 employees. | See Q009. | ||
| Q077 | L.3.1.2 | Volume I | RFP | 90 | L.3.1.3.2 | Are Subcontract Management Plans required for all offers, regardless of whether the Offeror plans to subcontract? | No, subcontract plans are not required if offeror is not subcontracting. | ||
| Q078 | L.3.1.2 (L.3.1.2.2) | I | RFP | 89-90 | The solicitation refers to 11 resumes. Is that two for the PM’s and the 11 others for a total of 13? Please clarify. | The solicitation refers to 11 resumes. Is that two for the PM’s and the 11 others for a total of 13? Please clarify. | See Q040. | ||
| Q079 | L.3.1.2 Subfactor 2: Staffing Plan | I | 89 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications: | Will the Government please confirm offerors are to provide a qualified resume for the Resilience Instruction (General) and not the Resilience Instructor (Mental Health Professional)? | The type of Resilience Instructor was not clarified in Section L.3.1.2. | Either is acceptable. | ||
| Q080 | L.3.1.2.2 | N/A | 89 | Is the required sample resume for resilience instructor intended for Mental Health or General? | Please clarify this requirement as it is not clear. | Either is acceptable. | |||
| Q081 | L.3.1.2.2 | Volume II | RFP | 89 | L.3.1.2.2 | Can the Government clarify which labor categories require a representative resume for the personnel qualifications submission? |
1) please confirm Administrative Support, Instructional Support, Instruction, and Other are category headers and not actual positions.
| 2) please confirm 13 resumes are required, including the 2 on-site program managers, instead of the 11 specified. | Administrative Support, Instructional Support, Instruction, and Other are headings and not actual positions. See Q040. | ||||||||
| Q082 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | II | Appendix B-Past Performance Information Form | 86 (RFP) | TABLE | In the table on pg.86 it states the Past Performance has a page limit of 5 for each contract reference but the Past Performance Information Form states we can only add one additional sheet maximum which brings each reference to 2 pages. What is the page limit for each past performance reference? Can the Government please provide an editable PDF for the Past Performance Information Form? | See Q055 | ||
| Q083 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications | I | 89 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications | The solicitation states - “The proposal must include the resumes for both of the proposed on-site Program Managers (PM) and one sample resume from each type of labor category as outlined below – for a total of 11 resumes.” Can the Government confirm there are a total of 13 resumes required? 11 + 2 PM resumes? | Clarifying resume requirements | See Q040. | ||
| Q084 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications | I | 89 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications | Will the Government consider requiring readacted Letters of Intent to accompany the resumes to ensure Offerors are capable of recruiting and securing personnel? | LOIs will further lessen performance risk upon award. | Offeror should address this in their proposal. | ||
| Q085 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications (Under Staffing Plan) | VOL I | RFP | 89 | 2 | Can the government enumerate the 11 resumes required? Based on the instructions and numbering of categories it is difficult to determine which 11 should be included. | See Q040. | ||
| Q086 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications: | solicitation | 89 | 2 | The Government instructs bidders that "The proposal must include the resumes for both of the proposed on-site Program Managers (PM) and one sample resume from each type of labor category as outlined below – for a total of 11 resumes." |
However, if one counts the two named resumes for the PMs, the total number is 13.
| Would the Government please confirm the total number of resumes it expects bidders to submit? | This question will remove ambiguity on an RFP requirement. | See Q040. | |||||||
| Q087 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications: | I | 89 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications: | Will the Government allow resumes to be at 10 pt font? | to allow offerors to demonstrate the qualifications and the years of experience required as it applies to each their work history | No | ||
| Q088 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications: | I | 89 | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications: | L.3.1.2.2 Personnel Qualifications states, "Each resume should not exceed three (3) pages in length and should have personal information redacted (except for the on-site PMs)." Is "personal information" limited to proposed candidate names? Or should additional personal information such as Schools attended, company employers, and locations be redacted as well? | This is not necessary. | |||
| Q089 | L.3.1.3.4 Transition Plans | I | 91 | L.3.1.3.4 Transition Plans | How long is the Transition In period? | Assist with the timeline for the transition plan. | This should be addressed in the offeror's proposal | ||
| Q090 | L.3.1.3.4 Transition Plans | I | 91 | L.3.1.3.4 Transition Plans | For the Transition Quality Plan (TQP), can the Government clarify the intent of the requirement? Are we to describe our approach for maintaining quality over our transition plan? Or are we to describe implementing our Quality Control System (L.3.1.3.3) during the transition period? | Clarify the TQP requirement. | This should be addressed in the offeror's proposal | ||
| Q091 | L.3.2 | Volume II | RFP | 92 | L.3.2.1 (1-5) | Are all five corporate experience areas listed for size, scope, and complexity required to be covered by the up to six relevant contracts specified in the subsequent Relevant Contracts paragraph? | Yes | ||
| Q092 | L.3.2 | Volume II | RFP | 92 | L.3.2.1 | Please confirm the Offeror's experience includes experience from a corporate affiliate since alternate experience is allowed for each parent organization and each member organization of a joint venture or similar entity. | Yes | ||
| Q093 | L.3.2 | Volume II | RFP | 92 | L.3.2.1 (1) | Will the Government consider similar administrative experience if the contract did not fall under NAICS code 561110, but was under a NAICS code such as 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services? | Yes | ||
| Q094 | L.3.2 | Volume II | RFP | 93 | L.3.2.2.1 | Contracts Information states the Offeror will provide at least three but not more than five examples of successful past performances. Are these three to five examples required from the Prime, or do they include the three from the prime and three from the subcontractor allowed in L.3.2.1? | Three to five from the Prime, and separately three from the subcontractors. | ||
| Q095 | L.3.2 (L.3.2.2.1-14) | II | RFP | 93 | For each reference contract that will be part of volume 2, please confirm that you want a completed attachment b and completed CPARS. Are we to assume CPARS are not included in the page limitation? | Completed Attachment B, but CPARS may not be applicable. If CPARS is being submitted, it will not count against page count. | |||
| Q096 | L.3.2.1 | II | Appendix B | 92 of 104 | L.3.2.1 | Section L.3.2.1 states that, “The Offeror shall provide experience information on up to three (3) contracts performed by the Offeror and up to three (3) contracts performed by each proposed subcontractor or other performing entity.” It further states that, “The three (3) contracts described in the Relevant Corporate Experience Section shall also be included in the Past Performance Section of the proposal and described in the Past Performance Information Forms.” Please confirm that the three (3) contracts to be “described in the Past Performance Information Forms” are specifically referring to the Offeror’s contracts. | It is not clear if Past Performance Information submitted on Appendix B is limited to the Offeror's (Prime Contractor's) relevant experience or if it is permissible to submit Appendix B for subcontractor(s) relevant experience as well. | Yes | |
| Q097 | L.3.2.1 Relevant Corporate Experience | 92 of 104 | L.3.2.1 #1: Performance Under NAICS code 561110 | In RFP Section Factor 2, L.3.2.1 Relevant Corporate Experience, the Government asks for past performance within NAICS code 561110 as evidence of the Offeror's relevant past performance in administrative staffing support. However, many contracts that include directly relevant requirements in administrative staffing are not necessarily under 561110 NAICS, as NAICS determinations are not by nature wholly evidential of a contract's entire scope. Thus, by restricting relevancy assessments to a specific NAICS code, the government is eliminating significant relevant past performance from Offerors' history of performance. QUESTION: Will the Government consider revising (Relevant Corporate Experience) to "Offeror shall describe its corporate experience in terms of size, scope and complexity for the following areas: #1. Performance within relevant administrative staffing and support services | The Government asks for past performance within NAICS code 561110 as evidence of the Offeror's relevant past performance in administrative staffing support. However, many contracts that include directly relevant requirements in administrative staffing are not necessarily under 561110 NAICS, as NAICS determinations are not by nature wholly evidential of a contract's entire scope. Thus, by restricting relevancy assessments to a specific NAICS code, the government is eliminating significant relevant past performance from Offerors' history of performance. | Yes | |||
| Q098 | L.3.2.1 Relevant Corporate Experience | II | 92-93 | L.3.2.1 Relevant Corporate Experience | The solicitation states - “The three (3) contracts described in the Relevant Corporate Experience Section shall also be included in the Past Performance Section of the proposal and described in the Past Performance Information Forms”. The requirement states we are to provide "up to" three references. Can the Government please clarify whether Offerors are required to submit 3 past performance references for Factors 2 and 3? | Clarifying corporate experience requirements versus past performance requirements, and their connection | Yes | ||
| Q099 | L.3.2.1 Relevant Corporate Experience | II | 92-93 | L.3.2.1 Relevant Corporate Experience | The solicitation states - “The three (3) contracts described in the Relevant Corporate Experience Section shall also be included in the Past Performance Section of the proposal and described in the Past Performance Information Forms.” Can the three contracts for corporate experience and past performance include subcontractor references as long as at least 1 reference is from the prime offeror? | Clarifying whether or not corporate experience and past performance can both come from subcontractors. | Yes | ||
| Q100 | L.3.2.1 Relevant Corporate Experience | II | 92-93 | L.3.2.1 Relevant Corporate Experience | The solicitation states - “The three (3) contracts described in the Relevant Corporate Experience Section shall also be included in the Past Performance Section of the proposal and described in the Past Performance Information Forms.” Can Offerors include past performance references that are not included in the corporate experience section? For example, if we provide 3 corporate experience references, may offerors submit 4 or 5 past performance references? | Clarifying corporate experience requirements versus past performance requirements, and their connection | Yes | ||
| Q101 | L.2.4.3.3 Proposals | Vol II - Factor 3 Past Performance | Page 86 | Reference: Past Performance Information Retrievals (PPIRS) or Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) - 5 pages per contract reference. |
| Question: Some of our CPARS are more than 5 pages. Do we self-edit those reports to meet a page limtation? We have one that is 12 pages long. The table in section L.2.4.3.3. seems to mention PPIRS/CPARS as a submission requirement, but Section L.3.2 refers to the Past Performance Information Form. Please clarify what we must include in our proposal submission. | See Q095 | |||||||||
| Q102 | L.2.4.3.3. | n/a | n/a | 85 | Paragraph 1, bullet 3 | The RFP references a Dun and Bradstreet Unique Entity Identifier, but the new standard is the SAM.gov Unique Identity Number. Please clarify. | Should use the UEI. | |||
| Q103 | L.3 | n/a | n/a | 88 | Phase 1 | Please clarify what artficats we are to submit to substantiate the pass/fail requirements for each tier. | See Q039. | |||
| Q104 | L.3.2.1, Relevant Corporate Experience | II | solicitation | 92 | 6 | |||||
| (Relevant Contracts) | The RFP requires up to three (3) contracts performed by the Offeror and up to three (3) contracts performed by each proposed subcontractor or other performing entity. Paragraph 7 of this section requires that the three (3) contracts described in the Relevant Corporate Experience Section be included in the Past Performance Section and described in the Past Performance Information Forms. Could the Government clarify if the three (3) contracts required to be included in the Past Performance section refer only to the Relevant Corporate Experience from the Prime or does the subcontractor experience also need to be included in the Past Performance Section. | Clarity on Relevant Corporate Experience that needs to be included in the Past Performance Section and the Past Performance Information Forms. | The prime is required to submit three contracts, and the subcontractor may submit up to 3, but it is not required. | |||||||
| Q105 | L.3.2.2.1 | II | Appendix B | 93 of 104 | L.3.2.2.1 | Section L.3.2.2.1 states that “The Offeror will provide and describe at least three but not more than five examples of successful past performances” and that “The Offeror will submit its past performance information on the Past Performance Information Form contained in Appendix B.”. Are the five (max) examples to be submitted on Appendix B - Past Performance Information Forms limited to the Offeror or can they include subcontractor examples of successful past performance as well? | It is not clear if Past Performance Information submitted on Appendix B is limited to the Offeror's (Prime Contractor's) relevant experience or if it is permissible to submit Appendix B for subcontractor(s) relevant experience as well. | The Prime contractor is required to submit at least three contracts for Past Perfomance, but may submit up to five total. The prime may choose to submit subcontractor past performance for the additional two if desired. |
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