Questions and Answers_19TH2026Q0074.pdf

Embassy of the United States of America

Bangkok, Thailand

Solicitation No. 19TH2026Q0074

Human Resources Classification Services Questions and Answers

Q 1: “Will the Government consider substituting the requirement for prior U.S. Embassy Human Resources experience with a Subject Matter expert (SME)? Perhaps 10+ years of senior corporate HR experience, a Master’s Degree in the related field (HR Management/Business), and an SPHR certification?

Perhaps count previous U.S Military enlistment with honorable discharge in substitute for U.S.

Embassy experience?”

A: No, as outlined in Section1, paragraph 1 – Statement of Work, the personnel provided must be former Civil Service, Foreign Service, Employed Family Member (EFM or EPAP), or former Locally Employed (LE) Staff with experience in Human Resources (HR) offices at U.S. embassies or consulates overseas.

Q 2: “Does the award need to go to someone who has prior hands-on experience using the MClass software platform from day one, or will the Government accept an expert who knows how to perform the core job of auditing, investigating, finding gaps and classifying positions to match their descriptions?”

A: Yes, as outlined in Section 1, paragraph 1 – Statement of Work, the personnel provided must demonstrate the ability to perform at the full performance level upon entry on duty, so the personnel provided is required to have prior hands-on experience.

Q 3: “For the purpose of calculating an accurate all-inclusive firm-fixed hourly rate, could the Government provide the estimated or maximum number of required TDY travel trips to Bangkok or other East Asia and Pacific embassy locations during the base period, and what is the expected duration (number of days/weeks) per trip?”

A: The maximum TDY travel trip to Bangkok or other East Asia and Pacific embassy locations during base period is 1 trip with the expected duration for 2 weeks.

Q 4: “Could the Government provide an approximate or estimated volume of individual position descriptions or personnel allocations that the contractor will be expected to evaluate within the 1,040 annual standard work hours?”

A: The estimated volume of positions which are expected to be evaluated is 90.

Q 5: “Will the local Embassy Human Resources offices facilitate and coordinate scheduling for the contractor to conduct desk audits or interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs) and employees?”

A: Yes, the Government will facilitate and coordinate scheduling for the contractor at least at first.

Q 6: “For remote coordination and virtual interviews, does the Department of State require a specific collaboration platform (e.g., Microsoft Teams or Zoom), and will access be provided via the mandated government-furnished equipment (GFE)?”

A: The collaboration platform is Microsoft Teams. As outlined in Section 1, paragraph 1.3

– Government Furnished Property/Equipment, EMD laptop and access to existing applications which include Microsoft Teams will be provided.

Q 7: “Will the required government laptop and mobile device be shipped directly to the contractor’s U.S. residential facility, or will physical pickup be required at a domestic Department of State facility?”

A: The specific delivery method for government-furnished equipment, including the laptop and mobile device, will be determined and communicated to the contractor upon contract award.

Q 8: “Is there a minimum spend commitment or estimated annual spend under this agreement?”

A: As outlined in Section 1, the Government shall place orders totaling a minimum of 1,040 hours per year.

Q 9: “Is this solicitation a recompete of an existing contract? If so, could you please confirm the incumbent contractor (s)?”

A: This solicitation is for a new requirement and is not a recompete of an existing contract.

Accordingly, there is no incumbent contractor associated with this effort.

Q 10: “What is the current or historical contract value associated with this work?”

A: As this solicitation is for a new requirement, there is no existing or prior contract associated with this work. Accordingly, no current or historical contract value applies.

Q 11: “How has the incumbent performed on the current contract, particularly about meeting performance objectives, deliverables, and timelines?”

A: This solicitation is for a new requirement, and there is no incumbent contractor or existing contract associated with this work. Accordingly, there is no historical performance information to provide.

Q 12: “Would the US Embassy Bangkok consider granting an extension to the proposal submission deadline?”

A: Please note that an extension to the proposal submission deadline is not guaranteed at this time. However, if the proposal submission deadline is extended, we will issue an amendment to the solicitation and post it directly to the solicitation notice on SAM.gov.

Q 13: “What is the anticipated award date for this contract?”

A: The contract is anticipated to be awarded by September 14, 2026.

Q 14: “Will US Embassy Bangkok provide laptops, monitors, system access, software licenses, badges, and other required equipment for contractor personnel?”

A: Government furnished property/equipment are listed in paragraph no. 1.3 – Government Furnished Property/Equipment is Section 1 of the solicitation.

Q 15: “The Statement of Work indicates that personnel must be former Civil Service, Foreign Service, EFM/EPAP, or LE Staff with HR experience at U.S. embassies or consulates overseas.

Would experience supporting U.S. Embassy HR operations as a contractor be considered comparable and acceptable if the individual was not directly employed as Civil Service, Foreign Service, EFM/EPAP, or LE Staff?”

A: No, the Government will not consider the personnel who does not meet the eligibility requirements outlined in Section 1, paragraph 1 – Statement of Work.

Q 16: “Is experience gained at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate worldwide acceptable, or is prior experience specifically within the East Asia Pacific (EAP) region preferred or required?”

A: The experience gained at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate worldwide is acceptable.

Q 17: “For proposal submission, should resumes of proposed personnel be provided, or is a corporate capability statement sufficient at this stage?”

A: Resume of proposed personnel is not required to be included in the proposal. However, the offeror must include the information demonstrating the offeror’s ability to perform as outlined in Section 3, paragraph A.2. when submitting the proposal.

Q 18: “The RFQ states that personnel must be able to obtain a Public Trust clearance. Is an active Public Trust clearance required at the time of proposal submission or contract award, or can the clearance process begin after award?”

A: The Public Trust clearance process can begin after award.

Q 19: “What is the estimated onboarding timeline for obtaining Public Trust clearance and network access after award?”

A: Estimated onboarding timeline for obtaining Public Trust clearance and network access after award is 2 months.

Q 20: “The RFQ allows personnel to reside within or outside the United States. Can all required services be performed remotely except for specifically directed travel requirements?”

A: Yes, all required services can be performed remotely except for specifically directed travel requirements.

Q 21: “The SOW mentions travel to Bangkok and other EAP locations as required. Will all authorized travel expenses be reimbursed separately by the Government, or should anticipated travel costs be incorporated into the proposed hourly rates?”

A: Authorized travel expenses can be reimbursed separately from the contract as necessary.

Q 22: “Is there an estimated number of annual trips or travel days that offerors should consider in developing pricing?”

A: The maximum annual TDY travel trip is 1 trip with expected duration for 2 weeks.

Authorized travel expenses can be reimbursed separately as necessary.

Q 23: “The RFQ estimates 1,040 standard service hours and up to 100 temporary additional service hours annually. Can the Government provide an estimated number of position classifications/evaluations expected per year?”

A: The estimated volume of positions which are expected to be evaluated is 90

Q 24: “How many embassies and consulates within the EAP region are anticipated to receive support under this contract?”

A: Total embassies and consulates within EAP region are anticipated to receive support under this contract is 47 posts.

Q 25: “Can the Government provide current annual workload metrics, including average numbers of position reviews, classification actions, training sessions, and organizational reviews?”

A: The Government is unable to provide comprehensive historical workload metrics across all requested categories (position reviews, classification actions, training sessions, and organizational reviews). Please refer to the answer to question no. 4 for the estimated volume of positions.

Q 26: “Will the Government provide contractor personnel with access to MClass and other required Department of State systems immediately upon onboarding?”

A: Yes, access to MClass and other required Department of State systems is obtained once the Public Trust clearance and the IT network access is approved upon onboarding.

Q 27: “Will the Government provide any required training or certification for Mclass usage if the proposed personnel have prior classification experience but require refresher training?”

A: Yes, the Government will provide required training or certification for MClass usage if the personnel provided has prior classification experience but requires refresher training.

Q 28: “Does the Government anticipate a single dedicated Classification Specialist supporting the contract, or may the contractor propose multiple-qualified personnel to share performance responsibilities?”

A: The contractor shall provide only one qualified personnel to perform the services specified in the contract.

Q 29: “Are key personnel substitutions permitted during contract performance, subject to Government approval?”

A: No, personnel substitutions are not permitted during contract performance.

Q 30: “Should the proposed hourly rate include all indirect costs, travel administration, fringe benefits, and Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance costs?”

A: Yes, as outlined in Section 1, paragraph I – Scope of Services, the quoted price shall include all direct and indirect costs which are required to perform the services specified in the contract including DBA insurance cost. Authorized travel expenses are not required to be included since the expenses can be reimbursed separately from the contract as necessary.

Q 31: “For Temporary Additional Services, should the hourly rate be identical to the Standard Services rate, or may a separate rate be proposed?”

A: Temporary additional services rate is not required to be the same as standard services rate.

Q 32: “The RFQ requests Government client references from the last five years. Will relevant commercial-sector HR classification contracts also be considered if they demonstrate similar scope and complexity?”

A: No, relevant commercial-sector HR classification contracts which demonstrate similar scope and complexity will not be considered.

Q 33: “Is there a preferred format or page limitation for submission of past performance references?”

A: There is no page limitation for submission of past performance references. However, the submission shall be made in a specific size and format; in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) file format.

The file size must not exceed 25MB. If the file size should exceed 25MB, the submission must be made in separate files and attached to separate emails with less than 25MB each as outline in the solicitation.

Q 34: “Is a DBA insurance certificate required to be submitted with the proposal, or will the Government accept a commitment to obtain the required coverage upon award?”

A: As outlined in Section 3, paragraph A.2(6)(c)(2), a statement that the Offeror will get the required insurance, and the name of the insurance provider is acceptable.

Embassy of the United States of America