Consolidated_Questions_and_Responses_ATL_12-20-2013.docx

RFP 2014 N 15769

Animal Care and Associated Laboratory, Laundry and Autoclave Services – Atlanta Area Consolidated Questions and Responses

1. Which immunizations will be required for contract personnel both in general and for those who need access to the ABSL-3? Are any of these IND products?

A. All New Animal Care Staff

1. should receive or have received in the past:

a. Hepatitis A titer and/ or hepatitis A primary series

b. Hepatitis B titer and/ or hepatitis B primary series

c. MMR vaccination

d. Varicella infection history, positive varicella titer, or varicella vaccination series

e. Tetanus- diphtheria (Td) vaccination

f. Rabies primary series

2. should receive the following services

a. Baseline serum

b. Audiogram

c. Respirator clearance exam and spirometry

d. Two-step TB skin test, or TB screening if positive by history

e. Hepatitis C titer

f. Initial animal allergy questionnaire

g. Immunocompromising condition (including pregnancy) questionnaire and discussion

3. Other procedures recommended by ARB Chief or clinic.

4. Routine procedures: ARB project managers and supervisors ensure that employees receive the following:

ii. Every six months

1. Tuberculosis screening for all personnel working in the NHP areas.

iii. Annually

1. Baseline serum

2. Hepatitis B and C titer checks

3. Rabies titer or vaccine as appropriate

4. Audiogram to monitor hearing damage

5. Pulmonary function test for respirator clearance

6. Respirator fit testing B. Other vaccinations or procedures may be required as the Branch Chief directs. The following may be required:

i. Q fever titers yearly and vaccinations if deemed appropriate (HCL 3/4)

ii. Influenza vaccination

iii. Small Pox vaccination

iv. Others as required

C. Tuberculosis screening procedures are directed by the clinic. Personnel assigned to nonhuman primate duty must have proof of negative TB skin test or medical clearance from the CDC OHS Clinic to work with nonhuman primates.

2. Will all contract personnel require TB testing and tetanus vaccinations?

Only if they are to have access to the animal areas

3. As personnel will work with ferrets will verification of current influenza vaccination will be required?

No. However, the vaccine is highly recommended for those working in those areas. Personnel exhibiting signs of cold will not have access to the ferret areas

4. Will all personnel require verification of measles immune status?

Yes

5. Will all contract personnel require ES&H medical clearance and respirator test fitting?

Yes

6. How many and which contract personnel will require DOJ clearances? It was stated that all will have to have a NAC check.

While all contract personnel require a NAC background check, it is posible tha one or two individuals may require “CRITICAL SENSITIVE – Level 3, Duties/Responsibilities require Top Secret clearance”.

7. What positions are Key Personnel.

Management and assistant management positions, vet techs (2)

8. Please specify what species are housed in ventilated systems.

Currently, rodents (mice, hamster, gerbils, rats) and ferrets

9. Is there an automated bedding dumping station in rodent floor of Bldg 23?

No

10. Specify the exact number of vehicles required in this task.

2 – one for animal transport and one for general transport

11. Provide estimate of number of daily/monthly/yearly trips to and from Lawrenceville we will be bidding on.

The trips to L’ville is dictated by current events; however an estimate should be weekly 1, monthly 4, yearly 40

12. Is Roybal the only Glassware wash facility? There is only 1 glassware washing facility and it is located on the Roybal Campus.

13. If yes, How will glassware be transported back and forth from the Chamblee and Lawrenceville campuses? No glassware is transported from the Chamblee and Lawrenceville campuses for cleaning.

14. Is the Gov’t providing a vehicle for this purpose? Transport of laundry and lab waste to and from Chamblee and Lawrenceville is currently performed by government FTE staff.

15. Is Gov’t responsible for service contracts/maintenance of the sanitizing equipment? Government is responsible for maintenance of all equipment used to wash and sterilize glassware, wash and dry laundry, and to wash stainless steel discard pans.

16. Is Gov’t responsible for the supplies associated with this task (aluminum foil, cleaning solutions, etc)? The government is responsible for providing supplies associated with the performance of this task.

17. Is Roybal the only Laundry facility? If yes, How will garments be transported back and forth from the Chamblee and Lawrenceville campuses? Transport of laundry to and from Chamblee and Lawrenceville is currently performed by government FTE staff.

18. Is the Gov’t providing a vehicle for this purpose? The government is responsible for performing this task for glassware, laundry and lab waste.

19. Is Gov’t responsible for service contracts/maintenance of the laundry equipment? The government is responsible for laundry equipment maintenance.

20. Is Gov’t responsible for the supplies associated with this task (soap, etc)? The government is responsible for supplies associated with this task.

21. How many washers and dryers are in operation at each location, if applicable? There are two washers and two dryers located in the laundry room on the Roybal Campus.

22. How many loads/day/month or year, per location, if applicable? Currently, eight to nine loads of laundry is washed and dried per day.

23. What transport mechanism is available for the collection of contaminated waste from Roybal campus to Roybal central facility? Government staff is currently responsible for this requirement.

24. Is Gov’t responsible for that transport mechanism (vehicle)? The government is currently responsible for transporting decontaminated laboratory waste to the processing facility.

25. Is gov responsible for all supplies associated with this task? Except as indicated in the solicitation,the government is responsible for supplies associated with this task (transport of lab waste to processing facility).

26. Is the contract Vet Tech and the contract HCL (ABSL3) employee the same position or is this 2 separate contract positions?

Two separate positions

27. Are there any government employees that are animal caretakers, or are husbandry/animal caretaker positions only on contract?

Some positions in the HCL are government positions

28. The RFP states 5,000 mice, how many mouse cages are there?

Mouse Caging:

a. Roybal Bldg 23 – 226

b. Roybal BSL 3 – 27

c. Roybal BSL 4 – 16

29. What percentage of the New World NHPs are pair housed?

Approximately 85%

30. What percentage of the Old World NHPs are pair housed?

Approximately 65%

31. Please verify the animal inventory numbers in the RFP and confirm the animal numbers to ensure proper staffing can be estimated.

Animal numbers change according to protocol needs; therefore the animal inventory in the RFP is the census we are based on and should be used for proposal purposes

32. Page 29, Paragraph H.1 (a) – Homeland Security Presidential Direction – 12 (HSPD-12) Requirements (Nov 2011): Please clarify the sensitivity level(s). NONSENSITIVE – Level 1 Positions are neither Public Trust nor National Security because the mission involves mostly low risk, non-sensitive and non-national security program responsibilities.

33. Staffing H.1 Non-Displacement of Qualified Workers on page 36, states that the contractor and its subcontractors shall, except as otherwise provided herein, in good faith offer those employees (other than managerial and supervisory employees) employed under the predecessor contract whose employment will be terminated as a result of award of this contract or the expiration of the contract under which the employees were hired, a right of first refusal of employment under this contract in positions for which employees are qualified.

Q: Can the Government please provide a list of contract staff (individuals and/or positions) under the current contract? A. Not as this time. One of the purposes of the RFP is to understand the potential Contractor’s Personnel and Staffing system and innovative processes associated with staffing this requirement. The successful Contractor will be provided with that information prior to award.

34. Due Date Delivery Deadline (Time) Per SF 33, proposal is due January 15 at 2pm; page 57 states 4:30pm.

Q: Please confirm delivery deadline. A. the proposals are due by 4:30 PM, January 15, 2014.

35. Business Proposal Format

a. Page 57, Other Administrative Date – listed as subsection (d) but is following Past Performance information.

Q: Is this section meant to be subsection (d) of the previous section, Business Proposal Instructions, and not a part of Past Performance? A. Subsection (d), Other Administrative Data is a part of the Business Proposal Instructions and not a part of the Past Performance Section.

b. Page 57, L.9 Past Performance, asks for information for contracts which have been completed within past three years as well as contracts discontinued within past three years.

Q: Please clarify the Government’s distinction between completed and discontinued. A. Completed contracts are contracts for which the services required, to include option periods, were performed as called for in the contract, and/or supplies ordered were delivered as called for in the contract. Discontinued contracts are those that services were not performed for the entire period of performance or supplies that were not delivered in accordance with the contract.

36. Technical Proposal Format Page 59, M.B, notes the following:

Technical Approach and Plan of Operation – 30 Points Offeror shall submit an easy-to-follow plan indicating how the tasks in the Performance Work Statement are to be accomplished. The plan shall include as much detail as the offeror considers necessary to fully explain its technical approach, primary duties, general timelines, partners, deliverables, and other key proposal elements. In their technical proposal, offeror must describe for information gathering, input, and reporting.

The offeror shall provide detailed plans for compliance with OMB approval for information collection activities. Consideration will be given to the completeness of the responses and identification of any possible challenges to compliance.

Q: The underlined statement appears to be incomplete. Please clarify. A. In their technical proposal, offeror must describe their method or process for information gathering, input, and reporting.

Q: The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 requires that agencies obtain Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval before requesting most types of information from the public. “Information collections" include forms, interviews, and recordkeeping requirements, to name a few categories.

How would this apply to the services provided under this contract? If it applies, please provide guidance on application. A. It would not. That requirement is removed from this solicitation and the resulting contract.

37. Homeland Security Presidential Directive - 12 Page 59, Section H.1, does not list the contract position sensitivity levels.

NONSENSITIVE – Level 1 Positions are neither Public Trust nor National Security because the mission involves mostly low risk, non-sensitive and non-national security program responsibilities.

38. Past Performance Page 60, Section M.D (d) references “Customer/Client Survey Letter and the Past Performance Survey Document included as attachments under Section J”.

Q: These were not included with the RFP. Will they be used by the Government? If so, may we be provided with co pies and in what timeframe will the Government supply to the referenced contracts?

A. Document is currently under revision and should be uploaded to FBO on or about Jan 10, 2014.

39. Vehicles Per C.4.5.5, the contractor shall supply air conditioned panel vans for the transport of animals, supplies and equipment. The contractor will use a separate vehicle for the transport of live animals.

Q: How many vans are required?

A. For the animal areas, a minimum of 2; one for live animal transport and one for general transport of supplies and equipment

Q: It is understood that at least one van with AC is to be provided for transport of live animals. What additional equipment or supplies might need to be transported? This will determine assist us with determining the type and size of truck, and need for lift gate. A. Controlled heating & air; Caging/rack anchors; lift gate (for racks); portable electrical outlet to keep AC/heat running when truck is parked

40. Occupational Health Clearances

a. 2-Step TB Test

ii. Is this specific test required for all staff for initial Tb clearance? Required for all personnel with access to animal care areas.

iii. What is repeat frequency required for Tb clearance (annually or every six months), and is the 2-step as opposed to the standard single PPD required for retesting after initial clearance? A. Annual for general animal areas and every 6 months for primate areas

b. Q Fever Titers

iv. Required? If so, for which positions? A. HCL personnel working with Q fever animals

c. Smallpox Vaccination

v. Required? If so, for which positions? A. For techs working on variola studies in primate and general animal areas

d. Rabies Titer and/or Vaccination

vi. Required? If so, for which positions? A. All lab animal tech positions

e. Titer Frequency Confirmation

vii. Rabies and HepABC – is this requirement for annual titers or just confirmation per OH Provider that individual is cleared? A. Both.

f. Respiratory Clearance

viii. Pulmonary function test is listed as required for initial and annual clearance. Is this contract specific, or required when indicated by results of initial respiratory fit test and annual respiratory questionnaire? A. Required for initial and annual clearance

g. Serum Banking

ix. Are there any positions on this contract which would require serum banking? A.

We no longer bank serum unless there is an exposure requiring follow-up medical surveillance

h. OHS requirements annually

x. Please clarify what AAA medical clearance is? A. AAA is “Animal Access Area”

xi. Please clarify what TB/NHP Care and Contact medical surveillance is versus Tb Clearance alone.

TB/NHP Care and Contact medical surveillance include AAA clearance procedures

i. Forms – The following forms were noted as being provided, but were not in the RFP. We respectfully request copies for review. A. The CDC Occupational Health Clinic can provide the forms to the successful Contractor. The forms will not be provided in the RFP.

a. Animal Allergy Questionnaire

b. Animal Area Entry Questionnaire

c. Health queries or screening questionnaires as needed to adequately assess fitness for duty

d. Vision and color perception testing

j. Interval Respirator Is this referring to a respirator questionnaire or respirator clearance (which may also include fit test, etc) ? If so, and the CDC has one to utilize, please provide copy. A. The CDC Occupational Health Clinic can provide the forms to the successful Contractor. The forms will not be provided in the RFP.

k. Will immunizations required by research related needs (as opposed to IND vaccines) be provided by the CDC to contract staff? A. yes

41. Wage Determination Page 24, G.4, notes that the “Wage Determination, No. 2005-2134, Rev 13 dated June 19, 3013” is attached to the RFP. It is not.

Q: Please clarify the version of Wage Determination which we should reference. A. The correct Wage Determination is 2005-2133, Rev-12, dated 6/25/2013

42. Uniforms

l. Surgical scrubs Q: Is there a requirement for long sleeve for any positions as opposed to short sleeve? A. No

m. During the walkthrough for site visit, it was noted that glassware staff were wearing polo shirts and khakis as opposed to surgical scrubs.

Q: Is this a uniform requirement for glassware staff? A. No, this is determined by the contractor

43. Price Information The Government has provided Section B Supplies or Services and Prices/Cost format to be completed in submitting the Fixed Price. In addition, the Government has requested detailed pricing information as noted on page 56.

(a) Pricing Information You must submit, as a minimum, a business proposal supported by detailed pricing information. The itemized price and the rationale for significant categories should be furnished as follows:

(1) Direct Labor: At a minimum, staffing plan included in the technical proposal shall be included in the business proposal, along with the proposed hourly rate for each proposed labor category.

(2) Materials and Services: Provide a consolidated priced summary of individual material quantities anticipated to be needed in performance of the contract and the basis for pricing (vendor quotes, invoice prices, etc.)

(3) Format: The overall Business Proposal may be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF. However the price/cost breakdown must be submitted in an editable Microsoft Excel format and, at you option may also be provided in a .pdf document.

Q: As a Fixed Price contract, typically only the Fixed Price per month is required to be provided. Please clarify. A. The Government will evaluate the business proposal to include labor categories and rates to ensure compliance with DOL Wage determination and to ensure that the prospective contractor understands the nature and scope of the work to be accomplished. The Government must also make a price reasonableness determination. Because this is likely to be a competitive process, the need for Certified Cost and Pricing is not anticipated.

Q: (3) requests price/cost breakdown in Excel, yet you have provided a format in Word for Fixed Prices. Please clarify. A. The fixed price for each line item should be reflected in Section B of the word document provided. The price/cost breakdown is requested in an Excel format to accomplish the price analysis listed above.

44. Technical and Clinical Procedure Level of Effort Parameters The RFP describes common techniques requiring technical assistance (Section C.4.5.2) as well as clinical procedures to include surgical support (Section C.4.5.9).

Q: Please provide guidance on the amount and/or number of procedures that contractor staff will provide support for within a specific timeframe so that the appropriate number of staff (for level of effort) can be determined. A. This is determined by protocol needs and is difficult to estimate. However, it should not require additional staff but it does require vet techs on staff (2) that can respond when the need arises

45. Security Clearance Q: If a specific position requires additional security clearance, will CDC manage that expense?

No additional clearance is anticipated above that noted above is required.

46. Section J, Customer/Client Survey Letter and Past Performance Survey Document: Section J (RFP page 47) and Section M (RFP page 60): On RFP page 60, paragraph (d) it states that: “The Customer/Client Survey Letter and Past Performance Survey Document included as attachments under Section J will be used by the Government to gather any required past performance evaluations.”

Question: These two RFP Section M referenced documents are not listed in RFP Section J and are not provided in the RFP. Will the Government provide these documents? A. Document is currently under revision and should be uploaded to FBO on or about Jan 10, 2014.

47. Section L, Other Administrative Data: Section L.9 Past Performance Instructions (RFP page 57) has a paragraph immediately after identified as “(d) Other Administrative Data.”

Yes. A. Subsection (d), Other Administrative Data is a part of the Business Proposal Instructions and not a part of the Past Performance Section.

48. Section M, Evaluation Criteria, Technical Approach and Plan of Operation - OMB Approval: In Section M, B. Technical Evaluation Technical Approach and Plan of Operation on RFP page 59 it states: “The offeror shall provide detailed plans for compliance with OMB approval for information collection activities. Consideration will be given to the completeness of the responses and identification or any possible challenges to compliance.”

Question: What specific information does CDC desire the contractor to collect that would be subject to OMB approval? And if there is contract information that does need OMB approval, what specific OMB approval does CDC desire. Please clarify this RFP proposal requirement. A. That requirement is removed from this solicitation and the resulting contract.

49. Section M, Evaluation Criteria, Staffing and Management - Conflicts: In Section M, B. Technical Evaluation, Staffing and Management, second paragraph on RFP page 60, it states: “Offeror shall provide (1) a detailed description of how conflicts are managed.”

Question: What does CDC meant by the term, “conflicts?” Are these potential conflicts between the contractor and client, conflict between animal technicians and researchers, or what? Please clarify this RFP proposal requirement. A. Conflicts are those circumstances or situations involving Contractor personnel that adversely impacts, or is likely to adversely impact, contract performance.