RFP Questions and Answers - Feasibility of Restoring Postal Standards.pdf

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20268-0001

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY AND ADMINISTRATION

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

RFP Number PRC-RFP-2023-0001

RFP Title Feasibility of Restoring Postal Service Standards

RFP Issue Date September 23, 2022

Offers Due Date and Time October 19, 2022 at 5:00PM EST

RFP Submission Email accounting@prc.gov

Notice ID 2023-01

SAM.gov PSC B506 - SPECIAL STUDIES/ANALYSIS- DATA (OTHER THAN

SCIENTIFIC)

NAICS Code - Description 5417 - Scientific Research and Development Services

Type of Contract Firm-Fixed Price mailto:accounting@prc.gov

QUESTION AND ANSWERS

# Question Vendor Comments Postal Regulatory Commission's Response 1 Will the PRC actively promote partnering among potential bidders?

A potential bidder may have a robust set of skills, but not the full set required to successfully complete the project. There may be opportunity to suggest the pairing potential bidders to form a more complete set of skills required to complete the project.

The Commission welcomes proposals that incorporate the use of multiple vendors;

partnerships should be proposed by potential bidders.

2a Should the report, and the analysis included, use modeling that could predict potential outcome of service performance?

N/A The vendor is encouraged to propose any evaluation method or modeling approach to predict the potential outcome of service performance that the vendor deems appropriate for the tasks outlined in the statement of work.

2b Should the modeling employ stochastic methods that employ the concepts of the Pollaczek Kinchine Formula in order to predict an expected range of outcomes?

N/A The vendor is encouraged to propose any evaluation method or modeling approach to predict the potential outcome of service performance that the vendor deems appropriate for the tasks outlined in the proposed statement of work.

2c Should the model utilize a specific on-time performance percentage, for example 90%, 95%, 98%? During the timeframe of previous standards, 95% was considered the target, is this still valid?

N/A Use of the actual on-time performance and/or targets which prevailed during the timeframe of previous standards would be reasonable.

3a The request from Congress requests an examination of the "resources and structure". Will there be access to USPS and Union Labor Agreements that will govern how this can be conducted?

N/A The Commission cannot guarantee access to Postal Service sources for such agreements, but currently effective union labor agreements might be available on the various union's websites or other public sources. For example:

https://d1ocufyfjsc14h.cloudfront.net/sites/ default/files/2021-2024_apwu-usps_national_agreement.pdf https://www.nalc.org/workplace-issues/body/2019-2023-National- Agreement-Bookmarked.pdf https://www.npmhu.org/resources/body/FI NAL-2019-Agreement.pdf https://www.ruralinfo.net/nrlca-releases-full-2021-2024-national-contract.html

3b Will there be direct access to USPS Human Resources and/or Labor Relations staff to properly understand these agreements?

N/A The Commission cannot guarantee such access, however, the contractor is free to contact the Postal Service's Human Resources and/or Labor Relations staff to make inquiries.

3c Should the Postal Labor Unions also be contacted with regards to these questions?

N/A The contractor may contact the postal labor unions to obtain such information. They are under no obligation to furnish such information. However, their websites might contain copies of currently effective Labor Agreements.

4a The Service Standards associated with First Class, Periodicals, etc. have always been structured in 3-digit to 3-digit data tables. Will the current, any proposed, and the 2011 version of these tables all be available in this format?

N/A 39 C.F.R.Part 121 contains information as to prevailing service standards for Market Dominant products over time. The electronic version is searchable by date.

4b In conjunction with the Service Standards, will the volumes associated with the specific products be provided in a 3-digit to 3-digit format?

N/A The Postal Service files quarterly reports on service performance which are available on the Commission's website.

5 Will the complete inventory of all Processing

Centers, along with a complete list of all sortation technology located in those facilities, be provided?

N/A Various technical details concerning the Postal Service's network facilities appear in materials from PRC Docket No. RM2020-1 and supporting library references.

6 Will the inventory of the facilities include the number of platform bays located in each facility, with a clear definition as to the type of vehicle (height of platform) that can be accommodated?

N/A Various technical details concerning the Postal Service's network facilities appear in materials from PRC Docket No. RM2020-1 and supporting library references.

7a Will the inventory of sortation technology include the average input and sortation speeds, as well as the number of sortation outputs included in the technology?

N/A Various technical details concerning the Postal Service's network facilities appear in materials from PRC Docket No. RM2020-1 and supporting library references.

7b Will the inventory of sortation technology include an expected level of reliability -frequency and average length of downtime, as well required maintenance downtime on a daily basis?

N/A Various technical details concerning the Postal Service's network facilities appear in materials from PRC Docket No. RM2020-1 and supporting library references.

8 An inventory of any vacant processing centers still under the control of USPS (the inventory must include location, interior square footage, square footage of truck staging areas and employee parking, number of dock doors and platform height)?

N/A Various technical details concerning the Postal Service's network facilities appear in materials from PRC Docket No. RM2020-1 and supporting library references.

9a Will USPS staff be available to answer specific questions required to answer questions and/or provide data necessary to complete this report?

N/A The PRC cannot guarantee the availability or willingness of USPS staff to answer questions and/or provide data.

9b In response to these requests to answer questions and/or provide data, is there a timeframe that a response from USPS should be expected?

N/A The PRC cannot guarantee the availability or willingness of USPS staff to answer questions and/or provide data.

10a Does USPS have a clearly defined Marketing and Sales Plan for products in the coming years?

N/A The Postal Service's Delivering for America Plan may contain relevant data in this regard.

10b Does the USPS plan forecast the volumes associated with these specific products?

N/A The Postal Service's Integrated Financial Plan may contain limited data in this regard.

10c Given the variability of dimensions and weight associated with Packets and Packages, do the forecasts reflect the anticipated variability?

N/A Unknown

11 Will the USPS Facilities group provide data about the cost of construction and/or renovation to existing facilities?

It is likely best that this information be provided in a range of sizes (250,000-500,000 square feet, 500,000 - 750,000 square feet, 750,000 - 1,000,000 square feet, and anything larger than 1,000,000 square feet), as well as a variety of geographic regions (New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southern, Mid- West, Far West, etc) or perhaps Urban, Suburban and Rural. Something that reflects the variation of cost, rather than just a national average.

The PRC cannot guarantee the availability or willingness of USPS staff to answer questions and/or provide data.

12 For each of the following, please identify whether the Commission

• Currently has this information for FY 2021 at the stated disaggregated level

• Currently has this information for FY 2021 at a more aggregated level (e.g. nation-wide instead of disaggregated to 3-digit)

• Currently has this information for a year earlier than FY 2021

• Does not currently possess this information

1. Volumes by day, by shape, by Originating and Destinating 3 digit zip code. For example as contained in https://www.prc.gov/dockets/document/78352.

2. Facility Specific Space and Equipment information. For example, as contained in https://www.prc.gov/dockets/document/82040.

3. Facility Specific Volume and Workload by Operation. For example, as contained in https://www.prc.gov/docs/80/80763/rev_PREFACE.

66.pdf.

4. Facility Specific Rents and Square footage. For example, as contained in https://www.prc.gov/docs/80/80021/52_PREFACE.p df

5. Facility specific operating windows

6. Does the Commission currently possess Excel copies of AMP and PIRs. See https://www.prc.gov/dockets/document/80020

Various technical details concerning the Postal Service's network facilities as of 2019, appear in materials from PRC Docket No.

RM2020-1 and supporting library references, and some other responsive data may be available in the materials filed with the Commission in support of the Postal Service's Annual Compliance Reports.

However, the availability of some of these items (e.g., daily volumes by 3-digit O/D pairs, AMPs and PIRs) is very limited.

13 RFP section 3.5 states that the contractor “will provide required hardware and software and will have access to the PRC’s systems if necessary.”

Please confirm that the selected contractor will be able to use the LogicNet software via the PRC’s systems and license. If not confirmed, please explain.

Any software that the Contractor needs to complete the deliverables that the Contractor does not already possess must be specified in the response for the Commission's consideration as part of its cost analysis.

14 Please confirm that the requested analysis is for Market Dominant mail as defined as the product list at the beginning of FY 2022 only. If not confirmed, please detail which competitive products should be included in the analysis.

Confirmed

QUESTION AND ANSWERS