MACPAC IDIQ FYs 2026-2035_responses to questions_final.pdf

Question # Bidder question MACPAC response 1 Can you please confirm Notice ID: 202501 and 202502 are separate

IDIQs?

Notice ID: 202502 title reads like should be a Task Order under 202501

Confirming these are separate IDIQs, and if bidding on both, require separate technical and business proposals, as well as any other requested documentation as specified in each request for proposals (RFP).

2 Can you provide a list of the most recent task orders? Offerors may see examples of past contractor work on MACPAC's website, such as by visiting this link: https://www.macpac.gov/publication-type/contractor-reports/. For two specific examples of recent task orders see:

https://www.macpac.gov/publication/medicaid-eligibility-policies-affecting-the-timeliness-of-access-to-home-and-community-based-services/ and https://www.macpac.gov/publication/compendium-medicaid-payment-policies-for-home-and-community-based-services-in-section-1915c-waivers/.

3 Are there any near-term future task orders that bidders should be prepared to respond to?

MACPAC anticipates there may be a few RFPs issued for task orders soon after the start of this new IDIQ (i.e., between October and December 2025) but at this time cannot specify what they might be.

4 Can you provide a list of the most recent incumbents? The incumbents on MACPAC's current IDIQ which covers fiscal years (FYs) 2021-2025 are: 1) Abt Global, 2) AcademyHealth, 3) Actuarial Research Corporation, 4) Acumen, LLC, 5) Airam Actuarial Consulting, LLC, 6) Aurrera Health Group, 7) Bailit Health Purchasing, LLC, 8) Center for Health Care Strategies, 9) George Washington University, 10) Guidehouse Inc., 11) Health Management Associates, 12) The Hilltop Institute at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 13) IBM Consulting, 14) American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences, 15) John Snow, Inc., 16) The Lewin Group, 17) Mathematica Inc., 18) Mercer Health & Benefits, LLC, 19) Milliman, Inc., 20) Mission Analytics Group, 21) Myers and Stauffer LC, 22) National Committee for Quality Assurance, 23) NORC at the University of Chicago, 24) Optumas,

25) RTI International, 26) State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) at the University of Minnesota, 27) University of Maryland, Baltimore, 28) University of Massachusetts Medical School, and 29) The Urban Institute.

5 Please reconcile the statement at the top of page 16, d. Pricing Information 5): "Failure to propose labor rates for all proposed labor categories will render an offeror's proposal incomplete and the entire proposal will be subject to rejection. Offerors do not need to propose rates for labor categories they do not bid on." Additionally, the top of page 2, 1.3.1 states:

"The offeror does not need to propose rates for all labor categories if the offeror does not have employees that fit into every category." Please confirm offerors do not need to propose labor rates for labor categories they do not intend to bid on.

Correct, bidders do not need to propose labor rates for labor categories they do not bid on. For example, if your organization does not employ any actuaries, and you do not bid on the "modeling, actuarial analysis, and policy simulations" project type, you would not propose a labor rate in the actuary category.

6 Page 6, 2.6.1.2 Personnel Qualification. For this statement: "Offerors shall propose an IDIQ project director who will be responsible for overseeing the performance of all task orders awarded under this contract and be considered key personnel on this contract." Please confirm that offerors may include the IDIQ project director in the Project Manager labor category and a resume may be included.

Yes, offerors may include the IDIQ project director in the project manager labor category. A resume for the proposed IDIQ project director must be included in Appendix A of the technical proposal.

7 Page 11, 2. General Instructions b. states "resource information such as data concerning labor hours and categories, materials, subcontracts, etc.

shall be contained in the technical proposal so that the offeror's understanding of Section 2.0 (Statement of Work) may be evaluated."

Please confirm this statement is not applicable to this IDIQ RFP.

This statement is applicable to this IDIQ RFP.

8 In the “Organization qualifications and past performance” section, can MACPAC please share if the summary of the project scope, period of performance, key staff, and the names of contract and technical supervision officers noted in section 5) d) (page 14) can be included in a table in an Appendix (Appendix C) or must all of this content be included in the 8 page limit noted in this section?

Offerors may put the summary table in an Appendix. Please label this appendix as "Appendix C" in the technical proposal.

9 3.b.5.c. states that the “Organizational qualifications and past performance” section should not exceed eight pages. Is this 8 pages total or 8 pages per response to the project types described in Section 2.5? For example, if responding to 3 project types, 8 pages for each project or 24 pages total for the “Organizational qualifications and past performance” section.

If only 8 pages in total for this section, can offerors provide an additional Appendix with the requested summary table referenced in 3.b.5.a?

It is 8 pages total, not per project type.

Yes, offerors may put the summary table in an Appendix C of the technical proposal.

10 3.b.5.e. requests that offers must have two past performance questionnaires submitted by previous or current clients. Will the submitting clients or the offeror be provided with any type of confirmation that their submission was received?

MACPAC will not provide confirmation unless requested. Offerors and clients may reach out to contracts@macpac.gov to confirm receipt of past performance questionnaires.

TABLE 1. MACPAC Responses to Questions Received on "MACPAC Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract for Fiscal Years 2026-2035 Request for Proposals", Notice ID no. 202501

Page 1 of 9 May 22, 2025

11 4.d.6. states “At this time, MACPAC is requesting fully burdened FFP labor rates only for the base period. Only fully burdened FFP labor rates against associated labor categories per Fiscal Year shall be proposed.” Please confirm MACPAC expects to see separate labor rates for each of the 5 FYs in the base year.

Yes, separate labor rates for each of the 5 FYs in the base period must be provided in Attachment E and may also be provided in the business proposal.

12 In light of recent reduction-in-force actions at HHS, which may have impacted the availability of project officers, will MACPAC accept Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) reports in lieu of past performance questionnaires for government contracts where such reports are available? If so, does MACPAC have access to this system to retrieve them, or should offerors submit a copy as part of their submission?

MACPAC does not have access to CPARS. If offerors are unable to contact any past project officers to complete past performance questionnaires, they should reach out to contracts@macpac.gov to discuss possible submissions of CPARS reports.

13 Given that different offerors may include varying numbers of projects to demonstrate relevant past performance, would MACPAC consider excluding the Past Performance Summary Table from the 8-page section limit? This would allow all offerors to fully present the required information without being disadvantaged by the formatting and space constraints of the summary table.

See response to question 8.

14 Will MACPAC allow offerors to include, in Appendix A, additional resumes for proposed personnel who are not identified as key personnel in the technical narrative but may serve in supporting roles during project execution?

Yes, although offerors are encouraged to use the appendix efficiently.

15 (RFP, page 2, 1.3) May contractors propose and define labor categories in addition to those provided by MACPAC?

No. We kindly ask that offerors do their best to map their organization structure to the labor categories provided in the RFP at Section 1.3.1 and assign rates as such. Offerors may describe their methodology for doing so in their business proposals.

16 (Attachment A, page 13, 4.b) Should contractors discuss staff qualifications for each project type separately (i.e., 7 pages per project type) or for all project types together (i.e., 7 pages total)?

The proposed personnel qualifications section of the technical proposal should discuss all staff qualifications for all project types in the allotted 7 pages. It is not 7 pages per project type.

17 (Attachment A, page 14, 5.a and 5.c) Should contractors describe organizational qualifications and past performance for each project type separately (i.e., 8 pages per project type) or for all project types together (i.e., 8 pages total)?

As stated in responses to questions 9 and 16, the page limits for each section of the technical proposal are cumulative. In the organizational qualifications section, it is 8 pages total, not per project type.

18 (Attachment B, page 18, 2.g) As project managers will be assigned to individual task orders and the project director will oversee the entire IDIQ and may or may not manage specific projects, should contractors’ responses discuss both the project director and project managers in the Management plan?

Yes.

19 (Attachment D, page 19, 16.a) Are any staff other than the proposed IDIQ project director considered key personnel?

Not at this time. Offerors, if awarded an IDIQ contract, will have to name key personnel in individual task order proposals.

20 (Attachment D, page 21, 23.b) Can MACPAC further define or describe “administrative tasks” for which AI may be used, in contrast to the “in-depth analyses” for which AI may not be used?

Administrative tasks may include tasks such as note-taking during meetings or creating draft transcripts of interviews. AI should not be used for tasks that require critical thinking and in-depth analysis, such as describing key themes from interviews or writing of background and final reports. We do not have an exhaustive list of what may or may not be considered an administrative task. As reflected in our STCs, the MACPAC statement of work (SOW) will state if the use of AI is permissible.

21 Can you provide a list of the current 29 IDIQ contractors? See response to question 4.

22 How many of the current 29 IDIQ contractors were awarded tasks under the current contract?

17 (data accurate as of May 16, 2025)

23 How many proposals were received on average per task order under the current IDIQ contract?

4 (data accurate as of May 16, 2025)

24 How many task orders were sole sourced directly with an IDIQ vendor under the current IDIQ?

17 (data accurate as of May 16, 2025)

25 Is the anticipated number of awards 25 – 30 for the base period of five years or for the full period of 2026 – 2035?

For the full period of 2026–2035.

26 For the "organizational qualifications and past performance” section, does the page limit apply to each project type that the offeror is choosing to bid on, or is it cumulative regardless of the number of project types included?

See responses to questions 9, 16, and 17. It is cumulative regardless of the number of project types.

27 Regarding the past performance questionnaires, the client examples described are limited. Was MACPAC's intent to limit the types of clients that can be used as references? For example, the examples provided do not include foundations, county or local governments, or commercial organizations.

No, MACPAC's intent was not to limit the type of client that can fill out a past performance questionnaire (PPQ).

28 Font size is not specified for proposals, but do you have a spacing preference (e.g., single, 1.15, 1.5, double?) or margin preference?

MACPAC does not have a spacing or margin preference, but asks bidders to submit documents that are clear and readable. Please also note that in Section 2, Attachments, of the RFP in 2.b we specify that font size should be sufficiently large as to permit ease of reading (10pt or higher).

29 Will task orders include estimated hours and/or budgets or budget ranges when they are released for bid? We believe this would decrease the level of effort for MACPAC in reviewing bids since only entities able to accomplish work within the budget range will bid.

MACPAC at this time does not anticipate including estimated hours or budget ranges in task order RFPs, but may change its approach in the future if it deems it necessary.

Page 2 of 9 May 22, 2025

30 Must resumes included in the proposal represent the universe of potential staff who might work on task orders project? We are trying to confirm whether we might be able to involve other staff in addition to those included in the proposal, especially given the long duration of the IDIQ.

Proposals should generally include a sufficient number of resumes to represent the potential staff who may be bid on task orders and may include resumes for staff not specifically named in the technical proposal.

There is no maximum number of resumes or page limit for Appendix A of the technical proposal. MACPAC also understands that over the 10-year duration of the IDIQ that contractors will likely have staff changes, so staff may be proposed in task order proposals that were not included in the IDIQ proposal.

31 The STCs mention key personnel and the IDIQ requests resumes for “all proposed professional personnel” but we do not consider all personnel as key personnel (e.g., Research Assistants). Can you confirm if the reference to key personnel is specific to a given task order or all personnel listed for the IDIQ response?

Similarly to our responses to questions 19 and 30, MACPAC does not expect all personnel named in the IDIQ technical proposal to be key personnel at this time. However, we will expect bidders on task order proposals to clearly label key personnel.

32 What is the difference in purpose between 5d request for work samples and Appendix B’s optional request for work samples?

They are the same; no difference.

33 Can you clarify allowable use of Artificial Intelligence? Page 13 of the SOW asks how organizations use or may use technology or software tools for task order proposals and references non-administrative functions, but the STCs say it can be used only for administrative purposes.

See response to question 20.

34 Can you clarify what qualifies as an administrative task for purposes of using Artificial Intelligence (for instance, is note taking allowable?)

See response to question 20.

35 Can you confirm if you want the narrative that accompanies Attachment E to be a separate Word document from the budget document and included with the cost/price proposal?

The narrative should be included in the business proposal document, which may be submitted as either a Word document or a PDF.

36 We understand that MACPAC requests submission of the last two years of financial statements and year-to-date financial data to assess the offeror’s ability to fund contract performance. As a privately held for-profit entity that does not typically share full financial statements, would MACPAC consider accepting alternative forms of demonstrating financial responsibility—such as a statement of financial solvency signed by a corporate officer—in lieu of full financial statements?

No, MACPAC requires consistent information in the business proposal from all offerors.

37 Can MACPAC clarify whether the 8-page limit for the Organizational Qualifications and Past Performance section is a total limit or applies to each project type that the offeror is choosing to bid on? (Page 14, Attachment A , 5.c)

It is a total, not per project type. See similar responses to questions 9, 16, and 17.

38 Is the 7-page limit for the Proposed Personnel Qualifications section intended as a total for all personnel, or is it per project? (Page 14, Attachment A, 4.d)

It is a total, not per project type. See similar responses to questions 9, 16, 17, and 37.

39 Can you please clarify whether the 45-page limit for the Work Samples section applies to the entire section collectively, or if it allows for up to 45 pages for each project type that the offeror is choosing to bid on? (Page 14, Attachment A, 7.a)

It is 45 pages total, not per project type. Up to 3 work samples total may be submitted. If more than 3 samples are submitted they will not be reviewed.

40 Are offerors permitted to send separate technical and business proposals in a single email? (Page 11, Attachment A, 2.d)

All proposals and required documents must be submitted through MACPAC’s secure submission portal:

https://macpacgov.app.box.com/f/024eff06a3a44cc69056d5ac677e7732. If you would like to set up a test of the submission process in advance of the submission date, or if you experience any issues uploading your documents, please email contracts@macpac.gov.

41 Can MACPAC confirm that when a past project is relevant for multiple project types, the intent is that the summary of the project scope, period of performance, key staff, and the names of contract and technical supervision officers should be repeated for each project type in this section? (Page 14, Attachment A, 5.b)

No, it should not be repeated for each project type. Each past project should be described once. As noted in Attachment A, 5.a, offerors should include a summary table that lists all past projects and the applicable project types demonstrated by that past experience.

42 Will MACPAC allow redaction of confidential/proprietary information in work samples? (Page 14, Attachment A, 7.a)

Yes, to the extent redactions don't inhibit understanding or overall readability of the work sample.

43 Are the two past performance questionnaires intended to be in total or for each project type the offeror is choosing to bid on (i.e., at least 6 questionnaires)? (Page 14, Attachment A, 5.e)

Total, not per project type. MACPAC will only review two past performance questionnaires per offeror; additional questionnaires will not be considered in scoring of proposals.

44 Are past performance questionnaires able to be submitted by current or former MACPAC staff for past MACPAC projects? (Page 14, Attachment A, 5.e)

No, past performance questionnaires should not be for prior MACPAC work.

45 Can MACPAC clarify: For the personnel qualifications and organizational qualifications/past performance sections, should applicants submit separate responses for each project type? Or should applicants submit only one response for each section, and note where personnel qualifications or past project performance are relevant to a particular project type? Thank you!

Offerors should submit only one response per section. See similar responses to questions 9, 16, 17, and 37.

46 Can MACPAC please confirm that the Personnel Qualifications section should be 7 pages total and the Organizational Qualifications should be 8 pages total, regardless of the number of project types on which the offeror bids? (Reference page 14)

Correct.

47 Can the past performance section include examples of projects completed prior to FY 2020? (Reference page 14)

Offerors may include limited examples of projects complete prior to FY 2020 that are highly relevant to the project types being bid on, but our preference is that the majority of the past experience be completed or current work from 2020-2025.

Page 3 of 9 May 22, 2025

48 Page 10 of the STCs says “Unless otherwise stated in the Statement of

Work, the Contractor may use AI only for administrative tasks.” Will each task order Statement of Work include information regarding permissible uses of AI for that particular project? (Reference page 10)

MACPAC anticipates that task order SOWs will only contain information regarding use of AI if there is a plausible need for its use beyond administrative tasks. If SOWs do not include any information on AI then contractors should only use AI as stated in the STCs for administrative tasks.

49 Due to the ongoing restructuring at DHHS, if a current client selected to complete a past performance questionnaire experiences a change in employment status before the submission deadline, can a CPARS be used as a substitute for the completed questionnaire? (Reference page 14)

See response to question 12.

50 On page 3, it states that "The rates shall be fixed for the base period and each option period," but the pricing template includes separate rates for each year, which appear to allow for escalation. Can you please confirm whether the intent is for the rates proposed for each year to be fixed?

(Reference page 3)

Yes, rates may be escalated during the base period of FYs 2025-2030.

Pricing for individual task order will use the fixed labor rates for the FY that the task order falls in.

51 Given that offerors may not be aware of all ODCs that could be applicable to future task orders, can MACPAC please confirm that offerors are not required to include ODCs in the offeror's business management and cost price proposal? (Reference Section 1.3.2, page 3; Section 2.4.c.1.2 and Section 2.4.d.1 page 15)

MACPAC asks that offerors include and characterize in the business proposal any foreseeable direct costs not included in the labor rates. We are seeking to understand offerors' routine direct costs in assessing business proposals.

52 Could the government provide minimum degree requirements for all of the identified labor categories? Multiple categories in the RFP, such as Senior Programmer, Senior Analyst, Senior Research Scientist, Actuary, Senior Information Technology Specialist, Information Technology Specialist, SME, and Administrative Support (needs years of experience too), do not include a minimum level of education.

In order to provide some flexibility to offerors in how they map their personnel to the labor categories we have not dictated minimum degree requirements for all categories.

53 How does the government intend to evaluate Other Direct Costs at the IDIQ level? Aren’t ODCs, like Travel, costs that would not be expected until the Task Order stage?

Correct; precise projections and descriptions of other direct costs (ODCs) would be evaluated at the task order stage. However, MACPAC expects offerors to demonstrate sufficient awareness of expected ODCs to permit evaluation of offerors' understanding of the nature of the scope of future task orders.

54 To bid for the Modeling, Actuarial Analysis, and Policy Simulation area, do bidders need to demonstrate both actuarial and policy simulation modeling? In other words, can an organization with expertise in only one type of modeling still bid for this area?

Yes, offerors may bid on this project type with only one type of modeling expertise. If this is the case, please clearly state that in your technical proposal. Points will not be deducted during the evaluation of proposals if bidders have one type of expertise and not the other.

55 The RFP (p. 5) states that “under MACPAC’s current IDIQ contract, between October 2020 and March 2025 there have been 51 IDIQ tasks.”

Can you provide a brief description of those task orders awarded?

We cannot provide information on all 51 task orders, but they span all five of the project types across a wide range of Medicaid and CHIP topics, such as maternal health, long-term services and supports, payment and financing (e.g., hospital payment), managed care, behavioral health, etc.

Also, see response to question 2.

56 The RFP (p.14) states that “Offerors must have two past performance questionnaires submitted by 5pm EDT on July 1, 2025 to https://macpacgov.app.box.com/f/024eff06a3a44cc69056d5ac677e7732.

Offerors should send the questionnaire to previous or current clients (may include federal and state governments, think tanks, and academic institutions), to be filled out by the client and sent directly to MACPAC.

Offerors should not pre-fill or otherwise influence the client’s assessment in the questionnaire in any way. MACPAC is not responsible for failure to submit timely past performance questionnaires” Can the offeror submit CPAR evaluations already completed by the Federal government in place of these questionnaires for this requirement?

See response to question 12.

57 4.d. Pricing Information Section 4.d.1 shows a requirement for burdened labor rates "…as well as indirect and profit rates applicable to other direct costs (ODCs)". It further states, in Section 4.d.8, that "Successful offeror's fully burdened FFP labor rates, indirect costs, and profit rates will be incorporated into resulting basic contracts...". However, in Section 4.d.6 it states "Travel and other expenses will be proposed at the task order level…". Can we assume that there is no requirement to provide indirect and profit rates for ODCs for this IDIQ proposal submission since those will only occur at the TO level?

See responses to questions 51 and 53.

58 Attachment D Are contractors able to propose redlined track changes to the Attachment D contains the standard terms and conditions (STCs) that will govern all IDIQ task orders or do the terms and conditions have to be accepted as is?

No. The STCs must be accepted as is.

59 3. Technical Proposal Format and Attachment B. Evaluation Factors Attachment A Page 12 and Attachment B Page 17 list Executive Summary as a required element, but in Attachment B it is not scored. Can the MACPAC clarify whether and how the Executive Summary will be evaluated?

Correct, the executive summary does not have any points associated with it for scoring purposes. Offerors should use the executive summary to provide an overview of their organization and as a roadmap to the proposal, including which project types listed in Section 2.5 the offeror has expertise in.

60 2.7.2 Content Can MACPAC provide clarity into the factors that determine if an RFP should be sole-sourced or only provided to a subset of IDIQ contractors?

MACPAC will make the determination whether to sole source or compete amongst the full set or a subset of IDIQ contractors for each individual task order.

Page 4 of 9 May 22, 2025

61 SOW, page 12, Technical proposal format: Can we include full citations for works referenced in sections 1-5 (other than the three relevant Medicaid-or CHIP-related work samples) in an appendix so they don’t count against the section page limits?

Yes.

62 Attachment D Standards Terms and Conditions, Page 21, Section 23.

Artificial Intelligence: Can MACPAC provide specific examples of acceptable administrative AI use versus prohibited analytical AI use? For example, would using AI for transcription of interviews or coding of qualitative data be considered administrative or analytical?

See response to question 20.

63 SOW, Page 2, Section 1.3.1: If a contractor does not initially propose rates for certain labor categories but later hires qualified staff in those categories, will there be a mechanism to add those labor categories and associated rates during the contract period?

Yes, should this occur contractors should notify MACPAC's contracting officer to establish rates for those labor categories via a contract modification.

64 SOW, Pages 14-15, Section 3.b.4: Can contractors bid qualified staff on individual task order proposals other than those identified in the Proposed personnel qualifications section of the IDIQ proposal? Specifically, is this section intended as representative staff for each labor category, or a list of people approved to be bid on individual task orders?

This section is intended as representative. See also our responses to questions 30 and 31.

65 SOW, Pages 14-15, Section 3.b.4: Is there a limit to the number of qualified staff that can be included in the Proposed personnel qualifications section of the proposal?

There is no limit on the number of staff, but the proposed personnel section of the technical proposal shall not exceed 7 pages.

66 SOW, Page 7, Section 2.7.2.1.1, Section 508 Compliance Level: What specific 508 compliance level is required for deliverables (Level A, AA, or AAA), and are there any particular tools or testing procedures MACPAC prefers for verifying compliance?

Deliverables should meet Level AA conformance requirements. MACPAC uses the Adobe Acrobat accessibility checker as well as the Color Contrast Analyser for checking of contrast within figures, but offerors may use other tools/procedures as long as they meet the Level AA standard.

67 Attachment A, Page 16, Section 4.e.1, Financial Capability Metrics: Are there specific financial metrics or thresholds MACPAC will use to determine financial capability?

MACPAC has a rubric for evaluation in order to ensure consistent and standardized evaluation of business proposals in furtherance of award decisions representing best value to the government.

68 Will staff on projects need to complete any specific or specialized security or privacy trainings or reviews beyond typical IRB, HIPPA and security trainings, prior to working on projects?

MACPAC projects typically do not require specialized security or privacy trainings. If a project does, that will be disclosed in the specific task order SOW and discussed with the contractor.

69 Can a contractor include partnering organization on individual task order proposals that are not identified in the IDIQ proposal?

Yes.

70 Is this a new opportunity or a rework? This is a rebid. MACPAC currently has an IDIQ spanning FYs 2020-2025.

71 If rework, who is the incumbent and can the Government share the contractor name, contract number, and contract value?

See response to question 4.

72 What is the ceiling value? As stated in Section 2.7.10 of the RFP, the maximum number of task orders under this IDIQ is not to exceed 150 during the base period. During any given option period, the maximum number of task orders is not to exceed 30.

73 What is the award date? Awards will be made before start of the contract period (October 1, 2025).

74 What are the annual hours? There is no set number of annual hours.

75 Is a vendor eligible to submit a proposal if it can only demonstrate expertise in exactly three of the five project types listed in Section 2.5?

Yes.

76 Can vendors participate under multiple roles (e.g., prime on some task orders, subcontractor on others)?

Yes.

77 Are there any limitations on the geographic location of offerors or key personnel?

No.

78 Will MACPAC allow international organizations or non-U.S. citizens to participate in the IDIQ if they meet security and experience criteria?

Yes. MACPAC expects compliance with U.S. employment and immigration laws, but imposes no additional terms on employment and immigration status.

79 Is the Attachment E labor rate schedule template modifiable for formatting, or must it be used exactly as provided?

Offerors may lightly format as long as all the information required is included and clear.

80 Will the offeror have an opportunity to revise labor rates before each option year?

As stated in Section 1.3.1 of the RFP, MACPAC will request labor rates for all five option years in advance of option year one.

81 Can we propose blended rates for roles that may combine multiple functions (e.g., a Research Analyst who also supports programming)?

No.

82 Are fringe benefits and overhead required to be broken out separately in the pricing narrative, or only the total burdened rate needed?

As described in the RFP, MACPAC expects offerors to provide a narrative explanation and supporting rationale for its component costs supporting its business proposal and the labor rates proposed. The rates included in the labor rate table attachment should be fully burdened and inclusive of all component costs.

83 Should the pricing proposal include escalation assumptions for the five-year base period?

Yes.

84 Can GSA rates or rates from other federal contracts be used as supporting rationale in the price narrative?

Yes.

85 For project type 2.5.1.5 (modeling and actuarial), can subcontractor experience be cited in demonstrating capability, even if the prime has limited modeling experience?

For evaluation of offerors inclusion in the IDIQ, MACPAC will only evaluate the expertise of the prime. See Section 2.3.4 of the RFP.

86 Can offerors submit a generic methodology for each project type without tailoring to a specific MACPAC use case?

It is unclear to us what this question is asking.

Page 5 of 9 May 22, 2025

87 Are vendors expected to describe access to specific Medicaid/CHIP datasets in their proposal? Will MACPAC provide access to its own datasets?

If offerors are bidding on the "analyzing survey and administrative data" project type, as described in Section 2.5.1.4 of the RFP, it is helpful to describe knowledge of and access to sources of data. Depending on the task order, MACPAC may or may not be able to provide access to datasets and will describe its need in the task order SOW.

88 How does MACPAC define “limited” surveys or “limited” focus groups under project type 2.5.1.3?

MACPAC does not typically conduct national surveys or focus groups, but may only want to speak with a subset of states, Medicaid populations, providers, experts, etc.

89 Is there a preferred file naming convention for technical and cost volumes? See Attachment A, 3.a and 4.a, of the RFP for the instructions on naming the technical and business proposals. Files names should also include the offeror's name.

90 Is there a template for the required past performance summary table in Section 5 of the technical proposal?

No.

91 If we cannot provide work samples due to confidentiality, can we summarize the methodology and outcomes instead?

Yes, in the past performance section of the proposal. Please also note that work samples are optional.

92 Will task order competitions include oral presentations or be solely written submissions?

Written submissions only unless stated otherwise in the task order RFP.

93 Will there be a minimum or expected annual spend under this IDIQ? We are unable to provide this information.

94 Are offerors required to submit teaming agreements with proposed subcontractors in the IDIQ stage?

No.

95 Can multiple prime awardees on the IDIQ team together as subcontractors for specific task orders?

Yes.

96 How many offerors submitted proposals under the previous MACPAC IDIQ

(FY2020–FY2025)?

97 Can you share examples of previously awarded task orders by category and value?

See responses to questions 2 and 55.

98 Can the same person be named as both IDIQ project director and task order project manager?

Yes.

99 What qualifies as an organizational conflict of interest under this contract? MACPAC expects offerors to have substantive business relationships throughout the Medicaid policy environment and to engage in contractual arrangements with a variety of types of clients, including, but not limited to, the federal government. Offerors are encouraged to summarize or otherwise document their COI policies that, for example, seek to ensure staff are not employed on simultaneous engagements with competing or overlapping objectives or outcomes. For reference, MACPAC's policies on conflicts of interest for both Commissioners and MACPAC staff are available on our website for review: https://www.macpac.gov/about-macpac/conflicts-of-interest-policies/.

100 Will MACPAC publish a list of awardees after IDIQ awards are made? Yes, MACPAC will list awardees on SAM.

101 How many past performances can a subcontractor submit? Subcontractors should not be submitting past performance questionnaires, as their qualifications will not be evaluated as part of IDIQ award.

102 Will MACPAC accept past performance questionnaires (PPQs) for subcontractors at the task order stage?

No.

103 Can subcontractors submit their own PPQs in support of the prime at the IDIQ stage?

No.

104 If a subcontractor is included under multiple primes, may they submit the same past performance example under more than one proposal?

See response to question 101.

105 How many completed PPQs are required from the prime contractor? Is two the minimum or the maximum?

Each offeror must have 2 PPQs. Additional PPQs will not be evaluated.

106 Can the same evaluator complete multiple PPQs for different projects performed by the offeror?

Yes, as long as they are for two separate contracted projects.

107 Will MACPAC accept CPARS or equivalent past performance formats in lieu of the PPQ in Attachment C?

No, but also see response to question 12.

108 May offerors include past performance for contracts outside of Medicaid/CHIP if they demonstrate relevant skills (e.g., survey design, modeling)?

Yes.

109 Does the subcontractor need to submit a separate Volume II (cost proposal) if they are listed under a prime, or is the prime's submission sufficient?

For IDIQ award MACPAC is only evaluating the prime's submission. There should be no subcontractor cost proposals submitted.

110 Are subcontractors subject to the same data security, Section 508, and AI restrictions outlined in the RFP and Attachment D?

No. MACPAC contracts with the prime.

111 Will MACPAC require a Letter of Commitment or MOU from subcontractors listed in task order proposals?

No.

112 Is there any requirement to disclose subcontractor percentages (e.g., % of work performed) at the IDIQ stage or only at the task order level?

Only at the task order level.

113 Are work samples required? No. As stated in the RFP they are optional.

114 Do subcontractors also need to submit financial statements, and year-to-date financial information through the last quarter available?

No.

115 Has MACPAC identified any pain points or performance gaps with existing IDIQ vendors that new offerors should be aware of?

We are unable to provide this information.

116 Does MACPAC anticipate awarding more work to IDIQ vendors who can support all five project types, or is three truly sufficient?

No, three is truly sufficient.

117 Are there any emerging priority policy areas (e.g., behavioral health, social determinants, telehealth, LTSS) where MACPAC foresees increased demand for contractor support?

We are unable to provide this information. See Section 2.2 on agency background and also visit www.macpac.gov for more information on MACPAC's policy areas and current and past work.

Page 6 of 9 May 22, 2025

118 Can we do subcontracting with any large business? Yes.

119 Can we submit multiple order IDIQs, single order IDIQs as past performance?

Yes.

120 Regarding the Actuary requirements defined in 1.3.1.h., will MACPAC consider an actuary with a minimum of five years of experience providing actuarial services regarding Medicaid and CHIP with an Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) or a Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries (FCA) designation to be similar to the FSA designation? (Section 1.3, page 2)

Yes.

121 There is no reference to citizenship requirements for staffing on this IDIQ.

Will MACPAC accept use of non-U.S. citizens by contractors? (Section 2.6, page 6)

See response to question 78.

122 Will MACPAC estimate or provide the funding ceiling for this IDIQ throughout the 10-year life of the vehicle? (Section 2.7.10, page 10)

We are unable to provide this information.

123 May offerors submit work samples related to the areas of performance in Section 2.5 (pg.5-6 of SOW) if they are not Medicaid or CHIP-specific?

(Section Att. A, 5, page 14)

Yes.

124 Considering that there may be instances where the government POC from whom a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) is requested may not be responsive or is no longer with the government, would the government consider a CPARS report in lieu of a PPQ? (Section Att. A, 5, page 14)

See response to question 12.

125 Objective – 2.3.4 says “For purposes of qualifying for the IDIQ award, only qualifications of the prime bidding organization and its staff will be evaluated. After award, an IDIQ contractor may use subcontractors to fulfill specific task orders.” Will MACPAC consider qualifications of fully-affiliated partner firms for evaluation purposes of the IDIQ?

Yes.

126 If a vendor does not plan to demonstrate expertise or experience in any of the five project areas outlined in section 2.5.1, is it acceptable for them not to propose labor categories from section 1.3.1 that pertain solely to those areas?

Yes.

127 Will MACPAC allow the use of 9-point font for tables only? Yes.

128 Please confirm whether the term “prime bidding organization” as used in the solicitation permits inclusion of personnel from a wholly owned non-profit subsidiary as part of the parent nonprofit team?

Yes.

129 Would the Commission permit work samples that were prepared more than three years ago, if the work sample is highly relevant and tied to

MACPAC?

We will accept work samples from the past five years, but prefer samples from the past three years as stated in the RFP.

130 May an offeror propose a rate for a labor category based on our human resources personnel and position classification system even if we are not providing an individual resume for staff in that category (e.g.

Administrative support staff)

Yes.

131 Are offerors scored separately for each individual project type as outlined in Section 2.5.1 on which they bid, or is each project type score combined into a total IDIQ score? For example, if an offeror bids on four of the five project types and scores very high on three but very low on the remaining project, will:

- The offeror’s response for each of the first three project types be considered separately and therefore increase the likelihood that the offeror is awarded for those three project types; or

- Will the low score on the fourth project type be wrapped into a composite score and lower the likelihood of being selected at all?

No, offerors will not be scored on each individual project type. There will be one score for each offeror, regardless of how many project types bid.

132 In Attachment A, section 3: Technical Proposal, sub-section 4, “Proposed Personnel Qualifications”, can offerors include discussion of the qualifications of individual, proposed personnel experiences that predate their employment with the responding organization?

Yes.

133 Do the exceptions/assumptions outlined in Attachment A, section 4:

Business Proposal, 4b refer to any discrepancies with offerors’ proposed personnel qualifications with the labor categories outlined in section 1.3? If not, would you please provide examples of the types of exceptions that offerors might include in the business proposal to ensure that we provide MACPAC with the correct information?

Section 4.b of Attachment A describes any exceptions to full compliance with Business Proposal submission requirements. It is not expected to clarify discrepancies between RFP requirements and proposed personnel qualifications.

134 RFP p.5, Section 2.4.3: Can MACPAC please share the names of the current 29 IDIQ contractors?

See response to question 4.

135 When awarding the IDIQ, will MACPAC give consideration to encouraging small business participation as prime awardees or subcontractors?

No.

136 May small businesses include staff and resumes from one key partner and still meet the requirements of the RFQ (“2.3.4 -- For purposes of qualifying for the IDIQ award, only qualifications of the prime bidding organization and its staff will be evaluated.”)?

As stated in Section 2.3.4 of the RFP, only qualifications of the prime bidding organization and its staff will be evaluated, but primes should describe in their IDIQ technical proposal how they work with subcontractors.

Page 7 of 9 May 22, 2025

137 RFP p.12, 3d) states, “Specific subcontractors may be named but do not have to in this IDIQ proposal;” We assume that “be included” should appear between “to” and “in” (i.e., it should read, “Specific subcontractors may be named but do not have to be included in this IDIQ proposal”).

Please confirm.

Correct, offerors do not have to name any subcontractors in their proposal, but can choose to do so if they wish.

138 RFP p.14, 5a) states, “Offerors should include a summary table by project type and past experience example to demonstrate [organizational qualifications relevant to that project type]”. and 5b states, “This information shall include a summary of the project scope, period of performance, key staff, and the names of contract and technical supervision officers.” Can MACPAC confirm that the information listed in 5b should be included in the summary table required in 5a?

Offerors may include all of the information requested in 5b) in the summary table required in 5a) if they would like. The summary table, at minimum, should include a list of the past experiences matrixed to the project types that the offeror is bidding on. Then each past experience example should have the information required in 5b). We do not specify a format for how bidders convey this information beyond what is described.

139 For the Management Plan section of the Technical Proposal, the subsections are slightly different between Attachment B: Evaluation Factors for Award (RFP, p.17) and what is listed in Attachment A:

Instructions (RFP, p.12-13). Recognizing that “Required content that is not referenced appropriately will not be considered.” (RFP, p.17) , can MACPAC please clarify if we should organize our response to adhere to the subsections listed in Attachment B: Evaluation Factors for Award vs.

Attachment A: Instructions?

Please organize your technical response as listed on pg. 17 under Attachment B. Both Attachments A and B of the RFP provide information on what should be included under each subsection.

140 RFP p.6, Section 2.6.1.2: Please confirm that the overall IDIQ project director can be included in one of the labor categories listed in Section 1.3 (that is, that position does not need its own labor category).

Correct, the IDIQ project director should not be its own labor category.

141 RFP p.2, Section 1.3.1.a; Please consider removing or reducing the requirement for project managers to have 10 years of experience with Medicaid/CHIP. We believe the requirement for 5 years of managing similar contracts is sufficient for a project manager who will be working with an IDIQ Program Director and other senior staff (e.g., Lead Investigator) with substantial Medicaid/CHIP experience.

We are not revising the labor category descriptions as listed in Section

1.3.1 at this time, with the exception for actuaries listed in response to question 120 above.

142 RFP p.2, Section 1.3.1: Subject Matter Expert labor category: As noted, this staff is expected to have “deep knowledge in particular topic area, who is bid on a task order proposal in an advisory capacity.” As a smaller firm that does not have enough projects to employ a cadre of SMEs full-time, we regularly leverage our strong established connections with SMEs at the TO level, tailored to the specific topic area and include them with a LOE that is right sized for the TO. Is this approach acceptable for this IDIQ, since the area of expertise will largely be dependent on the specific policy question of each TO, or do we need to have SMEs on staff?

That approach is acceptable. Bidders may propose working with subcontracted subject matter experts (SMEs) for individual task order projects.

143 RFP p.6, Section 2.5.1.4. states, “While MACPAC has separate task order contracts for Medicaid administrative and survey data analysis”. Can MACPAC share the names of those organizations? Also, are these organizations eligible to bid on this IDIQ?

Yes, those organizations are eligible to bid on this IDIQ as it is full and open competition. The current incumbent for the administrative data contract is Acumen, LLC and for the survey data contract it is the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) at the University of Minnesota.

144 RFP p.13, Proposed personnel qualifications: In the “personnel qualifications” section of the technical proposal, do we need to include how proposed staff maps to the labor categories listed in Appendix E?

No. Bidders will have to do this when submitting individual task order level business proposals.

145 RFP p.16, Attachment A, Section 4(d)(5) states that “Failure to propose labor rates for *all proposed labor categories* will render an offeror's proposal incomplete and the entire proposal will be subject to rejection.”

This section further states that “Offerors do not need to propose rates for labor categories they do not bid on.” Section 4(d)(7) states that Alterations to Attachment E are not allowed. How should Offerors identify labor categories they do not wish to bid on?

Offerors may leave the labor category rows in Attachment E that they do not wish to bid on blank or write NA for not applicable. Offerors should also clearly state in their business proposals which labor categories they are bidding on.

146 RFP p.15 Attachment A, Section 4(d)(1) states that “indirect and profit rates applicable to other direct costs (ODCs)” shall be provided. What information is required to support and substantiate proposed indirect and profit rates?

MACPAC's expectation is that organizations supply and justify their standard indirect and profit rates. We do not require adherence to a standard template for this justification.

147 RFP p.16 Attachment A, Section 4(d)(8) states that, in addition to proposed fully burdened FFP labor rates, “indirect rates, and profit rates” will be incorporated into resulting basic contracts. For the purposes of indirect rate incorporation in the resulting IDIQ, will MACPAC allow for future adjustments to indirect cost rates due to changes in Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements (NIRCA) held by an Offeror?

No, MACPAC will use the fully-loaded, fixed hourly rates by FY as provided by offerors in Attachment E and in the business proposal.

Page 8 of 9 May 22, 2025

148 RFP p.15 Attachment A, Section 4(d)(1) states that “indirect and profit rates applicable to other direct costs (ODCs)” will be allowable; however, “no fee or profit shall be paid on or applied to material/travel/per diem costs. FAR 52.232-7 (Payments under Time-and-Materials and Labor- Hour Contracts) defines “Materials” as inclusive of Other Direct Costs (ODCs) and defines Other Direct Costs (ODCs) as inclusive of Travel.

Further, FAR 52.232-7 (b)(7) disallows profit or fee on Materials.