PWS QandA Worksheet_Final.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 61 KB Posted
- Attached to
- IT Operations and Modernization (ITOM) Support Services Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 2031JW25N00009
About this file
This document is a Request for Information (RFI) for IT Operations and Modernization (ITOM) Support Services issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), an independent bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The RFI seeks information from industry contractors about their capabilities and recommendations for modernizing IT services using contemporary technology products and techniques. The solicitation covers 24 task areas including network support, server support, application development, DevSecOps, end-user support, enterprise architecture, and IT security, with a focus on transitioning from legacy to modern systems.
The RFI is structured for potential small business participation, with a NAICS code of 541512 and a small business size standard of $34.0 million. The anticipated solicitation will be issued in the 3rd quarter of fiscal year 2025, with responses due by March 24, 2025. Key technical requirements include supporting OCC's current technology stack (Microsoft backends, Windows servers, Appian, ServiceNow, AWS, Azure, Snowflake) and addressing existing service gaps and coordination challenges. The government encourages small business participation and is seeking detailed information about corporate experience, technical capabilities, pricing structures, and potential teaming arrangements, with responses limited to 30 pages excluding the Q&A worksheet.
View the file
Other files for this federal contract opportunity
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| RFI 2031JW25N00009 Amended.docx | DOCX document | |
| ITOM DRAFT PWS.pdf | ||
| RFI 2031JW25N00009 Final.docx | DOCX document | |
| PWS QandA Worksheet.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| RFI Response Spreadsheet.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet |
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Text version
ITOM Support Services Q&A Wksht
| ATTACHMENT - Q&A WORKSHEET | |||
| QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WORKSHEET FOR OCC's IT OPERATIONS AND MODERNIZATION (ITOM) SUPPORT SERVICES RFI 2031JW25N00009 | |||
| PWS SECTION # | PAGE # | INDUSTRY'S QUESTIONS/COMMENTS | GOVERNMENT ANSWERS |
| N/A | N/A | Does the government have an estimated timeframe for RFP release? | The anticipated solicitation will be issued during the 3rd quarter of fiscal year 2025. |
| N/A | N/A | Could you confirm if this is a new requirement or a follow-on project? | This is a new requirement. However, the OCC does currently have contracts/orders in place for some of the task areas. The Government's intent is as these contracts/orders expire with no further options available, they will be incorporated into this requirement. Please refer to the "Existing Contracts" tab on this spreadsheet for this information. |
| N/A | N/A | Could you kindly provide details such as the incumbent's name, current contract number, period of performance, and the value of the existing contract | OCC awarded contract/order information is publicly available on the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) website at https://www.fpds.gov/. Please refer to the "Exisiting Contracts" tab on this spreadsheet for some of this information and the FPDS website for the remainder of the information. |
| N/A | N/A | Will this RFI lead to a formal solicitation? If so, is there an estimated timeline for an RFP or RFQ release? | A solicitation is anticipated to be issued during the 3rd quarter of fiscal year 2025. |
| N/A | N/A | Is OCC considering a small business set-aside? If so, under which NAICS code will this procurement be classified? | Responses from Small Businesses are highly encouraged by the Government, as it has not been determined whether this requirement will be set-side for small business. |
| N/A | N/A | Will OCC consider relevant State, Local, and Education (SLED) experience if aligned with the PWS task areas? | The Government will consider all relevant corporate experience. See Amended RFI. |
| N/A | N/A | Are there any priority task areas within the 24 PWS task areas that OCC considers critical to the success of this effort? | All task areas are considered critical to the success of this effort. However, only a few orders touching task areas (5.1, 5.9, 5.13, 5.14, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18, 5.24 ) in the performance work statement may be required at time of award. |
| N/A | N/A | Does OCC have a preferred contract type (e.g., Firm Fixed Price, T&M, Labor Hour, or Hybrid) for this effort? | The contract type will be determined at the order level and could be Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Labor Hour (LH), Time and Material (T&M), or Hybrid. |
| N/A | N/A | Will the OCC consider setting aside this opportunity for an 8(a) or other small business category, or will there be small business participation requirements at the task order level? Given the broad scope of ITOM services, would the OCC consider structuring multiple small business set-aside BPAs or IDIQs to ensure diverse participation and best value to the government? | The Government has not determined whether this requirement will be set-side for small business or any socio-economic category whole or in part. The responses to the RFI will be used to develop the acquisition strategy. |
| N/A | N/A | How will OCC address potential Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) concerns, particularly for vendors providing both software development and operations support? Will there be any restrictions preventing awardees from competing for future sustainment or modernization work due to OCI concerns? | The Government shall include OCC Clause 1052.209-8000 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST (NOV 2009). Organizational conflicts of interest will be assessed, monitored and controlled jointly by the Contracting Officer and program office throughout performance. |
| N/A | N/A | Will OCC allow vendors to use government-furnished secure facilities, or must vendors already have access to an OCC-approved facility upon award? If a contractor does not currently have access to an OCC-secured environment, what is the expected timeframe for compliance post-award? | Upon award of a contract/order, contractors will be required to take OCC security training and contract staff onboarding process which usually takes 2-4 weeks. If a contractor's staff already has an existing public trust clearance it may be transferable and reduce onboarding time. OCC is asking RFI responses to include an expected timeframe for onboarding of contractors required to perform in any of the task areas. |
| N/A | N/A | Will OCC establish specific performance-based metrics or Service Level Agreements (SLAs) at the BPA level, or will these be determined at the task order level? If at the task order level, how does OCC plan to ensure consistency in contractor performance measurement across the various ITOM service areas? | Depending upon acquisition strategy, overarching SLA's could be included in the contract vehicle. In addition, those SLA's would flow down to individual orders and additional SLA's could be added to the order. |
| N/A | N/A | What are the government’s expectations for contractor transition timelines, including onboarding key personnel and assuming full operational responsibilities? Will there be a structured transition period, or will awardees be expected to perform immediately upon award? | If its existing work, their will be a transition period. For new work we would expect resources to be on boarded within a reasonable amount of time. |
| Given the recent executive orders issued by the Department of Treasury and the President, does the agency anticipate any delays in progressing this RFI to the next phase? If there are any delays, can you provide insight into potential timeline adjustments or key factors that may influence the schedule? | Based on what is known right now, we have not been given any indication that this requirement will not be solicited in 3rd quarter of FY2025. | ||
| We noticed that this RFI requests a significate level of details typically found in an RFP or RFQ. Can you clarify the intent behind this level of information at a RFI stage? | Responses to the RFI will determine acquisition strategy, such as it being a single award IDIQ or BPA or if it should be set aside for small businesses. Not responding to this request does not preclude participation in future RFQ or RFP issued. | ||
| 2.0 Objective | 4 | Can you clarify which OCC or Treasury Department strategic priorities this RFI aligns with? Understanding this will help us align our response with agency goals. | Please refer to OCC's Strategic Plan which includes goals here https://www.occ.treas.gov/publications-and-resources/publications/banker-education/files/occ-strategic-plan.html |
| 5.9 DevSecOps Platform Engineering | 12 | Is there a preferred CI/CD pipeline or DevSecOps framework that OCC currently follows, or should vendors propose their own recommended approach? | OCC currently has an on prem CI/CD pipeline with various technologies (Jenkins, Azure DevOps (on-prem) JFrog, HCL AppScan, Qualys) and AWS pipeline, vendors should leverage what the existing OCC technologies has and make recommendation based on industry standards and agency needs. Individual tasks order will provide more information. |
| 5.23 IT Security | 21 | Beyond NIST and OMB standards, are there additional compliance requirements (e.g., FedRAMP, FISMA, Zero Trust mandates) that vendors must adhere to? | The individual task orders will indicate which standard it needs to follow. OCC adheres to FedRAMP, FISMA, Zero Trust and any new mandates that are provided during the period of performance. |
| 6.0 Transition Planning and Execution | 22 | Will there be an expected knowledge transfer plan from incumbent vendors, or should respondents propose one as part of the response? | Yes, respondents should also propose one as part of the response. |
| 9.0 Place of Performance | 25 | Will the contract require on-site personnel, or can services be performed remotely? If hybrid, are there specific on-site expectations? | Each individual task order would indicate whether the task is on site, remote or hybrid. For on site it will be at OCC headquarters. |
| N/A | N/A | Can we respond to specific sections (requirements) of the RFI or we have respond to all the sections of the requirements ? | The RFI instructions requested competition of "RFI Response Spreadsheet" to detail Task Areas they have Corporate Experience in with and "X" and "N/A" if they don't. This should be supported by providing the additional information requested in the RFI for Task Area corporate experience. |
| General | Can OCC clarify its top priorities for IT modernization over the next 12–24 months? This will help prioritize technical solutions in alignment with OCC’s strategic goals | Over the life of the contract, all the task areas listed in the ITOM PWS will eventually be issued an individual order. The anticipated first orders will be enterprise architecture and/or IT modernization. | |
| General | Will task orders be released under specific contract vehicles (e.g., BPA, GWAC, IDIQ)? Understanding procurement mechanisms will help with staffing, teaming, and bid strategy. | The Government has not determined the acquisition strategy which includes whether an existing contract vehicle will be utilized. | |
| 11.0 Period of Performance | Page 25 | What are the anticipated funding levels and period of performance for each task order? This ensures realistic planning and proposal structuring. | The Government will not provide anticipated funding levels. The period of performance will be provided during the solicitation phase. |
| 5.14 Business Analysis | Page 16 | Does OCC prefer a vendor-managed service model or a hybrid approach with government oversight and in-house execution? This affects resourcing, integration, and project management approaches. | The question is not clear as the Business Analysis task does not indicate any reference to hybrid or manage services. |
| 1.0 Introduction | Page 3 | What are the current pain points in IT service delivery that OCC seeks to address? Understanding these will allow for tailored modernization solutions. | OCC wants a streamline approach to leverage and consume services when specific need arises and build a solution with modern architecture from legacy solutions. |
| 1.0 Introduction | Page 3 | Does OCC have a preferred cloud strategy (e.g., hybrid cloud, multi-cloud, cloud-first approach)? OCC references AWS, Azure, and Snowflake, so understanding cloud architecture preferences will help with solution design. | OCC currently has a hybrid and multi-cloud strategy. Individual task orders will provide more information. |
| 2.0 Objective | Pages 3-4 | What level of automation and AI integration does OCC expect in IT operations (e.g., AIOps, intelligent automation, RPA)? This influences DevSecOps, incident response, and cybersecurity strategy. | Leverage automation and AI where applicable within the confines of government usage and individual task orders will provide more information. |
| 3.0 General Requirements | Pages 4-5 | Will OCC provide current architecture documentation, technology stack inventories, and application dependency maps? This will facilitate planning for integration, legacy system modernization, and data migration. | Yes, more information will be provided within each individual order. |
| 5.9 DevSecOps Platform Engineering | Page 12 | What are the key challenges OCC faces in DevSecOps adoption, and what improvements are expected from vendors? Understanding gaps in existing DevSecOps processes can help with automation, compliance, and security strategies. | Culture, technology integration and support for a multiple pipeline approach. |
| 5.7 Corporate Platform Support | Page 11 | Does OCC have a preferred low-code/no-code platform for business process automation, or is the agency open to recommendations? OCC references Appian and ServiceNow, but knowing preferences helps tailor the solution. | OCC has Appian and ServiceNow as low/no code platform and leveraged them based on business needs. Individual task orders will provide more information. |
| 12.0 Security and Privacy Requirements | Pages 25-26 | Are there specific compliance gaps or risks that OCC seeks to mitigate through this engagement? OCC references NIST, FISMA, and Zero Trust, but further clarity on security priorities will help. | We need to adhere to the guidelines, in some cases implement them and in order continue and make improvements. Individual task orders will provide more information. |
| 5.8 IT Security Platform Support | Page 11 | What is the OCC’s approach to implementing Zero Trust Architecture across IT services? Understanding this will help align network, identity, and security solutions. | OCC is assessing its current technology stack and coming up with an approach and to get to the optimal state of maturity. Individual task orders will provide more information. |
| 5.23 IT Security | Page 21 | What security assessment and authorization (SA&A) requirements will vendors need to meet for cloud-hosted solutions? FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, and ATO requirements will dictate security implementation. | It is a combination of FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, ATO, which will be dedicated by the risk category of the given solution. Individual task orders will provide more information. |
| 5.13 Data Management/Reporting | Page 15 | What are OCC’s preferred data management and analytics tools, and are there any ongoing initiatives for data governance? OCC references Snowflake, Databricks, and Power BI, but clarity on governance frameworks is needed. | Individual task orders will provide more information. OCC currently leverages Snowflake, Databricks, and Power BI based on the business needs. |
| 5.13 Data Management/Reporting | Page 15 | Does OCC anticipate needing AI/ML capabilities for data analysis, predictive modeling, or decision support? This will help shape data analytics, reporting, and AI solutions. | Individual task orders will provide more information. |
| General | Will vendors have access to OCC’s existing data architecture and metadata repositories, or is data discovery a required task? This affects the approach to data integration and migration. | Vendor will have access to OCC’s existing data architecture and metadata repositories. New initiatives may require data discovery and individual task orders will provide more information. | |
| General | Will OCC require vendors to follow specific Agile frameworks (e.g., SAFe, Scrum, Kanban), or is the approach flexible? This will guide Agile adoption and team structures. | The Agile approach is flexible, significant development teams leverage Scrum, few teams leverage Kanban and SAFe. Individual task orders will indicate their approach. | |
| General | Are there existing KPIs or performance metrics that vendors must adhere to, or will those be defined collaboratively? This affects reporting and compliance deliverables. | There are existing KPIs available and modifications will be made collaboratively. Individual task orders will provide more information. | |
| General | What are the expectations for knowledge transfer and government workforce training under this contract Understanding this will help design an effective transition plan. | Knowledge transfer is required, Ref 5.19 IT Training Services has additional insight and each individual task order will provide more information. | |
| General | Does OCC expect vendors to provide strategic advisory services for IT governance, investment planning, and enterprise architecture? This determines the level of involvement in IT strategy beyond technical implementation. | Individual task orders will provide more information. | |
| 9.0 Place of Performance | Page 24 | What are OCC’s expectations for on-site vs. remote support? Knowing location requirements helps with staffing and pricing. | This will be indicated in each of the individual task orders. |
| General | Does OCC have a preferred ITSM framework (e.g., ITIL, COBIT) for service management? This will shape IT operations and service delivery processes. | Currently, OCC is using hybrid of ITIL and COBIT and more details will be indicated in each of the individual task orders. | |
| 5.17 IT Project Management | Pages 17-18 | What collaboration tools does OCC use for communication, documentation, and project management? Understanding these will help streamline contractor engagement. | Currently, OCC uses Project online, AzureDevOps(on-premise), eDocs, and MS suite of products. |
| Teaming Agreement | 3 | Can respondents provide an answer to some, not all, of the items listed in number 5 of the “teaming agreement” section and still be considered in compliance with bid submission? | For 5, contractors should respond to only the task areas that they have corporate experience. |
| Teaming Agreement | 3 | Does the Department of Treasury consider the possibility of separating any of the task areas in item number 5 of “teaming agreement” into standalone procurements? | The Government is requesting information from industry in order to develop an acqusition strategy. |
| Teaming Agreement | 3 | If a respondent is part of a team (multiple vendors) responding to this RFI, can the Prime contractor use their sub-contractor(s) past performance in response to item number 5 in the “teaming agreement” section? For example, If a prime contractor only has past performance for 15 of the task areas cited, can the prime use the past performance of sub-contractor(s) to satisfy the remaining 9 task areas? | Yes, teaming arraignments can be used to satify corporate experience for the task areas. The "RFI Response Spreadsheet" should be used to document prime or subcontractor corporate experience in each task area. |
| Teaming Agreement | 3 | Do any of the task area responses in item number 5 of the “teaming agreement” section, which are being satisfied by sub-contractor(s) past performance, require the citation that this is “sub-contractor” vs. “prime” past performance? | The "RFI Response Spreadsheet" should be used to document prime or subcontractor corporate experience in each task area. |
| Subcontracting Possibilities | 3 | Is the Department of Treasury going to establish a future Industry Day event to allow respondents the opportunity to network with each other and form teaming agreements? | The Government is not planning an industry day. |
| Capabilities | 3 | Is the Department of Treasury seeking any advanced AI tools as part of its Modernization for storage, ie: Predictive Analytics, Capaciity Planning, Anomaly Detection, etc? | AI tools may be considered as part of its modernization for storage within the individual orders. |
| Capabilities | 3 | Is ease of use part of the ruberic for evaluation? | The Government may evaluate ease of usage within the individual order evaluation. |
| Capabilities | 3 | Is power use/sustainablility of any importanct on this need? | The Government may evaluate power use sustainability within the individual order evaluation. |
| Capabilities | 3 | Is Cyber and AI Ransomware Detection of value? | The Government may evaluate AI Ransomware Detection within the individual order evaluation. |
| Capabilities | 3 | Is capacity density of value for this pending RFQ? | The Government may evaluate capacity density within the individual order evaluation. |
| Capabilities | 3 | Is a single view of storage of value for this RFQ? | The Government may evaluate single view of storage within the individual order evaluation. |
| 3 | 4 | Would the government consider adding Key Personnel requirements to the PWS? | Key personnel requirements will be added to the revised ITOM PWS and indivdual orders as required. |
| 3 | 4 | Would the government consider requiring potential vendors to be a registered ServiceNow partner and/ or relevant technology partner? | The Government will indicated in individual orders. |
| 3 | 4 | What ServiceNow applications does OCC currently have in place? And what version of ServiceNow are they currently operating on? | OCC currently has Washington DC version. IT Service Management, IT Asset Management, IT Operations Management, HR Service Delivery, Workplace Service Delivery, Customer Service Management, App Engine, Security Operations, Governance, Risk, and Compliance. However, individual order will provide additional information. |
| 4 | 5 | Of the 135+ custom applications mentioned in the PWS, were any built using ServiceNow App Engine? | Yes, however individual orders will provide additional informaiton. |
| 5.2 | 8 | What communication systems does the OCC currently have in place? | OCC currently has CISCO and Microsoft communication systems. |
| 5.11 | 14 | Can OCC provide a list of the current external websites and portals? | https://www.occ.treas.gov/ |
| 5.15 | 16 | What QA/testing procedures does the OCC currently have in place? | As part of the ECCB, process teams are required to complete various stage of testing and provide the results to the change process. Testing types vary from team to team. |
| 1 | 3 | Is OCC considering a single-award or multi-award contract structure for this requirement if it progesses to RFQ stage? | Responses to the RFI will determine acquisition strategy including whether this will be a single or multiple award should it make it to the solicitation phase. |
| 4 | 5 | What specific challenges or pain points has OCC encountered in past IT modernization efforts? | As stated in the PWS currently, OCC has service gaps and coordination issues across the various support areas. OCC wants a streamline approach to leverage and consume services when specific needs arise and build solution with modern architecture from legacy solutions. |
| 5.8 | 11 | Are there any specific security frameworks beyond NIST and OMB compliance that OCC requires? | FISMA security framework will also be included in therevised ITOM PWS. Individual orders will include any other additional framework required. |
| 12 | 25 | Will contractor personnel require security clearances or additional background screening beyond Public Trust? | This really depends on the type of work the contractor is performing but it could include anything up to High Risk Tier 4 Public Trust. |
| 6 | 22 | Will OCC require knowledge transfer from incumbents, or is this a greenfield contract with no direct incumbent? | Transistion in and out will added to the revised ITOM PWS and individual orders will provide specific task area transisiton requirements. |
| 4 | 5 | What lessons has OCC learned from previous IT modernization contracts, and how does OCC define 'success' for this contract? | OCC has learned that they lacked an incremental approach and continuous improvement and lacked a strategy for coexisting legacy and modern systems. Success is accomplishing the ITOM objectives. |
| 5 | 6 | Will OCC encourage teaming arrangements or allow small businesses to propose as primes with larger partners for specific technical areas? | The Government encourages small businesses to establish teaming arraingments. However, please keep in mind that FAR Clause 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting applies. |
| 5.12 | 14 | What legacy data storage solutions does OCC currently use, and what challenges exist in migrating to cloud-based platforms? | OCC currently uses Snowflake and SQL Data warehouse for data storage solutions. Challeges may be provided in the revised ITOM PWS. |
| 5.13 | 15 | Is data being migrated from any on-prem platforms? | Yes, individual task order will provide more information. |
| 5.13.2 | 16 | Are any data warehouse platforms in place today or to be implemented? | OCC currently uses Snowflake and SQL Data warehouse for data warehouse platform. |
| 5.13.4 | 16 | Are any business intelligence or data visualization tools being used today by the OCC? | OCC currently uses Business Object Tableau and Power BI for business intelligence or data visualization. |
| 5.13.7 | 16 | Where is the structured and unstructured data housed to-date? | OCC currently has structured and unstructured data housed on prem and in the cloud. |
| RFI Instructions | 3 of the RFI Instruction | The RFI does not specify a font size for graphics or tables. Can 8-point font be used for graphics and tables? | Yes, 8-10 point font for graphics and tables is acceptable. |
| Response Spread Sheet and RFI Instructions | 3 of the RFI Instruction | Can you please define what is meant by "onboarding lead time for any of the PWS Task areas" in Column B, Row 3 and on page 3, Number 2 of the RFI Instructions? Does this refer to what is required prior to award or after award is made? | This applies to after award. The Government is requesting the expected onboarding lead time to staff and receive background clearances (which historically is 2-4 weeks at OCC) to support any of the PWS task areas. |
| Response Spread Sheet and RFI Instructions | 3 of the RFI Instruction | With respect to "provide performance metrics for required PWS task areas" in Column C, Row 3 and page 3, number 3 of the RFI Instructions: Is the intent to provide suggested performance metrics, can you clarify? | Yes, the intent is to provide suggested performance metrics for the task areas. |
| Response Spread Sheet | Is the response spread sheet part of the 30 page limit? | No, the response spreadsheet is expect to be a seperate attachment and not part of the 30 page limit. | |
| PWS 4.0 Scope | 6 | Will the Government provide an overview of the technical stack so that Contractor's can better align their staffing and recommendations? | Government may provide overview of tech stack in the solicitation phase. |
| Instructions | 2, 3 | What is the difference in the expereince requested in the Solution and Service Overview section and the capabilities and corporate experience requested in the Requirements Capability section? Does the Government anticipate project summaries in both sections? | Solution and Services Overview section states "Detail your previous experience in successfully performing the services outlined in the PWS Scope section." and 5. states "Please provide your corporate experience in the Federal IT space supporting Operations and Modernization Support Services. Provide details of your breadth and depth of experience for each Federal agency, whether that experience was as a prime contractor or subcontractor, and a summary of the scope of work for each of the PWS Task Areas" Please provide project summaries in only one section. |
| 1.0 Introduction | 3 | "The current IT environment is made up of a mix of current and legacy services, which are supported by a variety of contract vehicles." |
| In reference to the contracts supporting current and legacy services, could the government provide the contract numbers or contract information? | Please refer to the "Existing Contracts" tab on this spreadsheet for this information. | |||
| General | What is the government's estimated timeline for a final solicitation release? | A solicitation is anticipated to be issued in 3rd quarter of Fiscal Year 2025. | ||
| 11.0 Period of Performance | 25 | Does the government have an anticipated period of performance? | The Government has not determine the overall period of performance. | |
| 1 | 3 | Where are the offices located? | OCC headquarters is located at 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20219. However, some task areas could require work be performed at other OCC locations and will be provided in the individual orders. | |
| 1 | 3 | Is there an incumbent contractor? If so, who is the incumbent? | This is a new requirement. However, please refer to the "Existing Contracts" tab on this spreadsheet for existing contracts that have similar scope to some of the task areas and will be incorporated into this requirement was those contracts have expired. | |
| 1 | 3 | What is the number of FTEs the government is anticipating to support this effort? | The Government is not providing this information. | |
| 1 | 3 | Is the government looking to upgrade legacy services with the modernization or will the legacy services supported by other contract vehicles remain in place? | The Government needs to modernize and upgrade legacy services. Contract vehicles currently in place supporting legacy services will remain until no longer needed or contract expires. | |
| 5.1.1 | 7 | Will the contract be required to purchase hardware installed | Contractor will not be providing any hardware and software. | |
| 5.1.1 | 7 | Does the government have the equipment on hand for network modernizaton efforts | The Government will provide the necessary equipment to perform 5.1.1. | |
| 9 | 24 | What is the anticipated # of hours per week required to support this effort? It states each order should be performed within the core hours. That is a 5 hour timeframe, equal to 25 per week. Can the contract expect the LOE to be 40hrs per week/2080 per year? | The contractor may propose the number of hours they anticipate to support this effort. Depending on the task areas work schedules will vary and detailed in the individual orders. Core hours are defined as when OCC employees may start work the latest 10:00 AM and leave no earlier than 3:00 PM. | |
| RFI Document | 3 | Under "Contractor's response submission should also include the following" Items 2 (Lead Time), 3 (Performance Metrics), and 5 (Corporate Experience) are asked for in the RFI Response Spreadsheet, as well. Is the government requesting the information be addressed both in the RFI response and in the spreadsheet? Or are Items 2,3,and 5 instructions for the RFI Spreadsheet? | Contractors should not duplicate efforts in responding to the RFI. The RFI speadsheet only provides a snapshot of if the contractor responded to RFI 2. and 5. Responses to 3. Performance Metrics and 5. Corporate Experience should be included in contractor RFI submission response document. | |
| RFI Spreadsheet | Corporate Experience Tab | Column A requests the company name. Was the government seeking the name of the contract being referenced or the company name with a summary of overall capabilities? | RFI Response Spreadsheet Column A requests only the contractor/company name. | |
| RFI Spreadsheet | Corporate Experience Tab | Does the government request 1 row for each company or would they like 1 row per relevant contract? | The RFI Speadsheet should only provide a snapshot of, if the contractor responded to RFI 2. and 5. Contractors should provided responses to RFI 2., 3. and 5. in RFI submission response document. | |
| RFI Spreadsheet | Corporate Experience Tab | Would the government consider providing more detailed instructions for the RFI Response Spreadsheet? | The RFI Speadsheet should only provide a snapshot of, if the contractor responded to RFI 2. and 5. Contractors should provided responses to RFI 2., 3. and 5. in RFI submission response document. | |
| RFI Document | 4 | Would the government allow 10pt font for tables? | Yes, 8-10 point font for tables is acceptable. | |
| General Question | NA | We are aware that there are multiple contracts performed by various vendors in support of the OCC. Is this opportunity a consolidation of contracts or a new work? If this is a recompete or a consolidation would the Government provide us with a list of incumbents? | This is a new requirement. However, OCC does currently have contracts/orders in place for some of the task areas that will be incorporated was they expire. Please refer to the "Existing Contracts" tab on this spreadsheet for this information. | |
| General Question | NA | Does the government have an acquisition timeline? | The anticipated solicitation will be issued during 3rd quater of Fiscal Year 2025. | |
| 5.18 | 18 | Is there historical call volume that can be provided for tiers 1, 2 and 3? | Historically, about 3,200 - 3,600 interactions (phone, email, chat, self service) a month. | |
| RFI Submission Instructions | 4 | Can the Government confirm that the requirement that was issued directly out of OCC and the requirement that was issued out of GSA MAS is the same requirement? If the requirement is the same should we respond to both or is there a preference for the response? | This RFI was cross posted to NITAAC, SAM.gov and GSA eBuy. The intention was not to have contractors respond to all of them but rather select the one that makes the most sense for your company to respond to. |
NA NA Will this procurement be set-aside for small businesses? Specifically, is there consideration for a HubZone set-aside, given the recent decrease in the number of HubZone contractors within the IRS? An acquisition strategy will be determined based on market research including the RFI responses. This will include whether the solicitation will be issued as a set-aside for small business.
| NA | NA | Will state-level past performance be considered for this procurement, or is only federal past performance required for eligibility? | The Government will consider all relevant corporate experience. See Amended RFI. | |
| NA | NA | Will this procurement result in a single award or a multiple award contract? | An acquisition strategy will be determined based on market research including the RFI responses. This will include whether this requirement will be a single or multiple-award. | |
| General Technical Questions | N/A | Can the government provide detailed breakdown of technology in place by task areas, for example scale/size and type of systems? | The Government may provide more detail in the revised ITOM PWS. | |
| General Technical Questions | N/A | If there are metrics defined for success measurement for ongoing/ad-hoc project delivery, can those be shared? | SLA's will be included as part of this requirement. Additional SLA's for specific task area work may also be included in the orders. | |
| General Technical Questions | N/A | What are some of improvements that can impact mission areas is government anticipating? (if there are challenges - Cost spend on platforms, overlapping systems etc.) | OCC would expect improvements in collaboration and integration among systems and support contractors. | |
| General Technical Questions | N/A | Is this contract supported by governmrnt owned system or needs service provider to bring in management tools/systems as a part of offering? | Service providers will not need to provide managment tools/systems. All services will be performed on Government owned systems. | |
| RFI 2031JW25N00009 | pg.2&3 | Requirements Capability: Should we highlight corporate experience broadly, or focus strictly on the experience of our personnel within the identified labor categories? | Please include both company corporate experience and personnel experience if able. | |
| RFI 2031JW25N00009 | pg.2&3 | Requirements Capability: Should we align our responded to the Labor Categories directly with past performance, or should we focus on labor categories tailored to the PWS Scope as well as with the Section 508 do you want our Certification or our capability in that? | Please provide labor categories tailored to the PWS, Section 508 and provide any certifications and all capabilities. | |
| RFI 2031JW25N00009 | Pg.3 | Teaming Arrangements: Is teaming mandatory, or can we submit a response independently and indicate "N/A" if we are not pursuing a teaming approach? | Teaming arraignments are not mandatory. Please provide in your response N/A if you do not intend to pursue a teaming arraingment. | |
| RFI 2031JW25N00009 | Pg.3 | For Question # 5. about Depth of Experience: - Should we prioritize highlighting our capability across multiple task areas or focus on showcasing specialized expertise in specific areas? | Per the amended RFI, for 5., please provide your corporate experience performing requirements with a similar size and scope to the draft ITOM PWS in the Federal IT space supporting Operations and Modernization Support Services. Provide details of your breadth and depth of experience for each Federal organization/agency, whether that experience was as a prime contractor or subcontractor, and a summary of the scope of work for each of the PWS task areas. | |
| RFI 2031JW25N00010 | Pg.3 | For Question #2. When responding to this RFI, are we expected to estimate the overall lead time for the PWS Task Areas? | For RFI 2. please provide an estimate of the overall lead time for the PWS Task Areas. | |
| RFI 2031JW25N00009 | Pg.3 | For Question 4. Complete the attached “RFI Response Spreadsheet” with requested information (there are two Tabs on this worksheet to complete). | ||
| For the above given question Should the vendor provide a brief introduction of the PWS task areas and scope for federal/SLED in the response, or should a detailed introduction be included in the RFI Response Spreadsheet? Alternatively, is it required to provide both separately? | Contractors should not duplicate efforts in responding to the RFI. The RFI Speadsheet only provides a snapshot of, if the contractor responded to RFI 2. and 5. For RFI 4. the vendor should provide in the RFI response document a brief introduction and the PWS task area and scope of corporate experience. | |||
| RFI 2031JW25N00010 | Pg. 2 &3 | Solution and Service Overview : Second Paragraph (Detail your previous experience in successfully performing the services outlined in the PWS Scope section.) |
Requirements Capability: Respondents should address details of its capability and corporate experience to meet the: a) technical requirements; b) labor categories (including job duties, years of experience, qualification, certifications, and education as applicable); c) Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
For Question #5. Please provide your corporate experience in the Federal IT space supporting Operations and Modernization Support Services. Provide details of your breadth and depth of experience for each Federal agency, whether that experience was as a prime contractor or subcontractor, and a summary of the scope of work for each of the PWS Task Areas below:
| For the three requirements mentioned, does the government require different corporate experiences for each section, or can vendors include corporate experiences in any of the given sections? Additionally, what is the maximum number of corporate experiences the government allows? | Contractors should not duplicate efforts in responding to the RFI. Please respond to only one section with the corporate experience within the scope of the PWS task areas. Only provide the number of corporate experience in a given task area that provides same or similar scope to the PWS task areas. | |||
| 3.0 General Requirements and 6.0 Transition Planning and Execution | 4 and 22 | These sections mention multiple teams for individual Orders. Will this main contract be single award or multi-award? | Responses to the RFI will determine acquisition strategy including whether this will be a single or multiple award should it make it to the solicitation phase. | |
| 5.7.3 Corporate Platform Support | 11 | Does OCC currently use any Enterprise Search Solutions today? If so, please provide detail. | OCC currently uses Lucidworks Fusion for Enterprise Search Solutions. | |
| 5.7.4 Corporate Platform Support | 11 | What document management systems does OCC leverage today? | OCC currently leverages eDocs for document management. | |
| 5.10.1 Application Development | 13 | Does OCC currently use any applications built on the Salesforce platform? | OCC currently uses Tableau that was built on the Salesforce platform. | |
| 4 | 6 | The PWS mentions that specific task requirements will be detailed at the order level, but the RFI lists 26 task areas without detailed descriptions. Could you clarify whether all 26 task areas listed in the RFI will be included in the final scope of work? If not, which task areas are considered optional or dependent on future task orders? | All the task areas in the ITOM PWS are currently part of the requirement and not optional. The scope task areas could change, be removed or some added prior to solicitation. Orders (Task/Call) refers to being placed against a IDIQ or BPA in which will be determined by the acqusition strategy. | |
| 6 | 22, 23 | The transition-out plan is described, but there is no mention of transition-in requirements for new contractors. Will the government provide a transition-in period for new contractors? If so, what is the expected duration, and will the incumbent contractor be required to assist with the transition? | Transition-in requirements will be added to the revised ITOM PWS and indivdual orders as required. | |
| 11 | 25 | The period of performance is not specified in the PWS or RFI. Could you clarify the anticipated period of performance for the base contract and any potential option periods? Will task orders have varying periods of performance? | The period of performance for ITOM and first orders will be provided upon issuance of the solicitation. | |
| 24 | The PWS states that the place of performance will be determined at the task order level, but no further details are provided. : Could you clarify the expected percentage of work to be performed at OCC facilities versus contractor facilities? Are there any specific requirements for on-site staffing? | Place of perfomance requirements will be added to the revised ITOM PWS or be specifically identified in indivdual orders. | ||
| 12 | 25 | The PWS outlines general compliance requirements but does not specify the level of security clearance required for contractor personnel. What level of security clearance or facility clearance, if any, will be required for contractor personnel? Will the government sponsor clearances if needed? | This really depends on the type of work the contractor is performing but it could include anything up to High Risk Tier 4 Public Trust. | |
| 10 | 24 | The PWS mentions core hours and federal holidays but does not specify how non-core hour work will be handled. Will contractors be required to provide support during non-core hours, weekends, or federal holidays? If so, What is the anticipated labor cost structure to manage this? | Core hours are defined as when OCC employees may start work the latest 10:00 AM and leave no earlier than 3:00 PM. Depending on the task areas, work schedules will vary and be detailed in the individual orders. The Government will consider labor rates around work schedules that may include weekend and federal holidays. | |
| 5 | 7 to 22 | The RFI requests labor categories and qualifications, but the PWS does not specify required labor categories or certifications. Could you provide a list of required labor categories, qualifications, and certifications for each task area? Are there any specific certifications (e.g., ITIL, PMP, CISSP) that are mandatory? | The Government is requesting in the RFI that "Respondents should address details of its capability and corporate experience to meet the: a) technical requirements; b) labor categories (including job duties, years of experience, qualification, certifications, and education as applicable)" for the task areas in the ITOM PWS. | |
| 7 | 4, 7,19 | The PWS mentions performance metrics but does not provide specific examples or thresholds. Could you provide examples of performance metrics or Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that will be used to evaluate contractor performance? Will these metrics vary by task area? | The Government will provide performance metrics or Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in the solicitation at the IDIQ or BPA level and may at the individual order level depending on the task area. | |
| RFI | 1 | The RFI encourages small business participation but does not specify subcontracting goals or requirements. Are there specific subcontracting goals or small business participation requirements for this contract? Will the government require a subcontracting plan? | Acquisition startegy has not been determined yet. However, if this requirement is not set aside or accomplished under the 8(a) program it is required to include the FAR Clause 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns and FAR Clause 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan. | |
| RFI - Background | 1 | Regarding the current IT environment, as described in the Background, can you provide a more specific breakdown of the percentage of applications and infrastructure that are currently on-premises versus in the cloud (AWS, Azure, Snowflake, etc.)? | Before the solicitation is issued this information will be included in the revised ITOM PWS. | |
| 1.0 Introduction | 3 | The Background notes current service gaps and coordination issues. Can you provide more detail on the key pain points or challenges the OCC is currently experiencing with its IT operations and support services that this ITOM effort aims to address? | OCC wants a streamline approach to leverage and consume services when specific need arise and build a solution with modern architecture from legacy solutions. | |
| RFI - Published Catalogs and Pricing Structure | 2 | The RFI asks for recommended CLIN structures. Does the agency have a preferred contract type (e.g., FFP, T&M, hybrid) for the overall ITOM support services contract or for specific task areas outlined in Section 5 of the PWS? | The contract type will be determined at the order level. Anticipated contract type for this effort will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Labor Hour (LH), Time and Material (T&M) or Hybrid. | |
| 5.1, 5.3, 5.18 | 7-8, 18 | While the RFI requests performance metrics, can the agency provide examples of specific and/or measurable metrics that will be used to evaluate the contractor's performance in areas such as Network Support (5.1), Server Support (5.3), or End User Support (5.18)? | The Government will provide performance metrics or Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in the solicitation at the IDIQ or BPA level and may at the individual order level depending on the task area. | |
| 6.0 Transition Planning and Execution | 22 | Section 6 of the PWS details transition-out. Can you provide more information regarding the anticipated scale and complexity of the transition-in process for the new contractor, including any known dependencies on existing contractors or systems? | Transition-in requirements will be added to the revised ITOM PWS and indivdual orders as required. | |
| 5.13 Data Management Reporting | 15 | Section 5.13 focuses on Data Management/Reporting. Can the agency provide more detail on the key data sources, data warehouses (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks), and reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) that the contractor will be working with? | OCC currently uses Power BI, Tableau, Snowflake and SQL DB. | |
| All | n/a | Regarding staffing and labor categories, does the agency have any notional expectations or requirements for the types of certifications or experience levels for key personnel? | Key personnel requirements will be added to the revised ITOM PWS and indivdual orders as required. | |
| All | n/a | Several sections (e.g., 5.10.13) mention the need for integration between various applications and databases. Can you provide more information on the key systems and applications that require significant integration efforts? | This information will be added to the revised ITOM PWS and indivdual orders as required. | |
| All | n/a | Will secret or top secret clearances be required for any or all staff? | Secret or top secret clearances for staff are not required. | |
| All | n/a | Is it correct to assume that all resources will be required to be US Citizens? | All contractors performing on a Government contract are required to meet Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12). | |
| All | n/a | Will prime vendors be required to have a secret or top secret level facility clearance given the planned "access to sensitive OCC data, networks, or systems"? | Secret or top secret facility clearances are not required. | |
| All | n/a | Will the government please provide if this is a consolidation of multiple existing contracts or a direct recompete of an incumbent contract? Could the government please provide the incumbent contract(s)? | Please refer to the "Existing Contracts" tab on this spreadsheet for this information. | |
| All | n/a | Is the government planning to follow the "rule of 2" to determine whether to set aside this requirement for small business concerns? | In accordance with FAR 19.203(c) the contracting officer shall first consider an acquisition for the small business socioeconomic contracting programs (i.e., 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB programs) before considering a small business set-aside. The contracting officer shall set aside any acquisition over the simplified acquisition threshold for small business participation when there is a reasonable expectation that- |
(1) Offers will be obtained from at least two responsible small business concerns; and
(2) Award will be made at fair market prices. Total small business set-asides shall not be made unless such a reasonable expectation exists (see 19.502-3 for partial set-asides). Although past acquisition history and market research of an item or similar items are always important, these are not the only factors to be considered in determining whether a reasonable expectation exists. In making research and development small business set-asides, there must also be a reasonable expectation of obtaining from small businesses the best scientific and technological sources consistent with the demands of the proposed acquisition for the best mix of cost, performances, and schedules.
| 6.0 Task Areas | 7 | Can offerors respond to specific task areas based on their experience, or is experience in all task areas a requirement? | Offerors do not need to respond to all the task areas. They should respond to the specific task areas based on their corporate experience. |
| RFI Synopsis | 1 | Is OCC considering a small business set aside for some or all of the task areas? | Market research will support the aquisition strategy including possible set-asides. |
| 3.0 General Requirements | 4,5 | Can OCC provide more details on the current IT service gaps and coordination challenges that this procurement aims to address? | OCC wants a streamline approach to leverage and consume services when specific need arise and build a solution with modern architecture from legacy solutions. |
| 5.1 Order Administration | 6,7 | What are OCC’s key performance indicators (KPIs) or service level agreements (SLAs) for ITOM services? | Depending upon acquisition strategy, overarching SLA's could be included in the contract vehicle. In addition, those SLA's would flow down to the individual orders and additional SLA's could be added. |
| 5.1 Order Administration | 6,7 | What is OCC’s expected timeframe for onboarding new personnel, including background checks and system access? | Upon award of a contract/order, contractors will be go through OCC security training and contract staff onboarding process which usually take 2-4 weeks. If a contractor's staff already has an existing public trust clearance, it may be transferable and reduce onboarding time. OCC is asking RFI responses to include an expected timeframe for onboarding of contractors required to perform the task areas. |
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