Amendment 1 Clarifications.pdf

Question 1: Would the Government please reconsider the requirements for certain categories to have specific experience auditing financial services processes? For certain labor categories it is required to have federal audit experience and mortgage service processes. Would the government consider revising to include “three years auditing financial services OR mortgage servicing”? Or would it be possible to submit two resumes that fit all those requirements? As currently stated, the requirements are strict and it is hard for small businesses to fill these roles.

Answer 1: The solicitation stands as is. The solicitation reflects the depth of knowledge this audit will require.

Question 16: Please clarify the page limits for each volume. Specifically, the offeror letter refers to a 20-page limit for Volume II - Technical Proposal, "including the Technical Approach, Quality Control Plan, and Management Plan," but the proposal instructions on pg. 49 of the PDF state that the Technical Approach shall not exceed 20 pages, the Quality Control Plan shall not exceed 5 pages, and the Management Plan shall not exceed 5 pages, which would result in a 30-page limit for Volume II.

Answer 16: This sentence from the solicitation letter will be stricken: “Offerors shall also provide 3 past performance references as part of Volume II, but not be included as part of the 20-page limit, (Government or Commercial) where they have provided a similar service by the due date.” Amendment 3 has updated the page limits for the technical approach to 25 pages, totaling this volume to 35 maximum pages.

Question 24: Assuming Task C is in scope, please clarify the nature of services expected under this task.

For example, the description of Task C references advisory services. Please also confirm that the nature of all services provided under Task C will be in support of the HUD OIG and will not present any conflicts of interest or independence threats to the contractor in performing the FHA audit and/or HUD consolidated audit.

Answer 24: Task C is designed to be supplemental advisory services as states in the PWS. Possible advisory services could include requests to review historical documentation, completion of an Independent Point Estimate, or an evaluation of operational internal controls. All services provided under Task C will be in support of the HUD OIG and will not present any conflicts or interest or independence threats to the contractor in performing the FHA audit and/or HUD consolidated audit.

Question 25: Assuming Task C is within scope, this paragraph refers to a "section covering Task C" within Attachment #2, Labor Categories. However, Attachment #2 does not include sections. Please provide the labor category requirements and/or specific labor categories from Attachment #2 that the contractor must have available to perform Task C.

Answer 25: Task C is designed to be supplemental advisory services. There are no specified labor categories for the solicitation. The labor categories will be determined once the advisory services are determined as stated in the PWS.

Question 32: Please clarify whether offerors should include the proposal matrix as part of one of their proposal volumes or as a separate attachment. If the proposal matrix should be included in a proposal volume, would the Government please clarify which volume offerors should include the matrix in and state whether the matrix is included in the page limits for that volume?

Answer 32: The proposal matrix/checklist is separate from the Technical Approach volume, Quality Control Plan volume, Management Plan volume, etc. The proposal matrix should be a separate attachment.

Question 37: Please clarify whether offerors should provide separate price proposal files for off-site and on-site work, or whether offerors may include both sets of rates in the same file.

Answer 37: Both contractor and Government sites are required. The submission can be included in the same or separate file, there is no specific requirement/specification on whether these can be separated or combined.

Question 43: Please clarify whether each Partner proposed is required to have both three years' federal government audit experience and three years' experience auditing financial services, or whether the description should read "or" rather than "and," as it does in the Senior Manager labor category. The Partner labor category description includes minimum experience of "three years federal government financial audit experience and three years auditing financial services, mortgage servicing processes." The Senior Manager labor category description includes three years' federal government financial audit experience or three years' experience auditing financial services processes.

Answer 43: Each Partner is required to have both 3 years of federal government audit experience and three years’ experience auditing financial services.