HRLOB_Q&A_FINAL.pdf

HRLOB

24322619R0001

Questions and Answers

FINAL

Q1. Pertaining to the solicitation HRLOB RFP 24322619R0001, are there requirements regarding the expected place of performance for any Key and/or non-Key personnel? That is, are certain resources expected to be on-site or may they telework?

Whereas section 1.4 (p.5) of the RFP references Place of Performance at "the contractor's facility and on-site at OPM", the Place of Performance in the PWS (p.72) references "the Government anticipates that the work will be conducted primarily at OPM's headquarters.”

A1. The RFP is amended in Section 1.4 Place of Performance and Attachment 1 (PWS) in the Place of Performance section to state, “The work, including Key personnel, will be conducted on-site at OPM, Theodore Roosevelt Building, 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415. Situational telework may be authorized by the Government.”

Q2. We understand the incumbent is IBM, when will this vendor "roll off" from this program and when do you expect the new vendor to replace? What is your preferred transition plan?

A2. The existing contract will end on April 30, 2019. We anticipate an award to be made prior to the

April 30, 2019 end date and the transition will take place upon award. FAR 52.237-3 is in the current contract and a transition will be executed in accordance with the clause. The RFP is amended in “FAR and OPM Clauses” to add this clause. See Amendment 3.

Q3. Do you expect all resources in the proposal to roll onto the project at once or do you prefer a phased approach? What will drive your decision one way or the other?

A3. The awarded contractor will be responsible for the work outlined in the PWS starting on the first day of the period of performance. Transition will occur within 90 days in accordance with FAR 52.237-3.

Q4. Is OPM willing to staff consultants from markets outside of Washington DC and incur travel costs?

A4. See A1. It is up to each offeror how it chooses to propose personnel for this contract. The contractor will not incur any travel costs except in such instances where the government requires the contractors to travel to support this effort and is authorized to do so in advance of travel. See “Travel” in

Attachment 1, PWS.

Q5. Will the government consider making more than one award for this solicitation?

A5. No, see Section 1.2, Contract Type.

Q6. Who is the current incumbent? Are they eligible to bid?

A6. A similar requirement is currently under contract 24322618F0284 being performed by International

Business Machines (IBM) Corporation. This acquisition includes differences in support from the current contract and is being solicited as a small business set-aside.

Q7. What is the # FTEs currently serving now? Is the scope increased or decreased?

A7. Historically there has been a range from 10 to 14 FTEs. The current scope has neither increased nor decreased, the requested proposal is for different support.

Q8. Why did this opportunity not come out on OPM's own contract vehicle (HCaTS)? The fact that this was an open SB set-aside makes it appear that OPM already has a preferred vendor.

A8. This procurement is being competed as a total small business set-aside and the GSA HCaTS contract vehicle is not being used. As a part of the market research OPM conducted to assist in determining the acquisition strategy, the Government sought feedback through two sources sought notices and an industry day that were posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website and were available to all interested parties.

Q9. Attachment 2. Please provide the NTE amount that offerors are to insert for CLIN 00004 Travel.

A9. This amount will be determined by the Government after award. Offerors do not need to fill in this amount.

Q10. Section 4.4, Factor 4: Past Performance. This section indicates proposed key subcontractors are to submit past performance information. Please state the number of references allowed per each subcontractor.

A10. See Section 3.6 Past Performance – Volume I.

Q11. Section 3.7; 4.5 Price. These sections do not indicate that a price narrative is required and no information is provided as to what the narrative should consist of; however, RFP 3.2 states the Price

Volume has a 5-page limit. Please clarify whether a narrative is required, or that the spreadsheet is the only requirement for submission.

A11. A narrative is not required. Any additional labor categories proposed must be accompanied by a description which would be included in the 5-page limit. See section 3.7.

Q12. In order for offerors to determine the appropriate number of Key and non-Key personnel required and associated pricing, please provide the historical staffing level of the incumbent contract or a government estimate of the level of work.

A12. See A7.

Q13. Please describe the nature of any required travel and to what locations.

A13. There are currently no scheduled travel engagements nor have there been any in the past year.

However, on rare occasions there has been a necessity for the government to travel and require accompanied contractor support.

Q14. The Performance Requirement Summary Template is missing all necessary information. As this is a performance-based contract and RFP 2.2 states the QASP will be incorporated into the resultant contract, please provide all missing information.

A14. The RFP is amended in Attachment 1, PWS, Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan, Section D. See

Amendment 3.

Q15. Please confirm that Attachment 1 will be a part of a resultant award and that respondents are not expected to develop a QASP as part of the proposal process.

A15. Attachment 1 will be a part of award. Also see A14.

Q16. Attachment 2. The tab titled “Labor Categories” requires one rate for each labor category. Please confirm this information is for the base year only.

A16. The RFP is amended in Attachment 2. The “Labor Categories” tab has been removed.

Q17. Attachment 2. Are offerors permitted to make adjustments to the spreadsheet, for example, add labor categories under CLINs 0001 - 0003?

A17. Yes, see Section 3.7 Price – Volume II and Attachment 1, PWS – Personnel Requirements.

Q18. Attachment 2. The first column of “Detailed Pricing” tab is titled “OPM Labor Category” with rows that are to be completed by the offeror. Please clarify the title of this column refers to the labor categories already pre-filled in to the sheet, and that offerors are to leave this column blank in the submission.

A18. The RFP is amended in Attachment 2. OPM Labor Category has been moved to Column A. Column B is now titled “Offeror Labor Category” for use if a different labor title is proposed.

Q19. Please confirm the required completed SF1449 is not included in the page limit of the Technical

Proposal.

A19. The RFP is amended in Section 3.2. The SF1449 is not included in the technical proposal page limit.

See Amendment 3.

Q20. In addition, please confirm the remaining required information (contact information, agreement with terms, VETS 4212, and reps and certs info) is not included in the page limit of the Technical

Proposal.

A20. The RFP is amended in Section 3.2. The information required by Section 3.2, a. is not included in the technical proposal page limit. See Amendment 3.

Q21. Please clarify what "past performance documentation" pertains to with regard to what is not included in the page limit of the Technical Volume. Would confirmation of PPQs that are submitted to the government be included, or does this pertain only to the PPQs themselves?

A21. The RFP is amended in Section 3.2. “Past performance documentation” has been changed to

“PPQ.” See Amendment 3.

Q22. Is a cover letter included in the page limit of the Technical Proposal?

A22. No because one is not required.

Q23. Section 3.5, Key Personnel. This section states "Education…(and approximate number of total class hours)" Please confirm that a completed degree suffices in lieu of providing total class hours.

A23. The RFP is amended in Section 3.5 to remove “class hours.” See Amendment 3.

Q24. Section 3.5, Key Personnel. This section states "Letters of commitment are required for any proposed Key Personnel." Are letters required for current employees of the offeror, or only individuals not yet employed by the offeror, or for all key personnel regardless of current employment status?

A24. Yes, letters of commitment are required for all proposed Key Personnel.

Q25. What is the primary system for storing artifacts and other knowledge items?

A25. All artifacts and work products will be stored on an OPM server.

Q26. What is the primary means of communication used by the HRLOB when interacting with the 24

Federal Agencies?

A26. Primary general communication methods are email, telephone, webex, and face-to-face meetings.

Q27. Section 3.4 and PWS. Is the government looking for specific task deliverables, or management deliverables such as monthly reports? What deliverables have been provided previously by the incumbent?

A27. The offeror shall propose strategic deliverables required to complete and support the work described in the Summary of Requirements as stated in the PWS. The deliverables provided by the incumbent are not valid for this requirement as to the offeror should propose innovative and cutting edge solutions to the requirements in this solicitation. Some of the work currently being done is different from the work in this solicitation however, some of the administrative deliverables include, but are not limited to, project plans, monthly progress reports, monthly invoices and quarterly communication letters.

Q28. Page 8, Section 3.2, a: The solicitation specifies that the proposal must provide “Verification of compliance with FAR 52.222-35, 52.222.37, or 52.222-38. Verification shall be in the form of information from Veterans Employment & Training Services (VETS) 4212 Service Desk.” Can OPM clarify what type of verification is required? Should the offeror include documentation of some kind?

A28. See FAR 22.1306(b). The RFP is amended in “FAR and OPM Clauses” to revise OPM clause

1752.222-71.

Q29. Page 8, Section 3.2, a: The solicitation states that “In accordance with FAR Clause 52.212-3, contractor must show completion of reps and certs.” Do offerors need to provide a completed copy of our reps and certs or is it sufficient to include a statement verifying that our reps and certs are current and up-to-date in the System for Award Management?

A29. Yes, offerors must provide Representations and Certifications.

Q30. Page 8, Section 3.2, c: The solicitation specifies that “Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be in English and in whole U.S. dollars.” Does this mean that all pricing must end in

“$.00”?

A30. Yes.

Q31. Page 9, Section 3.2: The solicitation states that “past performance documentation and reports will not be included in the maximum page limitation”. Can OPM clarify what type of past performance documentation is required?

A31. See A21.

Q32. Page 10, Section 3.3: The solicitation indicates that the Corporate Capabilities section of Volume I shall include experience of relevant contracts, to include contract data, project description, period of performance, contract type, etc. On page 11, Section 3.6 – Past Performance indicates that the projects submitted in this section shall be the same as those submitted under Section 3.3 – Corporate

Capabilities. Can OPM clarify which of these two sections should contain the requested contract data noted above? If contract data is to be included in Section 3.3, is it sufficient to provide Point of Contact information in Section 3.6 and refer readers back to Section 3.3 for contract/project details?

A32. Section 3.3 shall contain the requested information. Section 3.6 is for PPQs and see those instructions.

Q33. Page 10, Section 3.3: Can OPM confirm that this section is included in the page limit for the

Technical Volume?

A33. Yes.

Q34. Pages 10-11, Section 3.5, Key Personnel: Are we permitted to include resumes for non-key personnel?

A34. No, only a description of additional labor categories proposed is needed in accordance with the RFP Section 3.7 Price – Volume II.

Q35. Page 11, Section 3.5, Key Personnel: The solicitation states that individual resumes should include

“approximate number of total class hours” in the education section. Does this apply only to educational degrees, or any education (i.e., technical training)? Is this information required for additional licenses or certifications that an individual has obtained?

A35. See A23.

Q36. Page 70, Key Personnel: Can an offeror propose additional resources in the 5 designated labor categories as non-key personnel, or is it required that anyone proposed in one of those labor categories needs to be designated as key personnel?

A36. No, resources proposed in those labor categories are Key Personnel. Also see A17.

Q37. Pages 72-73, Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan: Are offerors to include a Quality Assurance

Surveillance Plan as part of our response submission?

A37. See A14.

Q38. Attachment 2, Pricing Spreadsheet, Summary Tab: In this tab, Column H (Total) only adds the base period plus option period 1. Is this meant to include the base period plus all option periods for each

CLIN?

A38. The RFP is amended in Attachment 2 to correct the formulas.

Q39. Attachment 2, Pricing Spreadsheet, Detailed Pricing: Column B is labeled “OPM Labor Category”. Is this meant to be labor categories as identified by the offeror?

A39. See A18.

Q40. Attachment 2, Pricing Spreadsheet, Detailed Pricing: Can OPM confirm that offerors are permitted to propose labor categories in addition to the Key Personnel positions identified in the solicitation? If so, should offerors add these positions as additional rows in Attachment 2?

A40. Yes. Also see A17.

Q41. OPM CLAUSE 1752.204-70 Is a facility clearance required?

A41. Yes see paragraph (d) of OPM CLAUSE 1752.204-70.

Q42. OPM CLAUSE 1752.204-70 Will reciprocity be granted for staff members with current favorably adjudicated background investigations?

A42. OPM will initiate a background investigation on ALL staff, a current adjudication may expedite the process but does not grant automatic reciprocity.

Q43. OPM CLAUSE 1752.204-70 Will contractor staff on the engagement occupy positions of trust?

A43. Yes a Public Trust clearance is required.

Q44. Could the government clarify the page count information for Volume I? The RFP reads that the page count does not include letter of commitment, past performance write ups, or the PP evaluation documents (PPQ)?

A44. See A20.

Q45. Are the corporate capabilities the same as past performances?

A45. No, but the contract and projects referenced shall be the same.

Q46. The pricing section states that "The Government may determine that a proposal is unacceptable if the prices proposed are materially unbalanced between line items. Unbalanced pricing exists when, despite an acceptable total evaluated price, the price of one or more line items is significantly overstated or understated as indicated by the application of cost or price analysis techniques." Can you elaborate on the techniques used to evaluate line items as overstated or understated?

A46. The technique that will be used is a comparison of the line items against the independent government estimate and the responding offeror. Any significant difference in the line items can be considered unbalanced pricing. Significance varies depending on the how all of the offerors respond.

Q47. Can the government share the current structure for staffing of any current contractors supporting the OPM HRLOB effort (number of FTEs/LOE)?

A47. See A7.

Q48. How does the current scope of work for the HR modernization effort within the HR LOB differ from what is requested in this solicitation?

A48. The offeror shall concentrate on the solicitation and propose to the requirements therein, not the current scope of work.

Q49. What is the expectation for content to be provided in the corporate capabilities section as opposed to past performances section?

A49. See A45.

Q50. Revised modernization roadmap - the HRLOB website shows a roadmap dated Dec 2011. Has a revised roadmap been developed? If so, can OPM share the revised roadmap?

A50. Disregard the outdated roadmap shown online and there is no roadmap applicable for this requirement.

Q51. When can we expect to hear back on a proposal selection for this contract?

A51. All offerors will be notified in accordance with FAR Part 15.

Q52. How many personnel (FTEs) were delivered during the final year of the incumbent IBM contract?

A52. See A7.

Q53. How many desks/computers will be provided on-site at OPM for the contractor team?

A53. The number of desks/computers provided will be determined based on the successful offeror’s proposed solution.

Q54. Due to the two holidays in November and the lack of Q&A that has been offered, we respectfully request an extension of the proposal due date until 12/10/2018.

A54. The RFP due date is revised in Amendment 3.

Q55. Attachment #2 defines Column B as “OPM Labor Category”. What is the purpose of this Column and what information is supposed to be entered by the offeror? It is our interpretation that Column A is the “OPM Labor Category” and the titles and definitions are provided by OPM in the PWS. Please provide clarifying explanation.

A55. See A18.

Q56. Why is an FTE defined as 2080 hours on page 70 of PWS? 40 hours X 52 weeks = 2080 hours which means the contractor personnel would work 8 hours every day of every week of every year with no vacations or holidays for 5 years? Seems like an unreasonable expectation, especially when all work is required to be performance on the OPM site. Recommend allowing each offeror to define an FTE for their proposal.

A56. The RFP is amended in Attachment 1, PWS, Personnel Requirements. The reference to an FTE being defined as 2080 hours is being removed. See OPM Clause 1752.200-70 On-Site Working Conditions on page 40 for guidance concerning the onsite holiday schedule.

Q57. What is the origin of the labor categories and the definitions? Do these come from a Schedule, GWAC or IDIQ contract? Does the Mid-Level Consultant Level II – (Consultant”s”) imply multiple individuals will fill that labor category?

A57. The labor categories and definitions originate from various GSA schedules. The RFP is amended in Attachment 1, PWS, Personnel Requirements and Attachment 2. The offeror is to propose as it sees fit to fulfill the requirements in the PWS.

Q58. Section 1.5 states that the pricing is Firm Fixed Price (FFP). Section 3.7 states that “The offeror must propose firm fixed prices for all services identified in the PWS”. Does the government desire FFP prices as in fixed rates per hour for each Labor Category? Will the offeror be expected to invoice monthly for the hours delivered each month?

A58. Yes, the Government requires fixed rates per hour. The offeror will be expected to invoice in equal monthly amounts based on the amount awarded for each period.

Q59. What is the level of effort expected to be proposed? Based on the Key Personnel labor categories it is evident that at least 5 FTEs are desired. Are the same personnel intended to support all three Labor CLINs? Requirements such as “Provide subject matter expertise in Federal HC management concepts and processes” and “Manage, coordinate and develop all work activities for Federal government wide HC working groups” do not provide sufficient detail of their magnitude, scope or complexity to accurately determine the appropriate level of contractor staff to be delivered.

A59. See A7 for historical numbers concerning level of support. The same personnel listed in the Key Personnel labor categories may or may not be capable or have the skill sets necessary to support all three labor CLINs. The offeror is expected to propose the labor mix it thinks will sufficiently meet the work in the Summary of Requirements as stated in the PWS for this solicitation.

Q60. Are Letters of Commitment required for current employees being proposed as key personnel?

A60. See A24.

Q61. Can the Government please confirm offerors may submit their proposals in PDF format?

A61. See Section 3.2, letter “j” with the exception of the pricing spreadsheet.

Q62. May CPARS be submitted in lieu of the Past Performance Questionnaire?

A62. No.

Q63. Per Section 2.2 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), the QASP is provided in Attachment 1 of the RFP; however, Attachment 1 to the solicitation is the Performance Work Statement. Can the Government please provide this document in an Amendment?

A63. See A14.

Q64. We understand the above RFP has a submission date now of 10 December. We wanted to confirm that the past performance questionnaires are still due by 3:00pm ET on 30 November.

A64. The RFP is amended in Attachment 3. PPQs will be accepted until December 10. See Amendment 2.