QA's_280-15-0451_NTTAC.pdf

RFP: 280-15-0451

NTTAC

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

AMENDMENT 0002

Direct costs

1. Question: Is it allowable to purchase personal computers and/or software for the purpose of this work? Language on p.5 seems to contradict later language with respect to IT cost worksheets and other IT requirements.

Answer: Not without CO approval.

2. Question: B.3.a (9) states “Any formal subcontract arrangements above the simplified acquisition threshold ($150,000), any cost-reimbursement subcontract regardless of cost, or not otherwise expressly provided for in the contract” is an unallowable cost.

Please confirm that this restriction applies to subcontracts that are not part of the offeror’s original technical and business proposal and not included in the contract.

Answer: Offeror should not assume subcontracts submitted with proposal are automatically approved. All subcontracts as stated in B.3.a(9) must be approved via

Contracting Officer Approval (COA).

3. Question: Regarding travel rates (p.6-7), is the use contractor’s travel rates allowable if they are not higher than the government’s?

Answer: Yes

Limitation on Size of Technical Proposal (p.45)

The instructions read:

“The technical proposal must not exceed 100 pages in length, including the executive summary and technical discussion. Cover page and table of contents are not included in the page count for the technical proposal. Exhibits used (placed) in the technical proposal discussion will count as a page and should be numbered as such.

Any Appendix to the technical proposal shall not exceed 50 pages in length. Exhibits and

Appendices must be labeled and numbered. Appendices are separate from the technical proposal page count and should either follow the technical proposal or be separate from the technical proposal.

Resumes and letters of commitment are not included in the page count for either the technical proposal or appendix. The offeror shall provide a separate labeled section for the purpose of resumes and letters of commitment and this section will not be included in the page count. Resumes should be placed in alphabetical order.”

4. Question: There is no mention of a cover letter in the RFP; does the Government have any requirements for text to be included in the cover letter?

Answer: No

5. Question: Please confirm, is the cover letter is a non-numbered page to follow the cover page?

Answer: The RFP doesn’t require a cover letter, however, should the offer deem the cover letter necessary, it should be numbered and included with the page count.

6. Question: Limitations on what can be included in the Appendix is not clear. Please confirm, can the schedule for completion of work be placed in the Appendix?

7. Question: Limitations on what can be included in the Appendix is not clear. Please confirm, can references for works cited be placed in the Appendix?

8. Question: The placement of person-loaded and organizational charts is not clear.

Please confirm, are the person-loaded and organizational charts to be included with the letters of commitment and resumes in the back of the proposal in a labeled section which is not part of the page count?

Answer: The management plan is part of the Technical Proposal and documents/charts associated with the management plan will be counted accordingly.

9. Question: The placement of letters of support and organization references is not clear.

Please confirm, are letters of support and organization references to be included with the letters of commitment in the back of the proposal in a labeled section which is not part of the page count?

Answer: The RFP doesn’t require letters of support or organizational references, however, should the Offeror deem these documents necessary, they should be included as part of the Technical or Past Performance based on the appropriate section.

Past Performance (p. 52)

10. Question: The RFP defines a major subcontract as “a subcontract in excess of

$650,000.” Does this refer to a subcontract amount for the initial 12-months contract period, or with total amounts that exceed $650,000 over the entire proposed 5-year period of performance (base year plus four option years)?

Answer: The $650,000 threshold represents any subcontract that totals $650,000 over the entire proposed 5-years period of performance.

Subcontracting Plan (p.52-53)

11. Question: Does the requirement to submit subcontracting plans extend to the prime’s subcontractors with amounts that exceed $650,000 for the initial 12-months contract period, or with total amounts that exceed $650,000 over the entire proposed 5-year period of performance (base year plus four option years)?

Answer: The prime has privity of contract with Government and the Prime has the responsibility to flow-down appropriate clauses to the subcontractors to include monitoring the subcontractor plan.

Attachment 1 Statement of Work Questions

Task 1 – Plans of Performance (p.18)

Plan 2 is titled “TA to CMHI Grantees serving AI/AN Populations” and includes Task 7, “TA for System of Care Grantees,” and Task 8, “TA Activities for AI/AN CMHI

Grantees.”

12. Question: Please clarify, should Plan 2 be named “TA to CMHI Grantees” to reflect

TA is not limited to AI/AN Grantees?

Answer: Plan 2 has been revised to read “TA to CMHI Grantees including AI/AN

Populations” please see revised Scope of Work.

Task 1: Plans of Performance (p.19)

Instructions for Plan 4 provide for inclusion of “Tasks 10-18.” [Emphasis added.]

13. Question: Please confirm that Plan 4 should include Task 10-16.

Answer: Plan 4 has been revised to read “Tasks 10-16.” Please see revised

Statement of Work.

14. Question: Please clarify which Plan Optional Tasks 1-5 are to be included in.

Answer: Plan of Performance 4 “Logistics and Administrative Support for CMHI” has been revised in the Statement of Work to include Optional Task 1&2.

Plan of Performance 1 “Development of a National Training and TA Center” has been revised in the Statement of Work to include Optional Tasks 3&4.

Plan of Performance 2 “Plan for TA to CMHI Grantees including AI/AN

Populations” has been revised in the Statement of Work to include Optional Task 5.

Please see revised Statement of Work

Task 2: Establish and Maintain a TA Center includes a list of specific topics of TA

(p.21)

15. Question: Please clarify what is meant by “Outreach and engagement” – is this referencing social marketing strategies, engagement of families and youth, and/or other engagement of other system of care stakeholders?

Answer: “Outreach and Engagement” would include strategies to identify, and connect with potential recipients of services, provider organizations, and stakeholders. The offeror should indicate in their proposal their TA strategies to assist grantees in accomplishing these activities.

16. Question: Please clarify what is meant by “Shared decision making” – is this referencing shared decision making within governance structures or within plans of care?

Answer: Both. TA around “Shared decision making” should include the governance structure level as well as at the individual plans of care level.

Task 3: Development and Dissemination of TA materials

Task 3.2 (p.22) requiring 4 webinars immediately follows 3.1, which requires specific strategies, tools and other resources focused on how to implement the wraparound model.

Webinars also are required in Task 7.3 and Task 9.2.

17. Question: Please clarify, are the webinars referenced in 3.2 intended to advance the implementation of wraparound?

Answer: Webinars referenced in 3.2 are intended to provide system of care grantees with information regarding information on best practices.

Task 6: Development of a Consultant Clearinghouse

18. Question: Please clarify, are funds for the consultants to be included in the budget for

Task 6, or is Task 6 only specific to developing the consulting clearinghouse and the costs for consultants should be included under other relevant Tasks?

Answer: Offeror should budget for this task in whatever manner is best for their organizational structure, either way is acceptable.

Task 7.4: Collaboration with Program Partners

“The Contractor shall be an active participant in the Workgroup for Coordination and

Collaboration, a group of system partners formed to help drive the overall TA provided to the CMHS-funded communities through a team process of collaboration which puts the communities at the center of a coordinated approach to TA and support. The Workgroup for Coordination and Collaboration generally meets one time per year and has monthly conference calls. When possible, meetings are scheduled during other major conferences or events.” [Emphasis added.]

19. Question: Please clarify whether Task 7 requires costs to cover participation in the annual Workgroup for Coordination and Collaboration.

Answer: Yes Task 7 requires costs to cover participation in the Annual Workgroup for Coordination and Collaboration.

Task 10: Conferences and Meetings

Task 10 reads “The Contractor shall conduct up to six (6) conferences per year with a duration of three (3) days’ each, which may have from 50-250 non-Federal attendees.

The Contractor shall provide logistics support (travel, lodging and per diem) for 20 persons, in total, for all of the conferences in each year of the contract. Four (4) consultants will be needed to support each meeting. They will be providing expertise on content matter, assist in resource development, and provide structured facilitation; they should receive travel, lodging, per diem and consultant fees.” [Emphasis added.]

In the Delivery Schedule, Attachment 2 (p.10), Task 10 activity reads “Provide logistics support (travel, lodging and per diem) for 35 persons, in total, for conferences in each year of the contract.” [Emphasis added.]

20. Question: Please clarify how many persons the contractor will be required to provide logistical support for at the conferences and meetings.

Answer: For budget purposes, the contractor should assume logistical support for up to 20 people.

21. Question: Can contractor staff be proposed in lieu of consultants to provide content expertise, facilitation, and resource development for the up to 6 conferences each year?

Answer: Yes; recognizing that the contractor is not expected to have all the expertise that will be needed at any given time.

22. Question: Are meeting room rental costs permissible for the 6 conferences with 50-

250 non-federal attendees?

Task 11: Travel Support

11.1 - TA site visits to SOC grantees states “The Contractor may be required to arrange the travel and logistics for consultants for site visits or to attend other meetings on behalf of the CAFB… Note to offeror: For budgeting purposes the contractor should plan for 45

TA site visits per year.”

23. Question: Please clarify, are the “site visits” TA site visits or Federal Site Review visits?

Answer: “Site visits” refer to both TA and Federal monitoring site visits. Please note that there will be approximately 20-25 federal site visits are completed each year.

24. Question: Can contractor staff be proposed in lieu of consultants to provide content expertise, for the TA site visits?

25. Question: Are registration costs for conferences allowable if the contractor will be attending on behalf of the CAFB?

Answer: Yes, with approval of the COR and via the SAMHSA conference approval process.

11.3 reads “Provide on-site TA visits to each of the AI/AN grantees based on each community’s TA needs (at least one (1) visit per site per year for up to two (2) days).

Provide one (1) staff person to participate as a member of the Federal Site Review team for any scheduled federal site visits of CMHI grantees that are in Year-2 or Year-4 of the grant. Federal site visits are at the location of the grantee for 2 days.

Note to offeror: For budgeting purposes, the offeror should plan for 20 TA site visits per year. The site visit team should be made up of no more than one (1) contractor staff and one (1) consultant.” [Emphasis added.]

26. Question: Please clarify, do the 20 TA site visits include both Federal Site Review visits and TA visits?

Answer: Yes site visits include both TA and Federal Site Review visits.

27. Question: If the 20 TA site visits include Federal Site Review visits, how many of the

20 should be budgeted as Federal Site visits?

Answer: 5-6, although depending on the number of grantees there should be some flexibility.

28. Question: Please clarify, should contractor plan to send one (1) contractor/staff person and one (1) consultant to Federal Site Review visits or just one (1) contractor/staff person?

Answer: Contractor should budget to send (1) contractor staff and one consultant to federal site reviews.

29. Question: If the 20 TA site visits do not include Federal Site Review visits, how many

Federal Site Review visits should the offeror plan for?

Answer: The 20 TA site visits do include the Federal Site Reviews.

30. Question: Can contractor staff be proposed in lieu of consultants to provide content expertise, for the TA site visits?

Task 13: Translation and Interpretation Services

31. Question: Translation and interpretation services are specified for conferences and meetings; are such services to be provided for site visits?

Answer: The contractor shall provide Translation and Interpretation services as requested by the COR which may include site visits.

Task 16: Transition Plan and Turnover at the End of the Contract

32. Question: Should this task be budgeted in each year, in the base year only, or in option year 4 (year 5 of the contract)?

Answer: The focus of this task is to ensure appropriate coordination of activities, which may require work in each year (especially depending on decisions related to exercising option years), and certainly in option year 4.

Optional Task 1 and Optional Task 2: System of Care Community Meetings

33. Question: Can contractor staff be proposed in lieu of consultants?

34. Question: Are meeting rental costs permissible for the regional meetings?

Optional Task 3: TA in Child Welfare Issues

Optional Task 3 states:

“Providing on-going training and TA on strategies to link juvenile justice and mental health systems, using effective approaches for the provision of mental health services to juvenile offenders and their families. This TA should include parent participation initiatives that expand and enhance family involvement in the development and delivery of these mental health services.

Enhancing the information dissemination capability of the TA contractor through the development of products to help jurisdictions identify effective strategies for establishing linkages between the juvenile justice and mental health systems, as well as related programs. “[Emphasis Added.]

35. Question: Please confirm that the reference to juvenile justice should be replaced with child welfare.

Answer: Optional Task 3 has been revised to replace juvenile justice with child welfare. Please see revised Statement of Work and Delivery Schedule.

Attachment 2 Delivery Schedule

General Requirements

General Requirements 4, 5(7), 5(8) and 5 (9) (Attachment 2, p.1) include activity and deliverables for the IT Plan; Information System Security Plan; System Authorization

Test, Self-Authorization Assessment, and Reporting; and SAMHSA Security Awareness

Training List

36. Question: Please clarify which Task is to reflect these costs.

Answer: Task 1

General Requirements 7.D.i, 7.D.iv, and 7.D.v require Content Development and

Management Plan; Web Content Migration Plan; and Quarterly Reports.

37. Question: Please clarify which Task is to reflect these costs.

Answer: Task 1

Task 3.4

In the Delivery Schedule for 3.4, both “Develop TA materials specific to System of Care communities” (title of the sub-Task in SOW) and “Implement strategies for information development and distribution” are due within 8 weeks of CED.

38. Question: Please confirm that the “Develop TA materials specific to System of Care communities” is the title of the sub-Task and that the deliverable due within 8 weeks is the implementation of strategies for information development and distribution are due within 8 weeks of CED.

Answer: Correct “Develop TA Material specific to System of Care communities” is the title of the task 3.4. The due date of 8 weeks of the CED has been removed from the Delivery Schedule. Please see revised Delivery Schedule.

Task 3.5

The Delivery Schedule for 3.5: Information Dissemination and Resource Exchange for

AI/AN Communities includes the activity of “Coordinating the development and distribution of up-to-date information about TA Center and site” with a delivery date of no later than 8 weeks of the CED. This deliverable due date is not included in the

Attachment 1, SOW.

39. Question: Please confirm deliverable.

Answer: The language in Task 3.5 of the Statement of Work “The Contractor shall describe a process for identifying relevant best practices within AI/AN communities and a format for disseminating that information to all tribal CMHI grantees, including “graduated” communities.” has been replaced with “The Contractor shall describe a process for coordinating the development and distribution of up-to-date information about TA Center and sites , including “graduated” sites no later than 8 weeks of CED.”

Please see revised Statement of Work.

Task 4.4

Task 4.3: Assist the field with strategic planning in the area of cultural competence is not included in the Delivery Schedule.

40. Question: Please specify, how should the SOW align with the Delivery Schedule?

Answer: The Delivery Schedule and Quality Assurance and Surveillance Plan

(QASP) have been revised to include “Assist the field with strategic planning in the area of cultural competence” with a quantity of “ongoing” and a delivery of “as determined by the approved work plan.”

Task 5.1

The Delivery Schedule for 5.1: Develop and implement a strategy to provide national leadership and engagement among youth who have been involved in mental health systems has a delivery date of no later than 12 weeks of CED. This deliverable due date is not included in Attachment 1, SOW.

41. Question: Please specify, how should the SOW align with the Delivery Schedule?

Answer: The Statement of Work has been revised to read “With the approval of the

COR/ACOR, develop and implement a strategy to provide national leadership and engagement among youth who have been involved in mental health systems no later than 12 weeks of CED.”

Please see revised Statement of Work.

Task 6

The Delivery Schedule for Task 6 states that the evaluation of consultants and the provision of feedback shall be done quarterly. The SOW does not include this is a quarterly activity.

42. Question: Please specify, how should the SOW align with the Delivery Schedule?

Answer: The Statement of work should read “Evaluate consultants’ performance and provide feedback quarterly.” Please see revised Statement of work.

Task 8.2

In the Delivery Schedule, activities for 8.2 (p.8) reads “Participate in national meetings at the request of the COR/ACOR.” The SOW for Task 8.2 (Attachment 1, p.30) does not require participation in national meetings.

43. Question: Should Task 8.2 SOW include participation in national meetings?

Answer: Yes. Task 8.2 of the Statement of Work and been revised to read “The

Contractor shall participate and coordinate monthly teleconferences of the

Workgroup for Coordination and Collaboration, which supports all of the grantees of the CMHI, and when directed by the COR/ACOR participate in national meetings.”

44. Question: Can registration fees for national meetings be included in the cost?

Answer: Only for non-SAMHSA meetings. SAMHSA meetings do not have registration fees.

Optional Task 3

The second bullet in the activities for Optional Task 3 (p.12) reads “Develop products to help identify strategies for establishing linkages between the juvenile justice and mental health systems” [Emphasis added.]

45. Question: Please confirm activity under the second bullet for Optional Task 3 should read “Develop products to help identify strategies for establishing linkages between the child welfare and mental health systems.”

Answer: Optional Task 3 has been revised in the Statement of Work, Delivery

Schedule and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan to revise references to juvenile justice. Please see revised Statement of Work Delivery Schedule and Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan.

The third bullet in the activities for Optional Task 3 reads “Conduct webinars on Child welfare issues relevant to SOC grantees” and the deliverable is 4 quarterly webinars.

The SOW reads “This support can be provided through conducting 2 (two) workshops during grantee conferences, quarterly training webinars, or through direct TA such as monthly conference calls.”

46. Question: The SOW does not require quarterly activity webinars. Please specify, how should the SOW align with the Delivery Schedule?

Answer: The contractor should develop quarterly webinars on relevant child welfare issues.

Optional Task 4

The third bullet in the activities for Optional Task 4 (p.13) reads “Conduct webinars on child welfare issues relevant to SOC grantees” and the deliverable is quarterly webinars.

[Emphasis added.]

47. Question: Please confirm activity under the third bullet for Optional Task 4 should read “Conduct webinars on juvenile justice issues relevant to SOC grantees.”

Answer: The Delivery Schedule under Optional task 4 has been revised to read

“Conduct webinars on juvenile justice issues relevant to SOC grantees.” Please see revised Delivery Schedule.

The SOW reads, “This support can be provided through conducting 2 (two) workshops during grantee conferences, quarterly training webinars, or through direct TA such as monthly conference calls.” [Emphasis added.]

48. Question: The SOW does not require quarterly activity webinars. Please specify, how should the SOW align with the Delivery Schedule?

Answer: The contractor should develop quarterly webinars on relevant juvenile justice issues.

Attachment 7: Disclosure of Lobbying Activity

49. Question: Are all subcontractors required to complete the disclosure of lobbying activity form?

Answer: All parties with the potential of receiving an award must complete the form if applicable.

50. I would like to know who is the incumbent for this solicitation?

Answer: There are 3 incumbents

AIR: HHSS2801201000001C

University of Maryland: HHSS2080201300002C

Georgetown University SM059944 (this is a Cooperative Agreement)

51. Question: Is Georgetown the incumbent for the NTTAC requirement? If so, could you provide the contract number? I can’t find a contract on FPDS with a matching description.

Answer: Georgetown is an incumbent for the NTTAC cooperative agreement.

Answer: They are not a contract; they are a cooperative agreement and their ID number is SM059944.

52. As a non-profit institution of higher education that is not currently registered under

NAICS code 541690, may we submit a proposal as the prime offeror?

Answer: Yes, you may.

53. Georgetown University’s Center for Child Health and Human Development has received funding for many years under the NTTAC. We notice that the NAICS code for the acquisition referenced above is 541690. As you may be aware the University is listed under several NAICS codes but 541690 is not one of them. Will this prohibit us from submitting a proposal in response to thIs RFP?

Answer: No, you may submit a proposal in response to this RFP.

54. I was curious if this was a follow-on requirement. If so, would it be possible for you to provide the incumbent information (we need the contract number and contractor).

Answer: Please see question 50.

55. Would you be able to tell me if there is an incumbent contractor for this requirement?

If so, could you please provide the contractor name and the contract number that was awarded?

Answer: There are 3 incumbents for this requirement.

AIR: HHSS2801201000001C

University of Maryland: HHSS2080201300002C

Georgetown University SM059944

56. Question: Page 2 of the proposal instructions requires “One electronic copy in

Microsoft Word (technical) and Excel (budget). The electronic copy shall be provided on a standard PC-compatible CD-ROM. May these files be submitted in PDF format on the CD-ROM?

Answer: No.

57. May the bibliographical reference be excluded from the 100 page limit?

Answer: The bibliographical reference is not required however, if the Offeror determines it necessary, they may number and include in the 100 page limit.

58. Question: On Task 1: Plan of Performance, 2. “Plan for TA to CMHI Grantees serving

AI/AN Populations” do you mean all CMHI grantees including AI/AN populations, instead of only AI/AN populations? Otherwise the non-tribal CMHI grantees are not covered since #3 covers non-CMHI Grantees only.

Answer: Yes Plan of Performance 2 should include all CMHI grantees including

AI/AN populations. This plan should contain the offeror’s strategies for completing

Tasks 7-8 of the SOW.

59. Question: Will SAMHSA provide a webinar platform for the Center to use for its webinar events or will the contractor be required to provide and budget for a platform?

Answer: The contractor will be responsible for providing the webinar platform.

60. Question: On page 20 of the SOW, at the end of Task 1, the government states that

“The Contractor shall coordinate an orderly transition of the project from the previous

CAFB Logistics contractor….” and under subsection (a) “…participate in five (5) or more meetings with the previous contractor to effect a smooth transition and to receive detailed information on the operation of the previous CAFB logistics task order.” This wording does not recognize whether or not the option year of the RFTOP 280-13-0410 contract will be exercised or not and therefore implies a one way transitioning of resources. Given that the current scope of work suggests that three TA functions would be merged into one, please clarify the government’s intention for an open competition with respect to the merger of these three?

Answer: The Government has included transition activities in the RFP and offerors should propose accordingly.

61. Question: At the present time, the current technical assistance contract procured under

RFTOP 280-13-0410 would be providing technical assistance through its option years until 2018. Are those option years cancelled? If not, how are applicants to address the scope of work for serving system of care grantees running parallel with the option years of the existing technical assistance contract to ensure that each applicant is bidding to the same requirements?

Answer: The Federal Government has exercised its right to not exercise future option years and offerors should propose as stated in the SOW.

62. Question: On page 2 of the SOW in the last full paragraph, the government states that training and TA will be provided to current CMHI grants and cooperative agreements, as well as new CMHI cooperative agreements. Please clarify for how many grants and cooperative agreements technical assistance is expected to be provided under the current contract, given that current grantees are already receiving technical assistance from another contractor?

Answer: Because the government is organizing and connecting technical assistance activities, the contractor will be expected to provide TA to all grantees. At any given time this can average approximately 70-90 depending on the year and funding levels.

63. Question: There are three entities that are named in this procurement – the steering committee, executive staff committee, and the team mentioned under 7.5 on page 28 consisting of subject matter experts. Are these three distinct groups, or is any one group a subset of another?

Answer: As written, and historically, these have been three groups. However, the offeror can feel free to propose another model.