283-12-1000 SAMHSA IDIQ 121211 PreProposal Conference Meeting notes.doc

SAMHSA IDIQ Pre-Proposal Conference

Monday, December 12, 2011

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, MD

Opening Remarks Lynn Tantardini, Contracting Officer in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), opened the meeting by introducing SAMHSA Deputy Administrator Kana Enomoto.

Ms. Enomoto explained that when SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde first joined the organization, there was not a clear and concise mission statement or vision. Ms. Hyde challenged SAMHSA staff to develop statements that could resonate with the Nation. The resulting vision statement is: “Behavioral health is essential to health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover.” The SAMHSA mission is defined as reducing the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

SAMHSA has key roles in the following areas:

· Leadership and policy;

· Data/surveillance;

· Practice improvement and information, including quality measures, technical assistance (TA), and evaluation and services research;

· Public awareness and education;

· Grant-making; and,

· Regulation/standard setting.

Ms. Enomoto reviewed SAMHSA’s eight strategic initiatives, which fall under three aims:

1. Improving the Nation’s behavioral health

I Prevention

II Trauma and justice

III Military families

IV Recovery support

2. Transforming healthcare in the United States V Health reform VI Health information technology (HIT)

3. Achieving excellence in operations VII Data, outcomes, and quality

VIII Public awareness and support SAMHSA has done fantastic things and has a huge charge that affects people’s entire lives. While there is an infinite number of worthy projects that can be done, there is also a need to focus. To that end, SAMHSA contracts will be clearly related to the strategic initiatives. There are expectations for partnering, but at the same time, there cannot be the inefficiencies of overlap.

Overview of Contracting Ms. Tantardini thanked Ms. Enomoto, then introduced the SAMHSA contracting staff. She noted that her presentation will be available online at https://www.fbo.gov/index?tab=documents&tabmode=form&subtab=core&tabid=a2a84d4282dbd023cc583abcc7f63f11 For the SAMHSA Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts, there are five domains, down from 10 previously:

1. Feasibility, Pilot, and Evaluation Projects

2. Statistical Projects

3. Health Systems Analysis, Economics, and Financing

4. Technical Assistance and Training Projects

5. Event Planning and Logistics Projects Ms. Tantardini noted that the Consumer, Family, and Provider Projects domain was removed and will be procured through a different mechanism.

Based on questions Ms. Tantardini had already received, she presented some clarifications. On page 65 of the Request for Proposal (RFP), there has been confusion about terminology regarding teams and joint ventures, and the domains. Ms. Tantardini explained that the reference is to “awardees” and that two prime contractors in the same domain cannot join together on a proposal for a Request for Task Order Proposal (RFTOP). One would have to be the prime and the other the subcontractor.

Regarding Section B, “Key Personnel,” contractors are not required to propose key people for each category – the contractor decides which categories are relevant, and which, if any, are not. They should propose the key people for the project whether or not they are on the list.

Another point of confusion was Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) and the Quality Assurance Plan (QAP). These are not the same. Regarding whether an organization is large or small, companies will get that information from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Non-profits and not-for profits are not small businesses according to the SBA definition.

A prime contractor can subcontract with any business in the domain, even the one in which they are prime, and can be a subcontractor under a small business domain. Ms. Tantardini presented a number of examples to illustrate this point. Similarly, a subcontractor can subcontract to more than one prime contractor. The RFTOP is issued by email. Because SAMHSA wants to work with small business, the majority of RFTOPs will be issued to small or all businesses.

For each domain, SAMHSA requires a technical proposal, oral proposal, and business proposal. The Notice of Intent must be faxed by December 19, 2011. Revisions will be accepted until January 4, 2012. Ms. Tantardini reviewed the page limitations for each proposal section. The total number of pages allowed in a single proposal is 110 pages. However, the 45 pages of the appendices can be printed on both sides. Offerors will present the technical approach at the oral presentations.

The number of technical and business proposals depends on the number of domains offerors wish to propose. The requirement is one technical and business proposal for each domain. This is a change from past. Each domain has its own technical review panel. These proposals are due by January 12, 2012. After the awards are made, offerors cannot submit unsolicited proposals to be considered for other domains. The change is largely due to a need to avoid disassembling the proposals, which could lead to errors or omissions. Separate proposals will provide clarity and guarantee that the proposal is what the offeror intends.

SAMHSA is required by statute to have proposals peer reviewed by a panel of individuals from the field. Points will be given as follows:

· Criteria 1: Corporate Qualifications – 10 points

· Criteria 2: Management Capabilities – 30 points

· Criteria 3: Key Personnel – 20 points

· Criteria 4: Technical Approach – 40 points

Criteria 1 and 2 are the same for all domains. The only caution is if the offeror has incorporated information on the proposed subcontractors and those contractors change between domains. Offerors should be careful to ensure that this information is accurate for each proposal. Each domain has separate requirements for Criteria 3 and 4. Technical reviewers will score the proposals before they come to the review. Offerors can add information during the oral presentation, at which point the reviewers will rescore.

The Technical Approach documentation in the oral proposal will be a 5-page overview of the company, with 10 pages for the domain and a 1-page presenter summary. Offerors cannot subtract pages from one section in order to add pages to another. Slides can be multimedia with audio and video. Previously, proposals included hypothetical situations, which are no longer required. However, offerors that see this as the best way to convey their approach can present a hypothetical situation.

Time limits for the oral presentations are as follows:

· 5 minutes for setting up

· 20 minutes for presenting

· 10 minutes for the evaluators to caucus

· 15 minutes for a clarification-only question-and-answer period.

Ms. Tantardini said that SAMHSA staff will try to schedule so that those proposing in multiple domains can make their presentations on the same day, but this cannot be guaranteed. Staff will try to be particularly mindful when scheduling those who come to the review from out of town.

Next, Ms. Tantardini offered some tips for the technical proposals, which are summarized below:

· Although offerors can use their own layouts, SAMHSA suggests they follow the format of the evaluation criteria.

· Offerors should include resumes of no more than two pages for all key personnel, as well as letters of commitment for personnel not currently employed, consultants, and subcontractors

· The 45 pages of appendices can be double-sided.

· Those using colors should make sure the document is readable.

· Double- or single-spacing is at the discretion of the offerors.

· All margins must be at least ¾ of an inch from the edge of the page.

· Any font may be used, provided it is no smaller than Times New Roman 10.

Tips for business proposals are provided in the slides, which are available online. Highlights include the following:

· Offerors can list personnel availability rather than a time commitment.

· If a prime has GSA rates, they can be used for the SAMHSA IDIQ.

· Where a rate agreement exists, a copy of the agreement must be provided for the prime and subcontractors proposed.

· Offerors without a rate agreement will have 90 days to submit their rate information to NIH for approval, should they receive an award.

· The business proposals must include labor rates and indirect costs, but not costs such as travel, supplies, postage, etc.

· IT costs are not included but could be under the RFTOPs.

· If subcontractors are concerned about information being released to the prime contractor, that information can be sent in a sealed envelope with the prime contractor’s proposal. It cannot come to SAMHSA separately.

· For Domain 5, offerors must submit information or documentation that the small business is in the 8(a) program and/or that it is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB).

Ms. Tantardini reminded offerors to include the required information on the cover page and focus on past performance of the organization as a whole, not just the key personnel. If there is not sufficient information on key people who are new or have yet to join the organization, offerors should discuss the organization’s vision for the position. SAMHSA staff will not track down missing information.

A chart showed the minimum number of awards for each domain according to large and small business categories. Awardees receive one contract award, and that award will include the information the offeror provides in the business proposal(s). Awardees can add new subcontractors to the IDIQ later, with the proper documentation. If an awardee drops a subcontractor, no justification is necessary, but the awardee should inform Ms. Tantardini.

There is some information required for RFTOPs that is not required for IDIQs. Large businesses receiving RFTOPs must submit subcontracting plans where the task orders exceed $650,000 for the performance period, including option years. RFTOPs must include IT Total Estimate Cost Worksheets for each prime and each subcontractor, in addition to a combined worksheet.

Ms. Tantardini closed by noting that proposals must be delivered to the SAMHSA loading dock, not the front door. Proposals are due at 3 p.m., and traffic can be bad in the area, so it is wise to allow for ample extra delivery time.

Question and Answer Ms. Tantardini answered questions from those present.

1. Please clarify what the “oral presentation” is. Do we record an oral presentation and submit on a flash drive or electronically? Or do all contractors come in and physically do a live presentation?

You will submit slides on January 12. Everyone will then do an oral proposal in person. You will send a hard copy in the proposal, not a flash drive.

2. What was the amount of the funds awarded under the previous IDIQ, and how many task orders were there?

Awards can range from less than $1 million to over $32 million. Under the current IDIQ, SAMHSA had $340 million total. SAMHSA does a lot of work with contracts that support grants. Ms. Tantardini said that she will obtain a better answer. She will also provide comparable information on the number of RFTOPs. Update – 142 awards, approximately totaling $1,210,400,926.

3. What percentage of the anticipated RFTOPs under each domain 1-4 will be restricted to the small business IDIQ holders only?

Ms. Tantardini said that she did not know. The goal for small business is 30 percent, which includes continuations.

4. Will SAMHSA release forecasts under the new IDIQ, and if so, how often?

If Ms. Tantardini gets the forecast information, she can issue one, but that information is not always available to her. In addition, she had time constraints last year. She will try to do this in December or January. Once the forecast is issued, there should be only minor changes.

5. Regarding the technical approach section pages, are those all to be in slide format, and are there restrictions on the slides?

Yes, they are to be in slide format. Offerors can put written documentation on a slide.

6. What exactly comprises payroll documentation?

It supports what the offeror pays. Some positions might not be filled, in which case offerors should at least provide what they anticipate paying or have paid in the past, specifying that this is an estimate.

7. Please clarify that SAMHSA employees cannot be listed or named as authors or co-authors on any direct product resulting from this contract.

There should not be publications submitted under a contract that is done by SAMHSA workers. This might have to change for publication in research journals.

8. Are resumes to be provided for all proposed staff or key staff and personnel?

Resumes for key personnel should be provided. However, as offerors devise the proposal, they should include the resumes they think will add to the proposal. They should not leave the reviewers guessing.

9. If the reviewers will assign scores to the technical approach based on slides, and the slides can have audio and video, how are the audio and video communicated?

The reviewers will re-evaluate their scores based on what the slides have put across.

10. Having the slides scored in advance makes a potential offeror nervous.

The scores are given in advance and adjusted. The reviewers have the information in advance so that they can review it carefully and with sufficient time.

11. If an offeror anticipates graduating from small to large business categories, how should it bid? SBA is now saying that things have changed from previously, when a business kept the status it had initially for the life of the contract.

SAMHSA will check with SBA for clarification.

12. If a RFTOP is restricted to a small business for a particular domain, is there any way the large businesses can be notified at the same time so that they would have the opportunity to go to small businesses as a subcontractor?

No. A small business can approach a large business to be a subcontractor, but the announcement only goes to small businesses.

13. What is the anticipated amount of capital a company should have to potentially handle travel reimbursement? To what extent do offerors prove this?

Ms. Tantardini said that she will get an answer on that. Awardees will have to reimburse travel within 30 days, but she was not sure about revenue. The ability to show a history of paying for travel reimbursement would help.

14. For the 15 slides, if a bidder is applying for only one domain, does it matter where the bidder places information about the subcontractors, in the 5 pages or the 10? Or can it be either?

This can go into Key Personnel and Corporate Qualifications. Offerors have flexibility to put the information where it best flows.

15. A visually appealing oral proposal may not have a lot of words. It may be difficult to score for a reader. Is it preferable to have many words on slides or to score lower for written slides and add verbal comments during the presentation? Can offerors include presenter notes on the slides they submit?

There is one slide to one page. If an offeror wishes to have many words, that is a choice. It is their decision as to how to present best. As for the presenter notes, it is not clear how large they would be. Offerors should do what works. They do not get points for the presentations being pretty.

16. Can subcontractors use their GSA rates for business proposals? How is that submitted and applied to the subcontractor?

Some companies have not worked with SAMHSA previously, so these proposals should include the loaded rates and how they were derived. SAMHSA does not want to deny those who do not have something established. SAMHSA does not do a lot of GSA work, but will recognize GSA rates. In a situation where the prime and subcontractor do a team agreement, and the subcontractor wants to use its GSA rates in the teaming agreement, it needs to be clear that that company is the subcontractor.

17. For businesses bidding on multiple domains, does SAMHSA expect an overarching management structure to be proposed across domains or is management domain-specific?

Offerors should have an overall project director but cover their bases for all domains.

18. Does SAMHSA want to see labor availability averages or by year across years?

Offerors should show all years if they can.

19. Can a firm have multiple domains on the top of the past performance request?

Yes, as long as Ms. Tantardini can see it.

20. Can slides include the notes section?

What is on the paper will be considered. In a further question about whether the oral presentation will allow slides only and not notes, Ms. Tantardini said that she has never used presenter notes. Another participant said that the notes are written text that would not show except in the printed version, and asked if there was a need to show a version that has all the text. Ms. Tantardini said to show just the slide.

21. Can SAMHSA give guidance on the qualifications for each labor category?

SAMHSA does not give descriptions, the titles are for guidance. For example, SAMHSA might have a statistics person under one title and an offeror’s statistics person might have another title, in which case the offeror should use its person’s title. The point is to make it clear.

22. The commitment letter has many required items. Is that in the commitment letter or RFTOP?

It is in the RFTOP for large business, not the IDIQ.

23. A point of confusion is that a potential offeror thought the 5 visual aids pages were a PowerPoint summary and the 10 pages were a written narrative. Now it sounds like a 16-page PowerPoint.

One page will list presenters, the 5 pages will show the offeror’s capabilities, and the 10 will show the approach. That is not a 10-page, single-spaced narrative.

24. How many subcontractors were there under the TTA domain?

Each contractor does own team, it varies. Offerors should be prepared. Some might have 1 subcontractor and some 10. There is no preferred number. Offerors should use what fits them best.

25. On p. 68, there is a specification of a single project director for any award implementation. How do offerors determine that without a RFTOP? Is that for a RFTOP or the whole domain?

Offerors have a project director for the domain and the overall IDIQ, which could be same person. The IDIQ is a shell, and RFTOPs fill the shell. The project director will not do a lot on the RFTOPs.

26. There was a point of confusion about the points given to the first five slides.

Those are an overview of the organization and will not carry points as a subfactor, but will support corporate qualifications and management. They can affect points.

27. Does the statement about 2-sided copies allowed apply only to resumes?

That is only for the 45 pages of appendices.

28. What about letters of commitment?

They do not have to be only in the business proposal.

29. Can the data required to appear on the cover page be presented on an inside cover page rather than the binder cover?

Yes, that is fine.

30. Must offerors provide rates for all 60+ labor categories or can they select only those that apply (the same that Ms. Tantardini said apply for key personnel)?

Offeror can select categories. SAMHSA has 12 key personnel categories, but they might not be key in every domain, and the offeror may not have all of those listed. If there are other positions, the Offerors can add those as well.

31. A potential offeror was a subcontractor to a large company in the last IDIQ, but was never tasked or responded. The company now wants to respond on its own. The company would think of partnering with other systems, but wants to know if it is okay to not have subcontractors or to not be a subcontractor.

Companies need to propose if they want a chance, whether they have subcontractors or not. SAMHSA will use the IDIQ and will also do work in Fedbizopps.gov. But companies should put in for the IDIQ. The SAMHSA priority is to contract with small business.

32. The due date of January 12 is going to affect offerors’ holidays.

With the current IDIQ expiring in April, it is important to make awards before then, thus the current schedule. Ms. Tantardini will investigate the possibility of extending the deadline by 1 week. Update – SAMHSA will not be extending the due date of the propoposals.

33. Regarding feedback, the last time companies were able to get a debriefing on the IDIQ but not RFTOP. Can there be debriefings on unsuccessful RFTOPs this time?

SAMHSA will take that into consideration.

34. For the presenter page, what if a company designates someone who becomes unavailable?

Offerors may bring in a replacement page. They should not send it in.