RFP 283-12-1000 posted in FBO.doc

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Division of Contract Management, OPS

1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 7-1051

Rockville, MD 20857

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) No. 283-12-1000 “Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity

(SAMHSA IDIQ)”

Date Issued:

November 28, 2011

Date Due:

January 12, 2012

Questions Due:

December 8, 2011

Intent Notice Due:

December 19, 2011

Time Due:

3:00 pm, Local Time

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (SAMHSA), invites you to submit a proposal in accordance with the requirements of Request for Proposal No. 283-12-1000 for the project entitled "SAMHSA IDIQ.” There will be multiple North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes for this acquisition. The small business size standard will vary with the different Domains (see page 77 for the NAICS Codes for the separate Domains).

A Performance Based Cost Plus Award Fee Completion type of contract is contemplated for a Base period of one (1) year plus four twelve month (12) option periods. Individual Task Orders will be awarded on a performance based cost-plus award fee basis. It is expected that multiple awards will be made from this RFP.

SAMHSA anticipates awarding approximately ten (10) such competitive contracts under this RFP for each of the separate Domain areas. Domain V, is Set-Aside for both Small Business in the 8(a) Program and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses. In addition, the other Domains will be competitive for large and small businesses. The planned performance period of this contract will be from March 15, 2012 – March 14, 2017.

The Statement of Work (Section C) describes the 5 project domains of this requirement. Offerors may choose to be evaluated on one or more of the domains, but are strongly encouraged to submit proposals only for those Domains in which they are particularly qualified. Offerors must submit a separate proposal per Domain. Resultant contracts will specify the domain or domains under which the contractor is eligible to receive task order awards.

You are expected to respond with technical and cost proposals for the specific domains that you want to be considered for and the total period of performance. Please note special requirements in Section L entitled "Instructions to Offerors.”

It is necessary to read Section C, Statement of Work, to ensure your understanding of this requirement, as well as the evaluation criteria at Section M. Past Performance will be used as a evaluation factor in this solicitation. Offeror’s should carefully review Section L and Section M of the RFP regarding this and other evaluation factors. This RFP includes a limitation on the number of pages to be included in each proposal (See Section L, page 69. Resumes shall be limited to two pages. Any material in excess of these restrictions will not be read or evaluated. (See Section L.2.A. Instructions to Offerors). The cost proposals will not be used to establish funding, but will be used for evaluation purposes only. Funding decisions will be made as task orders are negotiated and awarded under the IDIQ master contracts.

The proposal shall be signed by an official authorized to bind your organization. An original and eight (8) copies of your technical proposal and one (1) original of your business proposal must be received by the Contracting Officer no later than 3:00 p.m., local prevailing time on January 12, 2012:

WHEN UTILIZING THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE:

Lynn Tantardini

Contracting Officer

PROPOSAL RFP No. 283-12-1000

Division of Contracts Management, OPS

Rockville, Maryland 20857

WHEN UTILIZING SPECIAL/OVERNIGHT CARRIER SERVICE OR HAND DELIVERY:

PROPOSAL RFP No. 283-12-1000

Rockville, Maryland 20852

The RFP does not commit the Government to pay costs for the preparation and submission of a proposal.

It is brought to your attention that the Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with any acquisition action.

Questions should be submitted electronically to the attention of Lynn Tantardini at Lynn.Tantardini@samhsa.hhs.gov . The offeror is responsible for confirming receipt of electronic mail. You should also fax your questions to 240-276-1510 attention Lynn Tantardini, Contracting Officer.

We are enclosing a sample "Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Cost" format for your budget summary. Please modify this format to summarize the total costs for each cost element for each task and each year of your proposal along with a separate summary of costs for each option. You will still need to attach detailed breakouts of the cost elements as applicable. The "Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Cost" is listed in Section J, Attachment 8 of the solicitation.

Please note that Section K. can be access through the Online Representations and Certification Applications (ORCA) on the internet at the address in Section K. Contractors and their subcontractors must acknowledge in their Original Business Proposal, completion of the electronic Representations and Certifications.

Request for any information concerning this RFP should be directed only to Lynn Tantardini, Contract Specialist, Division of Contracts Management who may be called on Area Code (240) 276-1508; collect calls will not be accepted. Discussion with any other individual outside the Division of Contracts Management, may result in the rejection of the potential offeror's proposal.

You must submit a completed "Proposal Intent" form by December 19, 2011 indicating your intent to submit a proposal under this RFP. This form is Attachment 9 listed at Section J, and is needed for review as well as administrative and review planning purposes. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Sincerely, / s /

Enclosure: Request for Proposal

OMB NO. 0990-0115

SOLICITATION

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM TC \l2 "SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM Page 1 of 89 pages

1.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)NUMBER:

283-12-1000 2.

ISSUE DATE:

November 28, 2011 3.

SET ASIDE:

_ NO

X YES Certain Domains

See Part IV Section L

4.TITLE :

“Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (SAMHSA IDIQ)” 5.

ISSUED BY:

Division of Contracts Management

Office of Program Support

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 7-1051 Rockville, Maryland 20857 6.

SUBMIT OFFERS TO:

See Part III, Section J, "Packaging and Delivery of the Proposal," ATTACHMENT 4 of this Solicitation

7.

Proposals for furnishing the supplies and/or services in THE SCHEDULE will be received at the place specified in, and in the number of copies specified in Attachment 4 until 3:00 p.m. local time on January 12, 2012.

8. THIS SOLICITATION REQUIRES DELIVERY OF PROPOSALS TO THE OFFICIAL POINT OF RECEIPT FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING TIMELY DELIVERY AS STATED IN THE COVER LETTER OF THIS RFP. THE COVER LETTER IS AN OFFICIAL PART OF THIS RFP PACKAGE. IF YOUR PROPOSAL IS NOT RECEIVED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER OR HIS DESIGNEE AT THE PLACE AND TIME SPECIFIED, THEN IT WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE AND HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR CLAUSE 52.215-1, ALTERNATE I, ENTITLED, "INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS–COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION”

9.

Offeror must provide full name, address, TIN, DUNS, and, if different, the address to which payment should be mailed.

10.

FOR INFORMATION CALL: Lynn Tantardini, Contracting Officer

PHONE: (240) 276-1508

COLLECT CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

11.

Table of Contents on following page.

DETAILED TABLE OF RFP CONTENTS

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

SECTION D - PACKAGING, MARKING AND SHIPPING

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K -REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS…..52

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

1.GENERAL INFORMATION

2 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

A GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS……………………………………………………………………………….….59

B. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS…………………………………………………………………64

C. BUSINESS PROPOSAL INSTUCTIONS……………………………………………………………………...69

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

1.GENERAL

2.EVALUATION CRITERIA

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

This Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) performance-based contract will be used as a means to provide services to SAMHSA officials and staff to help them achieve their individual Centers/Divisions/Offices missions in a timely manner. The contract requires quick response capability, with performance according to specifications identified in individual Task Orders that will be issued over the life of the contract. The contract will enable SAMHSA to improve its technical, management, and administrative operations by significantly reducing the amount of time and labor required to obtain critical contract services and products.

Tasks are anticipated in one or more of the following five (5) domains:

Domain I Feasibility, Pilot and Evaluation Projects

Domain II Statistical Projects

Domain III Health Systems Analysis, Economics, Financing and Informatics

Domain IV Technical Assistance and Training

Domain V Event Planning and Logistics

B.2. PRICING/FUNDING CONSIDERATION

This Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract will remain in effect for a five-year period. Each Task Order will specify its period of performance. Task Orders can be awarded with Options, which would allow them to exceed 12 months, but no more than 60 months if all potential options were exercised. For each successful Contractor, irrespective of the number of Domains for which the Contractor has qualified, there will be a one time “minimum guarantee” award amount of $100,000 during the life of the contract. This amount can only be claimed at the end of the contract period, if the Contractor proposes on all Task Order RFTOP’s issued under their qualified domains during the 5 years. The SAMHSA IDIQ Ceiling for the entire 5 years is $900,000,000.

Task Orders will be awarded under this contract on a cost plus award fee basis. Task Order prices, estimated costs will be negotiated and funded at the time of Task Order award. Labor hours and other reimbursable elements, including travel, supplies, and materials, will be proposed as appropriate and negotiated for each Task Order. The base-fee and award-fee will be negotiated on the first Task Order awarded and apply to each Task Order thereafter.

For the performance of Task Orders, the Government shall pay to the Contractor:

(1) The cost determined by the Contracting Officer to be allowable in accordance with Clause FAR 52.216-7 “Allowable Cost and Payment.”

(2) Base fee shall be payable in accordance with Clause FAR 52.216-8 “Fixed Fee.” It shall be paid in installments based on the percentage of completion of work, as determined by the Contracting Officer, and subject to the withholding provisions of the “Allowable Cost and Payment” and “Fixed Fee” clauses of this contract, and is subject to an equitable reduction in the event the requirements of Section F are not satisfactorily completed.

(3) Award fee earned shall be based upon an evaluation and determination by the Government as to the Contractor's level of performance in accordance with the following procedures:

(a) The Contractor's performance shall be evaluated on an annual basis, during the period of the contract. The award periods and maximum amounts for each are listed in Section H, Special Contract Requirements, H.2., Award Fee.

(b) An individual "Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan” will be developed for each task order and shall be used to evaluate the Contractor's performance.

(c) The Contractor further agrees that the final determination as to the amount of Award Fee earned will be made by the Contracting Officer, taking into consideration an analysis and evaluation of the Contractor's performance made by the Evaluation Group described in H.2 Award Fee, and shall not be subject to the terms of the "Disputes" clause of this contract. The Contractor shall be advised in writing of the decision setting forth reasons why the Award Fee was earned, or why it was not earned, in order that the Contractor may improve its performance during the next review period, if the latter is applicable.

(4) Payment of Award Fee under this contract will be accomplished by an Administrative Letter, executed by the Contracting Officer, when the Award Fee, if any, has been determined to be due. The Administrative Letter shall set forth the amount of fee to be awarded for the performance period evaluated. Upon receipt of the letter, the Contractor may submit a public voucher for payment of the total Award fee earned for the period evaluated. Payment of the Award fee shall be subject to the withholding provision of the clause entitled "Fixed Fee."

B.3.

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DIRECT COSTS

a.

Notwithstanding the clauses FAR 52.216-7 “ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT” (APR 1988), incorporated in this contract, unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer, the costs of the following items or activities shall be unallowable as direct costs:

(1) Acquisition, by purchase or lease, of any interest in real property;

(2) Special rearrangement or alteration of facilities;

(3) Accountable Government property (defined as both real and personal property with an acquisition cost of $1,000 or more, with a life expectancy of more than two years) and "sensitive items" (defined and listed in the Contractor's Guide for Control of Government Property) regardless of acquisition value;

(4) Purchase or lease of any personal computer, related item of hardware, or software, regardless of dollar value;

(5) Travel to attend general professional meetings;

(6) Foreign Travel;

(7) Any costs incurred prior to the contract's effective date;

(8) Rental of meeting space not otherwise expressly authorized by the contract;

(9) 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;

(10) Consultant fees in excess of $500/day,

(11) Cost of delivery of any vouchers under the contract using other than the USPS Standard mail service;

(12) Airfare in excess of $1,000, and

(13) Cost of food and/or light refreshments for meetings, not including per diem cost.

B.4.

LABOR

The following labor classifications are anticipated to be the primary labor sources necessary to perform contract tasks orders

Project Director*

Senior Consumer

Psychologist/Sociologist

Project Manager*

Senior Anthropological Methodologist

Sr. Social Marketing Specialist*

Senior Policy/Public Health Advisor/Analyst* Senior Statistician/Survey Methodologist*

Policy/Public Health Advisor/Analyst

Statistician/Survey Methodologist

Junior Policy/Public Health Advisor/Analyst Junior Statistician/Survey Methodologist

Senior Systems Analyst*

Data Analyst/Modeler

Systems Analyst

Database Manager*

Junior Systems Analyst

Data Manager

Senior Telecommunications Specialist

Web Designer

Telecommunications Specialist

Web Master

Junior Telecommunications Specialist

Senior Database Programmer*

Senior Statistical Programmer*

Database Programmer

Statistical Programmer

Senior Web Programmer*

Junior Statistical Programmer

Web Programmer

Data Warehousing Specialist

Junior Web Programmer

Data Mining Specialist

GIS Mapping Specialist

MIS Specialist

Networking Specialist

Information Security Analyst

Multimedia Specialist

Data Entry Specialist

New Media/Graphics Specialist

Senior Medical Advisor

Junior Marketing Specialist

Medical Advisor

Senior Media/Graphics Specialist

Senior Economist*

Media/Graphics Specialist

Economist

Junior Media/Graphics Specialist

Junior Economist

Senior Editor

Senior Financial Analyst

Editor

Financial Analyst

Junior Editor

Junior Financial Analyst

Research Assistant

Secretary/Word Processor

Senior Research Analyst*

Marketing Specialist

Administrative Assistant

Other labor categories may be added if applicable and necessary to perform the scope of work under a specific Task Order. The Task Orders will reflect current rates. The rates proposed for contract award will be used as a guide by the Government to determine reasonableness.

The Contractor must propose labor rates for all categories that they determine are applicable to the Domains that they are proposing for. Those Labor Categories marked with * are “Key Personnel” and must be proposed regardless of the Domain. Further, for those positions, a resume and an actual labor rate (with supporting payroll documentation) must be proposed. These labor classifications are examples of the primary labor sources anticipated as necessary to perform contract tasks. If the Task Order Offeror intends to use more than one individual for a labor category, each proposed individual should be listed separately at his/her proposed rate and the evaluated hours divided among the individuals, as appropriate. Task Order Offerors should indicate which classes of labor and/or which labor titles they intend to use. If a Task Order Offeror proposes labor categories, which are different from the title or class provided in the RFP, it should provide a brief description of the duties for such titles. Any labor categories not fixed at the time of the contract award may be added during performance applicable to the scope of work under the specific Task Order. Junior positions are considered to be under three years of experience. Senior positions are considered to be over ten years of experience.

B.5.

GUARANTEED MINIMUM AND CONTRACT MAXIMUMS

The guaranteed minimum for each Contractor is a one time award amount of $100,000 during the life of the contract which includes all option years, if exercised. The SAMHSA IDIQ Ceiling is for the entire 5 years is $900,000,000. This amount can only be claimed at the end of the contract period, if the Contractor proposes and never succeeds as an awardee on all Task Orders offered to it during the years for which the Contractor is eligible.

B.6.

IT EQUIPMENT

The Contractor is required to provide its own IT hardware/computer equipment adequate to fully satisfy all operational requirements of the Task Orders awarded under this contract. (This should be considered in developing the cost proposal as no reimbursement is authorized for such items relative to this solicitation or the resulting task orders).

B.7.

TRAVEL AND EXPENSES

Travel expenses will be paid on a cost reimbursable basis. For the purpose of evaluation, travel expenses will be considered equal for all Offerors and will not be calculated in evaluating pricing proposals for contract award. Travel expenses incurred by the Contractor in performance of Task Orders under this contract shall not exceed:

a.

Cost of air travel by most direct route, using "air coach" or "air tourist" (less than first class) unless it is clearly unreasonable or impracticable (e.g., not available for reasons other than avoidable delay in making reservations, would require circuitous routing or entail additional expenses offsetting the savings on fare, or would not make necessary connections); or b.

Cost of coach rail travel by most direct route; or c.

Cost of travel by privately owned automobile. However, reimbursement for transportation by this means shall not exceed the cost of a. or b. above, whichever is less.

d.

The cost of travel by privately owned automobiles, and subsistence costs shall be reimbursed at rates not to exceed the Government travel policy in effect at the time such costs are incurred. The Contractor shall cite in any claim for reimbursement of travel costs the source of the rates used.

e.

All travel arrangements shall be made by the Contractor utilizing Government rates when that rate is the lowest available. Should the Government's rate not be the best price, in such cases as discount and/or super saver airfare, then the lowest price will dictate. Any refunds, rebates, or other benefits provided by airlines, hotels, etc., as a result of travel arrangements made under this contract shall be applied to the contract and shall not revert to the Contractor or the Contractor's affiliates. The Contractor shall cite in any claim for reimbursement of travel costs the source of the rate used.

This contract is subject to the provisions of Public Law 99-234 which amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to provide that Contractor costs for travel, including lodging, other subsistence, and incidental expenses, shall be allowable only to the extent that they do not exceed the amount allowed for Federal employees. The Contractor, therefore, shall invoice and be reimbursed for all travel costs in accordance with FAR 31.205-46.

B.8.

CONTRACT TASK ORDERS

Individual Task Orders will be issued as requirements occur. Task Orders will specify work to be performed and will reflect the labor rates of the proposed staff in effect when the task order is issued. The terms and conditions set forth in the contract will always apply. Task Orders will be Cost-Plus-Award-Fee. The pricing arrangement, the cost or price, and the period of performance will be established for each Task Order. The period of performance of a Task Order may extend past the IDIQ contract’s expiration date. Outstanding Task Orders will be performed at the rates/pricing which correlates to applicable contract period(s) in effect for their duration. It will be the determination of SAMHSA on how to issue the Request for Task Order Proposals (RFTOPs) and for which Domain. For those Domains with Large and Small Business areas, the decision will be made depending on the project to issue the Task Order under the Large Business area, or issue the Task Order under the Small Business area or issue the Task Order under both the Large and Small Business area.

B.9. ADVANCE UNDERSTANDINGS

Specific elements of cost, which normally require prior written approval of the Contracting Officer before incurrence of the cost (e.g., foreign travel, consultant fees, subcontracts) will be included in this SECTION if the Contracting Officer has granted his/her approval in the pre-award negotiation process. This Section may read as follows:

a.

Other provisions of this contract notwithstanding, approval of the following items within the limits set forth is hereby granted without further authorization from the Contracting Officer:

To Be Decided at the time of award under each Task Order

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

C.1. STATEMENT OF WORK

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the Statement of Work, below.

ELIGIBILITY: The Contractor is eligible to submit Task Order Proposals in all of the following domains:

Domain I Feasibility, Pilot and Evaluation Projects

Domain II Statistical Projects

Domain III Health Systems Analysis, Economics, and Financing

Domain IV Technical Assistance and Training

Domain V Event Planning and Logistics

C.1.

TASK DESCRIPTION

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) requires program and analytical support services, short term analyses, technical assistance, and support for its information and related programs. The Government will award more than one IDIQ contract as a result of this solicitation. To the maximum extent possible, each awardee will be given a fair opportunity to be considered for each Task Order for which it is eligible to compete. The Government will determine which Contractor will perform individual Task Orders based on the evaluation criteria contained in the Request for Task Order. These criteria will include technical (including past performance). Task Orders will be issued by the Contracting Officer, SAMHSA. The Contractor(s) shall perform some Task Orders under critical time constraints.

C.2.

TASK ORDERS

a.

Initiation.

As requirements arise, the Contracting Officer shall issue Request for Task Order Proposals (RFTOP) to Contractors who have been awarded a contract with eligibility in the specific domain(s) applicable to the task. Each Contractor shall have the opportunity to respond with a Task Order Proposal in accordance with the instructions provided. The Request for Task Order Proposal shall include a statement of work, schedule of deliverables, quality assurance surveillance plan (QASP), technical evaluation criteria and additional instructions as needed for each individual Task Order to be issued under this contract. Each Request for Task Order will be subject to Privacy Act, Publications, IT, and Evaluation clearances. All these clearances are obtained by the Contracting Officer Technical Representative prior to the issuance of the RFTOP and execution of the Task Order. OMB Clearance will be obtained after task order award, if applicable.

Each eligible Contractor will be provided a fair opportunity to be considered for each Task Order. However, the Government may issue a sole source Request for Task Order Proposal, if one or more of the following conditions exist:

1.

when the dollar value of the order is less than $2,500; or

2.

when the need for the service is of such urgency that providing all Contractors an opportunity would not be in the best interest of the Government; or

3.

when only one Contractor is capable of providing the service required at the level of quality required because the service is unique or highly specialized; or

4.

when the Task Order is a logical follow-on to an Order already issued.; or

5.

when required to fulfill a minimum order.

For each Task Order, the Contracting Officer will make a determination about the scope of competition, using the guidelines provided above.

Requests for Task Order Proposals will be issued by the Contracting Office primarily electronically through the Electronic Mail or Internet systems but they can also be issued by facsimile or mail. Contractors are required to have Internet or external electronic mail capabilities. Each Request for Task Order Proposal prepared by the Government will specify the project services being ordered from the IDIQ contract and the criteria for evaluating the Contractor's proposal, which shall contain both technical and cost/price information. The Contractor shall provide a Proposal containing both Technical and a Cost/Price information for performing the required services. SAMHSA’s policy is to use performance-based task order contracts whenever possible. Task Orders will be of a cost plus award fee type. All Task Orders will be performed at a negotiated cost/price, except when the Government executes unilateral Task Orders for predetermined levels of services.

When urgencies occur, the Government will unilaterally issue Task Orders on a not-to-exceed cost/price basis, and the Contractor is required to proceed immediately with performing all such work. The issuance of Task Orders for urgencies is exempt from the ordering limitations specified in Section F of this contract. For urgent Task Orders, pricing will be established through subsequent discussions and modification of the Task Order.

b.

Technical Proposal/Task Order Performance Team.

To the greatest extent possible, a Request for Task Order Proposal will be issued to each Contractor that has the applicable domain(s) approved in its contract. The Contractor is required to submit a proposal intent for each Request for Task Order Proposal.

Contractors shall prepare a technical proposal in accordance with the requirements of the RFTOP which will, at a minimum, include a brief narrative which demonstrates the Contractor's understanding of the statement of work, an itemized list of sub tasks to be performed, a delivery schedule, and a Task Order Team to perform the statement of work. There will be page limits for the technical proposal and appendices. If the Contracting Officer determines that the number of pages submitted exceed the limits the pages that exceed the limits will not be evaluated.

All technical proposals relative to any task orders will be prepared by the contractor and submitted to the Division of Contracts Management within twenty-one (21) days after receipt of the task order request, unless otherwise specified in the RFTOP. Task order responses can be submitted via email and shall be followed up in paper form, only if requested. The Task Order Proposal shall include labor hours for each person proposed. Some Requests will contain quick turn-around due dates. Upon final agreement, after negotiations, agreement of estimated cost or price, and finalization of the task technical proposal, including delivery schedule, the Contracting Officer will award the Task Order, and work shall commence in accordance with the Task Order requirements. Task Order Proposal preparation costs are not reimbursable.

Assignment of designated personnel to the team, as well as assignment of labor hours per individual is the basis for pricing each Task Order. The team's responsibilities and duties include the various requirements as specified in each Task Order. The required team for each task order will usually include one or more staff for each of the following three general categories:

Project Manager/Director

Program Specialist/Analyst/Statistician/Evaluator/Other Technical Staff

Administrative Support Staff

The Government may, if appropriate, streamline the task order proposal process so that only new information is solicited from the Contractor. Information submitted for the IDIQ award and any subsequent updates will be linked to each specific task order proposal submitted by the IDIQ Contractor.

c.

Cost/Price Proposal.

Cost/Price Proposals for Task Orders will be prepared by the Contractor and submitted to the Contracting Officer within the time specified in the Request for Task Order Proposal along with the technical proposal. Revisions to the initial Cost/Price Proposal resulting from negotiations will be submitted by the Contractor and received by the Contracting Officer within two (2) working days after the date on which discussions were held with the Contracting Officer, unless a longer period is specified in the Request. Proposals for performing the required services will be submitted on a Contract Pricing Proposal Cover Sheet, with detailed cost data attached. Task Orders will be of a cost plus award fee type depending on the nature of the work to be performed.

(1) The Contractor’s proposed Project Manager/Director or designated alternate shall participate in all technical discussions/negotiations concerning Task Order requirements. Discussions typically will cover areas of concern for which mutual understandings are necessary.

(2) When a negotiated Task Order agreement is reached in a timely manner on the services to be performed, a finalized Task Order will be executed. The price or estimated cost for Task Orders will be based on the negotiated levels of effort for each discipline, and all other terms agreed upon.

(3) If agreements cannot be reached, neither party will be under any obligation to the other concerning the services covered by the particular draft Task Order.

(4) Individual Task Orders are finalized when signed by the Contracting Officer. No work shall be performed on Task Orders until they are signed by the Contracting Officer. The signed Task Order will serve as the Contractor's "Notice to Proceed.”

d.

Task Order Award The Government envisions that a typical Task Order process, from initial request to award, will take between 45-90 days.

Unless otherwise stated in an individual Request for Task Order Proposal, the Task Orders will be awarded based on five criteria: 1) understanding of the work to be performed, 2) quality of the technical approach, 3) staffing plan, 4) management plan, and 5) estimated cost or price.

Evaluation of the Contractor's 1) understanding of the work to be performed, 2) quality of the technical approach, 3) staffing plan, and 4) management plan will receive paramount consideration in the selection of a Contractor for a specific Task Order. Following evaluation and negotiations, if two or more Offerors are determined to be approximately equal, cost will become a significant factor in selecting the Task Order Awardee. In any event, the Government reserves the right to make an award to the best advantage of the Government, cost and other factors considered.

Contractors will be evaluated on whether the Task Order Proposal illustrates an understanding and grasp of major policy/program issues applicable to the task to be performed, the quality of the technical approach, the staff proposed, and how well they have performed on previously awarded Task Orders under this contract. Prior to completion of the initial Task Order, the Contractor will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on prior performance. The initial work effort, alongside subsequent Task Orders will serve as the baseline of performance data. Evaluation will be conducted to determine how the Contractor has performed in terms of a) quality of product or service, b) problem resolution, c) timeliness of deliverable or service provided, d) cost control, e) business relations, and f) customer satisfaction. The Government may decide not to exercise option years to Contractors who have received an unacceptable performance evaluation.

C.3.

PERSONNEL/STAFFING

The numbers, types, and functional involvement of the Contractor's personnel and/or teams may vary from Task Order to Task Order; however, Contractor staff commitment is required throughout the task as accepted in its proposal and as mutually arranged with the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR). No key personnel may be substituted at any time during the life of the Task Order, without the express advance approval of the Contracting Officer. It is anticipated that the labor categories in Section B.4 of this contract are the primary labor sources for completion of contract Task Orders. Labor categories may be added by mutual agreement during performance applicable to the scope of work under the specific Task Order. The required team may include various combinations of the labor categories listed at Section B.4.

The Contractor agrees to provide administrative, technical, and professional personnel as required herein and as negotiated and agreed upon for performing work specified during all individual Task Orders. The Contractor shall provide a dedicated, stable, and technically qualified team to maintain continuity in the level of services.

The labor-hours per individual for the staff designated to perform the task is the basis for pricing each Task Order. The team's responsibilities and duties include the various requirements as specified and detailed in each Task Order.

C.4. USE OF SUBCONTRACTORS

In the response to each specific RFTOP, the IDIQ Contractor shall propose those subcontractors accepted through negotiations, as part of their original IDIQ proposal submission for that Domain. At any time during the period of performance of the IDIQ contract, an awardee may submit a formal request to add a new subcontractor or to delete an already accepted subcontractor. The request must include the rationale for the change being requested. Where a subcontractor is being added, the Contractor shall include a delineation of the specific qualifications of that subcontractor in the specific domain. Such requests may be submitted as part of a response to a particular task order RFP, or as an independent request.

C.5.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Activities conducted under this contract will include tasks that fall into one or more of the five domains. Contractor’s eligibility is stated in the contract and will have been determined based on the evaluation of Offerors’ proposals by the ad hoc technical review committee.

C.6.

GENERAL LANGUAGE (WILL BE INSERTED and REQUIRED in ALL Task Order Awards)

1. SAMHSA/DIVISION OF TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT (DTM) GUIDELINES (same as H.10): The Contractor shall use software that meets SAMHSA Guidelines. Specifically, the system(s) must be PC compatible, operate in a Windows environment, and use Microsoft Office Suite (Word; Excel; PowerPoint; and Access), .Net, Java or other software; Oracle or SQL server databases, as well as web applications services such as IIS and Oracle AS or other software consistent with SAMHSA/DTM standards. The Contractor shall at all times maintain compliance with current DTM standards, which may change over the duration of this task order. Any deviation from the SAMHSA standards should be negotiated with SAMHSA prior to task order award.

2. IT Plan: The Contractor shall prepare an IT Plan that will include the Design, Development, Implementation, and Maintenance for all IT Applications. The IT Plan should include functional requirements (e.g., data, workloads, user interface, reliability, security, and maintenance), technical requirements (e.g., hardware, software, and telecommunications) and operational and other requirements. It should also include major IT milestones and implementation dates of the project. The draft and final IT Plan shall be submitted as a deliverable to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) and the DTM [through the COTR] for review and approval.

3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY [IT] SECURITY REQUIREMENTS for SAMHSA CONTRACTORS and/or SUBCONTRACTOR

A.

Security Point of Contact The Contractor shall designate a security point of contact with which SAMHSA staff may work to resolve issues as they arise. This point of contact must be available on a continuous (24 by 7) basis.

Name: [to be identified in the technical proposal for the specific RFTOP] Position: [to be identified in the technical proposal for the specific RFTOP] Phone Number: [to be identified in the technical proposal for the specific RFTOP] Email Address: [to be identified in the technical proposal for the specific RFTOP] B Information System Security Plan

The Contractor shall develop, submit and maintain an Information System Security Plan (ISSP) compliant with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-18 Revision 1, Guide for Developing Security Plans for Information Technology Systems, standards and must be consistent with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and SAMHSA policy, as applicable to the task order’s Statement of Work (SOW). The Contractor’s draft ISSP shall be submitted no later than (NLT) 90 days after task order award and shall be finalized in coordination with the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR). The draft and final ISSP shall be submitted as a deliverable to the COTR and the DTM [through the COTR]. Full acceptance of the Contractor’s ISSP is contingent upon the review and approval of DTM.

ISSP requirements:

[i] Each of the 17 NIST control families prescribed in NIST SP 800-53, Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems, and the specific ways in which those controls are implemented must be addressed in the ISSP and pertinent to the function the system is designed to provide.

[ii] The ISSP must be reviewed on at least an annual basis.

[iii] The completion date of the ISSP should be revised to record when the plan is has been reviewed and update completed.

[iv] Version numbers must be employed and revised to record when changes are made to the document.

Following approval of the draft ISSP, the Contractor shall update and resubmit its ISSP to the COTR every three years or when a major modification has been made, as determined by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall use the current ISSP template in Appendix A of NIST SP 800-18 Revision 1, (http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-18-Rev1/sp800-18-Rev1-final.pdf) to complete the ISSP. The information contained in the Contractor’s ISSP must be commensurate with the System Categorization indicated by the Information System Security Officer.

Subcontracts: The Contractor shall include information consistent with this task order language in any subcontract for performance under the SOW, whenever the submission of an ISSP is required.

C NIST Security Control Implementation

General Security Control Implementation: The Contractor shall ensure each management, operational and technical control is addressed commensurate with the overall FIPS 199, categorization and corresponding NIST security control baseline (Low, Moderate or High) found in NIST SP 800-53. The security controls which must be evaluated are derived from the 17 NIST control families listed below.

· Access Control

· Awareness and Training

· Audit and Accountability

· Certification, Accreditation and Security Assessments

· Configuration Management

· Contingency Planning

· Identification and Authentication

· Incident Response

· Maintenance

· Media Protection

· Physical and Environmental Protection

· Planning

· Personnel Security

· Risk Assessment

· System and Services Acquisition

· System and Communication Protection

· System and Information Integrity

Vulnerability Detection and Incident Response: The Contractor is responsible for the detection and remediation of system or application vulnerabilities in a timely manner. Major incidents must be reported to the COTR and SAMHSA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) within one (1) hour of detection. SAMHSA must be made fully aware of incident detection and response efforts to include remediation techniques and plans.

D Information Security Training

The Contractor shall provide evidence of security awareness training within the Contractor operational environment. The Contractor must ensure that each Contractor employee has completed computer security awareness training course prior to accessing a Federal information system or Federal information in support of this task order, and thereafter completing an annual refresher course.

The Contractor shall maintain a listing by name, date of training, type of training (such as refresher or specialized) and title of each Contractor employee working under this task order that has completed security awareness training.

4. SECTION 508 COMPLIANCE:

A—Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, requires agencies and their Contractors to buy Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) that is accessible to people with disabilities.

B—On June 25, 2001, accessibility requirements for Federal Electronic and Information Technology took effect under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. This law requires that such technology be accessible according to standards developed by the Access Board, which are now part of the Federal government's procurement regulations (Ref. to the Section 508 Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Final Rule published on April, 2001 in the Federal Register).

C—These standards, as issued by the Board, cover a variety of products, including computer hardware and software, websites, phone systems, fax machines, copiers, and similar technologies. Provisions in the standards spell out what makes these products accessible to people with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, and mobility impairments. The Board included both technical criteria specific to various types of technologies and performance-based requirements, which focus on a product's functional capabilities.

D—The law relies strongly on the procurement process to ensure compliance with the new standards. Compliance with the standards is required except where it would pose an "undue burden" (as defined in the standards) or where no complying product is commercially available.

E—To be considered eligible for award, offerors must propose goods and/or services that meet the applicable provisions of the Access Board's standards as identified by the agency. Alternatively, offerors may propose goods or services that provide equivalent facilitation. Such offers will be considered to have met the provisions of the Access Board's standards for the feature or component providing equivalent facilitation.

F—In instances in which deliverables and other artifacts generated by the contractor are intended for distribution via the Internet, deliverables must comply with Section 508 requirements. Additional online resources, including the Section 508 compliance standards are available for reference (http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=12).

5. SAMHSA/OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS (OC) REQUIREMENTS

A. Branding – The contractor shall adhere to the branding guidelines outlined in the SAMHSA Identity Guide. SAMHSA is the only entity that will be branded in content, services, and products developed through this task order (including products, Web pages, program descriptions, etc.). Communications products and promotion activities developed through this task order will position and brand SAMHSA as the leading source for behavioral health expertise and innovation in the Nation

B. Communications Products - The contractor shall not expend funds on the development of any specific communications product until the SAMHSA Office of Communications has issued a concept clearance or other commensurate approval for the product including specific law or description in strategic initiative communications plan. The COTR working with the contractor shall ensure that SAMHSA products reflect SAMHSA's Strategic Initiatives and are produced with appropriate participation from all SAMHSA Centers and other relevant external agencies.

C. Public Engagement Platform (PEP) and Marketing Support - Use of and close collaboration with the COTR and SAMHSA’s OC for the services provided by PEP and OC is a requirement of this task order. This task order shall not reproduce or budget for any of the services that are available through SAMHSA’s OC. See below for details on the distribution services and Marketing Support that SAMHSA already has available:

· Contact center – 1-877-SAMHSA-7 which responds to public inquiries.

· Warehouse – full warehouse functions of receiving, maintaining, shipping, and managing the entire SAMHSA print and audiovisual library.

· Communications Products Pages – provides online presence for products, including “shopping cart” functionality to order/download products, tagging with the SAMHSA taxonomy, and other related content.

· Reports – provides inventory management information, (e.g. remaining inventory, monthly distribution, and reprint recommendations) and data analytics on the electronic consumption of SAMHSA communications products. Analyzing the product inventory reports is a requirement of this task order. The Contractor shall work with the COTR in obtaining these reports from the OC.

· Press releases, News bulletins – these are more traditional forms of information dissemination. They are typically distributed to other news outlets.

· Conference Exhibit Program – Provides a SAMHSA presence at meetings that are aligned with the Agency’s strategic initiatives. Provides publications, programmatic information, promotional materials, etc.

· eBlasts – Internet-based email marketing and current awareness tool that allows subscribers to create profiles and select to receive updates on topics of interest to them, including, but not limited to upcoming awareness campaigns, funding opportunities, and new publications.

· Social Media – SAMHSA utilizes various social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube) with a strong presence and following.

· SAMHSA Newsletter – SAMHSA News, the Agency’s newsletter, disseminates information to behavioral health service providers, consumers, and the general public from all SAMHSA program divisions and offices.

D. Adherence to SAMHSA Internet/Web Policy - The Contractor shall follow all SAMHSA Internet/Web Site Policy. Any development and production of Internet/Web applications, including Intranets and Extranets shall comply with SAMHSA policy and procedures. These policies and procedures cover web sites, web page linkages, and web development; and agency programmatic, concept, and technical clearances. All new contracts/task orders or modifications to existing contracts/task orders involving Internet/Web sites will require Programmatic and Concept Clearance from the Office of Communications and IT Clearance from the Division of Technology Management (OMTO).

i. Content Development and Management Plan - Within 60 days after the Task Order Effective Date (TOED), the Contractor shall submit a Content Development and Management Plan to the COTR, for review and approval by the CGC. This plan should be updated every six months and include information on the Web content that is being prepared for SAMHSA site. The plan should also include, but is not limited to:

· Social Media. Details on any channels of social media that are planned to be used, either external (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) or internal to the content with justification for their use.

· Email. Details on mass email distribution, or other Internet-based communication methods, with justification for their use.

· Processes. Descriptions of the processes for the review, approval, and clearance (if applicable) for the Web content (inclusive of social media, email, etc.) for both initial posting and ongoing maintenance. Multiple/variable processes for different classes of content is suggested if applicable.

· Disposition. The management plan shall also include a plan for management or disposition of the content after the task order ends.

· Hosting. If there is a plan to physically host the content outside of SAMHSA.gov, details and a justification shall be provided.

· Content Management System Standards. Details how the contractor plans to provide updates compatible with or directly through SAMHSA’s Web…