Vendor Q and A.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 23 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- 36C10D21Q0042
- Issued by
-
Department of Veterans Affairs
About this file
This document contains questions and answers related to a solicitation for services supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs' Veteran Readiness and Employment Longitudinal Study. The study collects data and analyzes outcomes for nearly 50,000 veteran participants in the VA's vocational rehabilitation program over 20 years. Key details include that the contractor will collect survey data annually from eligible veterans in three cohorts from 2010, 2012, and 2014. The contractor must distribute surveys via mail and email, collect responses online and via mail and phone, and scan all paper responses with quality control checks. The contractor must also analyze and report longitudinal trends. The period of performance is one base year with four optional years. The total value is undetermined. The solicitation is set aside exclusively for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. The proposal due date was extended to September 13, 2021.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| FY2020 Longitudinal Study Technical Appendices.docx | DOCX document | |
| RFQ 36C10D21Q0042 A0001 Tracked Changes.docx | DOCX document | |
| Longitudinal Study SOW Final 08.25.2021 A0001 Tracked Changes.doc | DOC document | |
| 36C10D21Q0042 0001.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment D - Wage Determination 15-4281.pdf | ||
| Attachment B - VA 6500_6 Contract Security - Appendix C.pdf | ||
| Attachment A - Longitudinal Study SOW Final 08.10.2021.doc | DOC document | |
| 36C10D21Q0042.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment C - Past Performance Questionaire.docx | DOCX document |
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Sheet2
| # | Question | Government Response |
| 1 | The due date for proposals is 6 September 2021, which is a Federal holiday. Please confirm the due date. | The due date has been extended as a result of Amendment 0001 (A0001). Please refer to block 11 of the A0001 SF30 for the proposal due date and time. |
| 2 | The two optional tasks are not associated with a specific contract year, which will make them difficult to price. Would the government consider adding an optional CLIN for each optional task in every contract year? | No, Optional Tasks Six and Seven may be exercised during the Base and Optional years in accordance with CLINs 5001 and 5002, respectively. |
| 3 | Will the government consider progress payments for the larger tasks (notably, Task 4)? | No. |
| 4 | Section E.3, paragraph 6.3.1, pp. 32-33: The required format for Volume 1 does not include any allowance for key personnel resumes. May we include key personnel resumes in an appendix to Volume 1? | The RFQ has been updated to include an allowance for key personnel resumes. Please see the attached updated RFQ with tracked changes. |
| 5 | Section E.3, paragraph 6.3.1, pp. 32-33: The required format for Volume 1 does not include any sections that allow quoters to describe a proposed technical approach. Will quotes be technically evaluated solely based on personnel and corporate experience? | The RFQ language has been updated to include technical approach. Please see the attached updated RFQ with tracked changes. |
| 6 | Section E.3, paragraphs 6.32, p. 32: The solicitation states that quoters may submit no more than two past performance questionnaires. May we include information on other relevant recent projects in volume 2? | No, please limit your response to two (2) past performance questionnaires. |
| 7 | Section E.3, paragraphs 6.32 – 6.3.4, p. 32: Please confirm that there is no page limit for volumes 2 through 4. | There are no page limits for volumes 2 through 4. |
| 8 | SOW p. 3: May quoters assume that the survey and sampling methodology for the base contract year has already been established and will be provided by the Government to the contractor? Please provide copies of the most recent annual reports from the study, including any technical appendixes detailing the current sampling methodology, survey methodology and non-response weighting to assist quoters in pricing Task 4. | Yes. Please see the technical appendices attached for reference. |
| 9 | The latest VA VR&E Annual Report that is publicly available (Annual Report 2020 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019: https://www.benefits.va.gov/VOCREHAB/docs/VRE2019_LongStudy.pdf), notes on page 2-7, footnote 7 that “For the 2015 survey year, a $10 incentive was provided to survey respondents. The incentive was not offered for the 2016, 2017, 2018 or this year’s survey.” Can the VA please provide the rationale as to why incentives to survey respondents were discontinued and if the VA is open to incorporating the use of respondent incentives in future survey years? | The VA is not incorporating the use of incentives for future survey years. |
| 10 | SOW p. 1, section “3. Background” notes “The scope of this contract is to collect the data on nearly 50,000 Veteran participants and provide analysis that will provide useful demographics and trends relating to the targeted veteran customer within VR&E’s Chapter 31 program.” According to the latest VA VR&E Annual Report that is publicly available (Annual Report 2020 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019: https://www.benefits.va.gov/VOCREHAB/docs/VRE2019_LongStudy.pdf), it appears there are closer to 10,000 Veteran participants currently eligible for the study. See Annual Report 2020 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, Table 2B-1 (VR&E Longitudinal Survey Completions during FY 2019 Administration) on page 2-8. Row 1 of this table indicates there are 47,269 Veterans across the 3 cohorts, while row 5 indicates 10,804 Veterans were eligible for the study across the 3 cohorts during the FY 2019 administration of the survey. Can the VA please provide the total number of Veterans who are anticipated to be eligible for the FY 2022 survey by cohort? And are these the total number of Veterans for which the contractor is expected to collect data for? | The entire cohort population is equal to nearly 50,00 participants for the Longitudinal Study. Data to be analyzed includes VA administrative data on all participants, not just the individuals that completed the survey. |
| 11 | SOW p. 3, section “4.0 Task Four: Survey Collection and Distribution” notes “Respondents will initially be invited to complete the survey online. The invitation shall include a cover letter and the internet address to complete the survey.” Can the VA please clarify how this invitation is sent? It is by mail, e-mail, or a combination of mail and e-mail? If it is a combination of mail and e-mail, could the VA please provide the anticipated distribution of mail and e-mail invitations by cohort for the eligible study participants? | The invitation is sent by a combination of mail and e-mail. Please see the technical appendices attached for reference. |
| 12 | SOW p. 3, section “4.0 Task Four: Survey Collection and Distribution” also notes “Participants who do not complete the assessment online may be subsequently mailed an assessment packet containing a cover letter, scannable paper survey, and postage-paid return envelope.” Could the VA please clarify the total potential number of mailings that study eligible participants are expected to receive and the contents of each mailing to help inform the budgeting process? | Please see the technical appendices attached for more information on survey methodology. |
| 13 | SOW p. 3, section “4.0 Task Four: Survey Collection and Distribution” also notes “For those participants who do not complete the assessment by web or mail, may complete the survey by telephone.” Could the VA please provide data on how many study eligible participants have active phone numbers available by cohort to help inform the budgeting process? | Please see the technical appendices attached for more information on survey methodology. |
| 14 | SOW p. 3, section “4.0 Task Four: Survey Collection and Distribution” also notes “Image/Scan all returned assessment instruments, with quality assurance check (manual) for 10% of instruments returned – a maximum of 100,000 paper assessment instruments shall be sent out annually for the cross-sectional study.” Could the VA please clarify how the figure of 100,000 paper assessment instruments was derived? How many eligible study participants are anticipated and how many paper assessment instruments does each eligible participant receive annually? | This requirement has been removed from the SOW. Please see the attached updated SOW with tracked changes. |
| 15 | SOW pp. 5-6: Please confirm that the optional tasks should be number six and seven, not seven and eight. | This has been corrected. Please see the attached updated SOW with tracked changes. |
| 16 | SOW p. 5: Task 7A: Does the VA have any requirements for the sample size of the cognitive labs? Does the VA have existing cognitive lab protocols that the contractor would be required to use? | The VA does not have requirements at this time for the cognitive labs. This deliverable may be waived as it may not be required for OMB approval on an existing study. |
| 17 | Exhibit A shows Deliverable 5B – annual briefing, and RFP Price/Cost Schedule page 6 includes “Briefings”. But Task 5 on SOW page 5 does not list Deliverable 5B/briefing. Are annual briefings required? | This requirement has been removed from the SOW. Please see the attached updated SOW with tracked changes. |
| 18 | As there are a total of 47,000 Veterans in the cohorts (per the 2019 Annual Report), we are confused by the references to a maximum of 100,000 paper instruments (SOW page 4) being sent annually with up to 50,000 survey respondents (Exhibit A, deliverable 4A). Is the VA considering expanding the sample size beyond the number of individuals in the current cohorts? To allow for flexibility in future sampling, are we to use 100,000 sent surveys and 50,000 survey respondents as the annual budget assumptions? Please confirm or correct the budget assumptions we should use. | This should just be for the number of individuals in the cohorts which is nearly 50k. |
| 19 | Is the vendor responsible for sending VA any comments written in the margins of the paper surveys? | Yes. |
| 20 | Scope of Work (p.1) – Do you want the contractor to compare all prior year’s data and reports and incorporate the information for current Annual Reports or selected prior years? If selected prior years, which years? | Yes. The requirement is for a Longitudinal Study. The contractor will need to compare prior year's data and incorporate the information. |
| 21 | Scope of Work (p.1) – Please make available a copy of the previously developed Program Management Plan (PMP) as it may have cost implications. | The PMP of another contractor will not be made available. |
| 22 | “6. Place of Performance” (p.2) - Please provide the estimated number of management status meetings and briefing presentations and the number that will be virtual versus in-person. | The VA and the contractor will need to meet on a weekly/bi-weekly basis during the base year period of performance to provide updates. All meetings are virtual. |
| 23 | “4.0 Task Four: Survey Collection and Distribution (p.4) – “- a maximum of 100,000 paper assessment instruments shall be sent out annually…”. On page 1 it states that data will be collected for nearly 50,000 veterans. On what basis could up to 100,000 instruments be sent out? Is it required that we account for 100,000 instruments in our budgets? | This should be 50,000. |
| 24 | Would the Government please clarify the due date and consider extending it to September 7, 2021 so that it is not due on Labor Day? Currently, the SF1449 has it due September 6 and SAM.gov has it due August 30. | The proposal due date and time is stated on the SF1449. The August 30 due date stated on SAM.gov is not correct. The due date has been extended as a result of Amendment 0001 (A0001). Please refer to block 11 of the A0001 SF30 for the proposal due date and time. |
| 25 | Would the Government allow offerors to submit CPARs with the proposal for past performance information in lieu of requiring a Past Performance Questionnaire? | Yes, a past performance questionnaire does not need to be submitted if the rating is already documented in CPARS. Quoters may submit the CPARS rating with their past performance proposal or indicate that their past performance rating is available in CPARS. The Government evaluator will verify the rating in the CPARS database. |
| 26 | Will the contractor be required to reconsent Veterans participating in the VR&E Longitudinal Study that are already part of the three cohorts and participated in the previous wave of the VR&E Longitudinal Study? | No. |
| 27 | How long was the survey field period in previous waves of the study? | 12 weeks. |
| 28 | Does the Government anticipate the need to refresh the sample over the contract period of performance? | The sample may need to be refreshed during the contract period of performance. |
| 29 | Is the current online instrument effectively formatted for mobile devices? | Yes. |
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