Attachment E - PSI Questions n Answers_Amendment 0001.xlsx
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- 36C10G22R0005
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Contracting
| CONTRACTING QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | |||||
| # | Document | Page | Question | Answer | |
| 1 | Regarding the Program Support Integration (PSI) (36C10G22R0005) opportunity. How many awardees are you expecting to have? | ||||
| Will it be a single award IDIQ? | Q1. One awardee. |
Q2. Please reference Solicitation, P.93, E.7, The VA intends to award one (single) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ).
| 2 | The 1449 says responses due 10-17-2022. The SAM.gov Offers Due shows Oct 11, 2022. | There was a system glitch in SAM.gov when posting the original solicitation. Please reference Solicitation, P. 85, E.4, Proposals are due no later than 11:00AM EDT on Monday, October 17, 2022. |
| 3 | We have a client that is inquiring about solicitation 36C10G22R0005 and whether there is an incumbent contractor? If so, could you please provide the current or previous contract number? Or is this a new requirement for the government? | Q1. Please reference Attachment C, PWS, Page 4, Paragraph 3 for the current contract number. |
Q2. The incumbent contractor is Iron Bow Technologies, LLC
Q3. This is not a new requirement for the VA.
| 4 | Would supporting PSI PWS item 5.2.2.1 cause Organizational Conflict of Interest in performing any OCC data analytics software development and engineering work under the Section 5.2.3 of the System Engineering Integration draft PWS Version Number: 1.2 dated December 3, 2021 under the Connected Care Integrated Network (CCIN) contract? | Please reference Solicitation Page 73, C.20. | |||
| 5 | RFP | Page 4 | RFP states "The contract POP is anticipated to begin on or around May 10, 2023." However, under the (iii) VOLUME III – PRICE FACTOR (page 91), RFP state "All Offerors should propose using an estimated award date of no later than September 30, 2023." | ||
| For the accurate pricing, please advise on which date offerors should use as the start date of the contract. | Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 has been updated with the amendment to reflect contract POP to start on or around May 10, 2023. | ||||
| 6 | Attachment D; and RFP A2.Price/Cost Schedule | Task Tabs | The hours for all CLINS in Attachment D and in RFP Table in section A2.Price/Cost Schedule increase by 2.2% year to year. Is that intentional or is the 2.2% escalation supposed to be applied to the offeror's rates year to year? | The increase of the government provided hours were used for the potential future growth of the program. It was not determined nor intended to be associated with an anticipation of escalated labor rates. | |
| 7 | Attachment D; and RFP A2.Price/Cost Schedule | Task Tabs | Given that the duration of the transition in period is determined as 180 Calendar Days per the RFP, the hours by LCAT associated with the Transition-In CLIN are only for Part Time resources. Please advise when the first Task Order will be awarded and if it will overlap with the Transition-In period? Or, will the first Task Order to be awarded follow the end of the Transition-In period? | The initial Task Order (which will include CLINs 0001 & 0002) will be awarded concurrently with the base IDIQ. All other Task Orders, for all functional areas, will be awarded as soon as possible, dependent on on-going assessments during the transition-in period. | |
| 8 | RFP | Page 72 | RFP states "The current SLA which applies to this contract action is 3.0%. To facilitate SLA reimbursement, the SLA Fee will be captured as a separate CLIN, not embedded in the individual prices, on ALL delivery and task orders issued therein. The current SLA Fee which applies to this contract action is 3.0%." The SAC fee is the cost of VA doing business with the SAC. Why is this fee being passed on to the successful bidder? | The SLA fee is not "passed on to" but rather passed "through the" Offeror. The SLA fee is a means of reimbursement for customary acquisition-related services necessary to obtain contractor services and/or supplies as required. The fee is automatically calculated into the Offeror's final proposed price, independent of all other proposed prices. The awardee will bill the VA (VHA) for the SLA fee and receive payment, in turn the awardee will remit the SLA fee back to the VA (SAC) via the instructions found on Solicitation Page 71-72, C.19. All Offerors are subject to the SLA Fee requirements. | |
| 9 | RFP | Page 86 | RFP states "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." Please advise if this also applies to proposed subcontractors? | ||
| Does this also apply to employment history listed for key personnel resumes, Key Personnel letters of commitment, any other proposed resource, and the corporate capability section (which requires details on the past performance of the contract)? | Q1. Yes, this also applies to subcontractors. |
Q2. This does not apply to employment history of key personnel.
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001.
| 10 | General | General | Is this a new requirement, or ongoing work associated with a previous IDIQ/contract? | This is a recompete requirement in which the PSI work is a portion of the current IDIQ contract being performed. |
| 11 | General | General | Is there a current incumbent? If so, is the incumbent eligible to bid on this work. | Q1. Yes, there is a current incumbent contractor. |
Q2. The incumbent cannot bid on this work as it is a SDVOSB set-aside requirement.
| 12 | General | General | Is this contract a consolidation of previous contracts? | No, it is not a consolidation of previous contracts. |
| 13 | General | General | What is the estimated contract award date? | Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 has been updated with the amendment to reflect contract POP to start on or around May 10, 2023. |
| 14 | General | General | Will task orders be awarded concurrently? | The initial Task Order (which will include CLINs 0001 & 0002) will be awarded concurrently with the base IDIQ. All other Task Orders, for all functional areas, will be awarded as soon as possible, dependent on on-going assessments during the transition-in period. |
| 15 | PSI doc | 86 | The PSI document says, "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." Does that requirement apply to past performance documents completed by otjher parties? | This does not apply to Attachments A & B of the past performance as they are submitted seperated from Volume II. |
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001.
| 16 | PSI doc | 86 | The PSI document says, "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name ." Does that requirment apply to all company names, including subcontractor teammates? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 17 | PSI doc | 86 and 89 | The PSI document says, "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." Does that requirement apply to company names normaly included in resumes? | This does not apply to employment history on resumes of key personnel. |
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001.
18 PSI doc 87 The PSI document asks the Offerror to provide a "successful low-risk transition from the incumbent." Who is the incumbent? Is there more than one incumbent for the tasks included in the RFP? Q1. The incumbent is Iron Bow Technologies, LLC.
Q2. There is only one incumbent.
19 Form 1449 cover Was this procurement released for competition on multiple contract vehicles? If so, which contract vehicles? Q1. This requirement was not released on multiple contract vehicles.
Q2. Not Applicable
| 20 | PSI doc | Pg 7 and 8 | The table lists, "Project Manager IV 18,240 hrs ea" - please clarify what this means? | The total hours for the Project Manager IV labor category for Ordering Period 1, CLIN 0007, is 18,240 hrs. |
| 21 | PSI doc | 91 | The PoP says award anticipated to be 5/10/23, but in the Price Factor section on Page 91 it says, "All Offerors should propose using an estimated award date of no later than September 30, 2023." Please clarify? | Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 has been updated with the amendment to reflect contract POP to start on or around May 10, 2023. |
| 22 | N/A | N/A | Can the government please confirm whether the submission date for the proposal is October 11th as posted on Sam.gov or October 17th as noted on the SF 1449 document? | There was a system glitch in SAM.gov when posting the original solicitation. Please reference Solicitation, P. 85, E.4, Proposals are due no later than 11:00AM EDT on Monday, October 17, 2022. |
| 23 | N/A | N/A | Will the government consider extending the proposal due date? | At this time, the Government does not anticipate extending the proposal due date. |
| 24 | Attachment D - B Table for Offerors | All | Will the government disclose who the incumbent is for Offeror to transition to during the transition-in period? | The incumbent is Iron Bow Technologies, LLC. |
| 25 | Attachment D - B Table for Offerors | All | The government fiscal year is 1912 hours, but the documents state 1920 hours. Will the government confirm a full FTE should be 1912 hours and will the government adjust the pricing worksheet as appropriate? | Yes, a full FTE is 1912 hours and yes, the pricing worksheet has been adjusted. |
Please reference revised Attachment D - B Table for Offerors provided with Amendment 0001.
| 26 | Attachment D - B Table for Offerors | All | The government applies a 2.2% escalation to the hours each Option Period. However, one FTE is 1912 hours. Did the government intend for the Offerors to apply the 2.2% escalation to the dollar value? | The increase of the government provided hours were used for the potential future growth of the program. It was not determined nor intended to be associated with an anticipation of escalated labor rates. |
| 27 | 36C10G22R0005 - Program Support Integration | 4 | The government states: "This solicitation is a total set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses under NAICS Code 541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (Primary NAICS Code) and 541613 – Marketing Consulting Services." However, the cover page and sam.gov state it is solely for NAICS 541611. Will the government please clarify? | Only one NAICS can be inserted into sam.gov, in which the primary was inserted. The requirement does cover both NAICS code, but as noted the primary NAICS is 541611. |
| 28 | 36C10G22R0005 - Program Support Integration | 85 | Can the government please confirm if proposal volumes can be submitted as separate PDF and excel files, instead of a zim file? | Please reference Solicitation, P.85, E.4. |
| 29 | 36C10G22R0005 - Program Support Integration | 86 | The RFP indicates that the offeror should register for the Vendor Portal to ensure timely transmission of their proposal. Can the government confirm if proposals should be submitted through a portal instead of via email? | Offerors are to submit proposals via email only. The vendor portal instruction has been removed. |
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001 30 36C10G22R0005 - Program Support Integration 90 The key personnel instructions indicate that the offeror should list the key personnel firm and address; however, the solicitation instructions indicate that company name should not be provided in the response. Can the government confirm if the firm and address should be excluded from resumes? Key Personnel employment history may be included on the resumes only.
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001.
| 31 | 36C10G22R0005 - Program Support Integration | 90 | Can the government confirm if the offeror should provide two corporate capability write ups total across all functional areas or two for each of the functional areas outlined in the PWS? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 32 | 36C10G22R0005 - Program Support Integration | 90 | Can the government confirm that a price proposal, with rates for each resource and corresponding hours, is not required for the sample task order? | A price proposal with rates is not required for the sample task order. |
| 33 | Solicitation | 86 | Do Vendors need to omit their company names from any headers and footers for all volumes? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 34 | Solicitation | 91 | Can the Government confirm that E.9 (52.212-3) is the only Reps & Cert that needs to be completed and submitted with proposals? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. Offeror is reminded that all items in in Volume IV are required to be considered compliant. |
| 35 | Solicitation | 91 | Are Vendors required to submit Reps & Certs for all proposed subcontractors? | No, just the Prime Offeror. Prime Offerors are responsible for reviewing reps and certs of their subs. |
| 36 | Solicitation | 92 | Are Vendors required to submit OCI statements with their proposal for all proposed subcontractors? | Please reference Solicitation, P.73, C.20, pargraph 3 - the Offeror shall also provide statements with its offer containing the same information for any consultants and subcontractors identified in its proposal….. |
| 37 | Solicitation | 85 | (Proposal Delivery Instructions) states the due date/time of the proposal is 11:00am EDT on Monday, October 17, 2022. However, the SAM.gov listing reflects the closing date/time is 11:00am EDT on October 11, 2022. Please confirm the due date/time in the official solicitation documents is correct. | There was a system glitch in SAM.gov when posting the original solicitation. Please reference Solicitation, P. 85, E.4, Proposals are due no later than 11:00AM EDT on Monday, October 17, 2022. |
| 38 | Solicitation | 85 | (Proposal Delivery Instructions) states Offerors may submit individual emails for each volume's submission. Can the Government please provide the maximum file size for each individual email? | The maximum file size for each individual email is 10MB. |
| 39 | Solicitation | 86 | (Questions and Answers) states Offerors are encouraged to register for the vendor portal in order to ensure timely transmission of their proposals to the Government. Is the proposal submission to be email (per page 85 Proposal Delivery Instructions) or via the referenced "Vendor Portal"? | Offerors are to submit proposals via email only. The vendor portal instruction has been removed. |
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001
| 40 | Solicitation | 86 | (2. Proposal Files, item c. Content Requirements). Bolded statement: "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." Will the Government confirm the most secure means to meet this requirement is by submitting redacted proposals to ensure no content referencing a company name or affiliation is unintenionally submitted in the proposal? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 41 | Solicitation | 86 | (2. Proposal Files, item c. Content Requirements). Bolded statement: "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." If the Government recognizes redacted proposal file submission is the most secure means to meet this requirement, will it be made a requirement for Offerors to submit redacted PDF files? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 42 | Solicitation | 86 | (2. Proposal Files, item c. Content Requirements). Bolded statement: "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." How does the Government instruct Offerors to present Past Performance information without including company name(s)? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 43 | Solicitation | 86 | (2. Proposal Files, item c. Content Requirements). Bolded statement: "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." Given the emphasis of bolded font for this requirement, will the Government provide additional guidance or examples for how Offerors can meet this requirement but remain compliant with required data fields as shown in Government solicitation documents such as Att A (Past Performance References), 2nd row "COMPANY who performed this work:"? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 44 | Solicitation | 86 | (2. Proposal Files, item c. Content Requirements). Bolded statement: "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." Is it the Government's expectation that all "company name" references are presented generically such as "Offeror" and "Subcontractor 1" without ever naming the actual entities? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 45 | Solicitation | 86 | (2. Proposal Files, item c. Content Requirements). Bolded statement: "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." If it is the Government's expectation that all "company name" references are presented generically such as "Offeror" and "Subcontractor 1", how does the Government evaluate Offerors who redact proposal submissions? | Please reference revised Addendum FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Items included in Amendment 0001. |
| 46 | Solicitation | 86 | (2. Proposal Files, item c. Content Requirements). Bolded statement: "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." The previous item a. states, "…company logos...may be within the page margins ONLY and are not bound by the 12-point font requirement." Can the Government please clarify how company logos are permitted if item .c states company names shall be omitted? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 47 | Solicitation | 86 | (2. Proposal Files, item c. Content Requirements). Bolded statement: "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name." Will the Government confirm that this requirement is applicable to resumes and that ANY company (past/current) name is to be omitted? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 48 | Solicitation | 91 | Confirm the applicability of a 1-page limit to the Price Narrative, as the solicitation states, "Offerors shall submit a narrative which certifies that the offeror will be compliant with the Wage Determination for any applicable labor categories. Offerors may also, within the one-page narrative, detail any discounts or other relevant pricing information." | One-Page narrative has been removed. |
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001.
| 49 | Solicitation | 95 | Will the Government provide more information for what is expected of the proposal narrative referenced in this section, stating, "The Pricing Workbook and the price proposal narrative will facilitate the price evaluation." | Offerors may submit a narrative that details any discounts or other relevant pricing information. |
| 50 | Solicitation | 95 | If the Government confirms the requirement of a proposal narrative specific to the Price Volume, will the required file name and type for submission be provided? | Offerors are not required to submit a price narrative, but may submit one and if so, please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001 for file naming convention. |
| 51 | Solicitation | 85 | (Proposal Delivery Instructions) states the due date/time of the proposal is 11:00am EDT on Monday, October 17, 2022. Given that Q&A is due 22 September and answers will likely not be available until 1 week later, will the Government consider an extension to 21 October to ensure the qualified SDVOSBs pursuing this opportunity have sufficient time to adjust based on Q&A? | At this time, the Government does not anticipate extending the proposal due date. |
| 52 | Could the Government please confirm if any piece of this work is currently being performed and if so the contract number(s)? | The incumbent is Iron Bow Technologies, LLC. Please reference Attachment C, PWS, Page 4, Paragraph 3 for the followon contract number. |
| 53 | Solicitation | 86 | “Each paragraph shall be separated by at least one blank line. Is it the Government’s requirement, given 12pt font, that this one blank line is 12pt? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. |
| 54 | Solicitation | 86 | “The page count will be determined by counting the pages in in the order they come up in the print layout view.” Does this exclude Cover/Title pages? | Please reference Solicitation P. 87 - A Cover Page, Table of Contents and/or a glossary of abbreviations or acronyms will not be included in the page count. |
| 55 | Solicitation | 92 | E.6 Evaluation. Will the Government expand the best value evaluation methodology beyond a simple "Acceptable" rating and instead have a specific and tiered rating for each factor? | Please reference revised Addendum FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Items included in Amendment 0001. |
| 56 | Solicitation | All | Please confirm incumbent contract, contractor, and value | The incumbent is Iron Bow Technologies, LLC. Please reference Attachment C, PWS, Page 4, Paragraph 3 for the current contract number. |
| 57 | General | We request the government consider a two-week extension for the VHA PSI Solicitation, with submission on October 31, 2022? Due to the complexity of this proposal, this extension will allow additional small businesses sufficient time to prepare a fully accurate and complete proposal which would in turn increase the level of competition for this solicitation. | At this time, the Government does not anticipate extending the proposal due date. | |
| 58 | Solicitation | 85, 86 | Per the Proposal Delivery Instructions on pg. 85, offerors shall submit either via an emailed zim file or separate emails. However, Page 86 encourages vendors to register in the vendor portal to ensure timely submission. Can the Government confirm that an email submission is acceptable? | Offerors are to submit proposals via email only. The vendor portal instruction has been removed. |
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001 59 Solicitation 85, 86 p85 Proposal Delivery Instructions state: Proposals shall not be submitted in a .zip file but rather a zim file titled “Company ABC.zim”.
p86, paragraph b states "All of the proposal volumes may be compressed (zipped) into one file entitled “Company ABC.zim” using WinZip version 6.2 or later version…"
The WinZip Knowledge Base (https://kb.winzip.com/help/help_compression.htm) does not list ZIM as a supported compression method.
Q8.1. Can the Government confirm that WinZip version 6.2 is capable of compressing files in the ZIM format?
| Q8.2. If WinZip is not capable of ZIM compression, can the Government recommend another tool that has been validated for ZIM compression? | Please reference Solicitation, P.85, E.4. | |||
| 60 | Solicitation | 86 | p86, paragraph c states "The Offeror shall OMIT their company name throughout the whole proposal response, for each volume, except for the cover page and file name. " |
Q9.1. Can the Government confirm that this includes omission of subcontractor names?
Q9.2. Does the Government intend for this name omission to include OFFEROR NAME and COMPANY who performed the work in Attachment A?
| Q9.3. Can the Government suggest an acceptable alias for referencing omitted contractor names? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. | |||
| 61 | Solicitation | 4 | The solicitation states "This solicitation is a total set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses under NAICS Code 541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (Primary NAICS Code) and 541613 – Marketing Consulting Services." |
| Can the Government clarify if this requirement implies that a successful offeror must qualify under both NAICS size standards, specifically whether a qualified offeror is determined by 541611 size standard of $22.5 million dollars or 541613 size standard of $16.5 million? | The requirement does cover both NAICS code, but as noted the primary NAICS is 541611. The apparent awardee must qualify under the primary NAICS code. | ||||
| 62 | Solicitation | Can the Government provide a timeline after contract award for staffing the on-site support for the Centers of Excellence? | Please reference Section 5.2.2.5 of revised Attachment G - Sample Task Order PWS. The requirement for onsite support has been removed. | ||
| 63 | RFP 36C10G22R0005 | 91 of 114 | In the instruction for Volume III - Price Factor, the Government states that "Offerors shall submit a narrative which certifies that the offeror will be compliant with the Wage Determination for any applicable labor categories. Offerors may also, within the one-page narrative, detail any discounts or other relevant pricing information." |
On the table on Page 87 of 114, the requested file type for the Price Volume is .xls.
Can the Government please clarify in which volume this narrative shall be placed and in what format? In Volume IV.
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001.
64 RFP 36C10G22R0005 91 of 94 With respect to rounding, the Government has stated that the offeror is to "Ensure that the two (2) digit unit price multiplied by the item quantity equals the two (2) digit total item price (there should be no rounding). "
However, in the locked pricing spreadsheet that was provided, there are hours that contain decimals such that the statement above can not be delivered. For example, in the tab "Other Deliverables", calles E3, F3, and G3. If the rate is set to $10.00 and multiplied by 981 hours, the result should be $9,811.00 but instead is being calculated as $9,811.20 due to hours not being whole numbers.
Can the Government either confirm that the submission of this spreadsheet as is would be compliant, or would the Government please issue an updated spreadsheet with hours as whole numbers?
Please reference revised Attachment D - B Table for Offerors. The pricing worksheet has been updated for whole numbers.
| &"-,Bold"Program Support Integration (PSI) | &"-,Bold"RFP |
| Questions & Answers | &"-,Bold"Solicitation No 36C10G22R0005 |
Source Selection Information FAR 2.101 and 3.104
Technical
| TECHNICAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | ||||
| # | Document | Page | Question | Answer |
| 1 | PSI PWS item 5.2.2.1 | Does PSI PWS item 5.2.2.1. include the software development, testing and deployment work such as CDW queries, ETL scripts, Power BI dashboards etc. Please clarify if the scope of 5.2.2.1 is limited to planning, requirements elaboration, design and evaluation? | This section requires the ability to perform data management and queries, write ETL scripts and create business intelligence reports using tools such as PowerBI. The vendor is expected to perform the functions listed and develop the business insights that will be specified at the task order level. | |
| 2 | PWS | 9 - 3.0 Scope of Work | In reference to the shall statement: "The Contractor shall identify a single point of contact for each functional area that shall act as the representative and program lead for all work done under that functional area and support integration across functional areas." We understand per the solicitation instructions that company or vendor names can not be listed in the document outside the file name and title page. To meet the shall statement above on page 9, 3.0 Scope of Work of the PWS, will the Government permit the vendor to provide named staff that will serve as "a single point of contact for each functional area" and their relevant experience in the soliciation response. | Yes, the vendor may include the names of individuals and their relevant experience in the proposal. The vendor will also state whether the individual will work for the prime or a subcontractor. |
| 3 | Attachment G | Sample Task Order | Does the Government intend to award the sample task order? If yes, will the sample TO be awarded at the time of the IDIQ award? | Yes, a version of the sample task order will be awarded. This will occur after the base IDIQ is awarded. |
| 4 | Attachment G | Sample Task Order | If the sample TO is not awardable, will the sample task order and requested sample Task Order LOE only be used for evaluation purposes? | N/A, a version of the sample task order will be awarded. This will occur after the base IDIQ is awarded. |
| 5 | PWS | Pg 11 | The draft baseline CPMP shall be delivered with the Contractor’s proposal and updated after award by the fifth business day of the following month in accordance with Attachment C, Deliverables. Does the draft baseline CPMP delivered with the proposal count against the 45 pages? | Yes, the draft CPMP will count against the Volume I page limits. However, the solicitation has been updated to increase the page limitations for Volume I. |
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001.
| 6 | PWS | Pg 31 | "Adobe Presenter" reached end of life in June 2022. Does the Government want us to continue to use this software or support it or upgrade the course material to a new system? | ||
| "Adobe Articulate Storyline", Adobe does not own Articulate Storyline, this should be corrected. | This requirement has been removed and adjusted to the current tool used by VA, Articulate StoryLine. | ||||
| 7 | PWS | Pg 31 | What is a Synchronous Training Course Presentation Package? In what format does this need to be provided? | Currently, these files include the Articulate Storyline Presentation, which includes audio files, a PDF of the presentation, any hand-outs in a PDF. Whatever format the contractor provides must be compatible with BlackBoard. However, the explicit requirements of this package may change at the task order level. | |
| 8 | PWS | Pg 34 | What is the Governement's definition of a single interaction as experienced by the end user and what would be an example or definition for an atypical interaction? | In the training materials, the Contractor shall address how the end user should normally interact with technology functionality as intended as well as interactions with the technology where there is an error, failure, or other edge case. | |
| 9 | PWS | 44 | Would the government please clarify if the Contract PM role in 6.3.1 is the only stated key personnel position. | Yes, the PM role in 6.3.1 is the only key personnel position for this contract. | |
| 10 | PWS | 44 | Does the government expect for the Contractor to recommend additional key labor categories for the base contract? | No. | |
| 11 | PWS | 44 | Is the Contract PM role, the only role requiring submission of a resume? | Yes. | |
| 12 | PWS | 48 | With respect to GFI/GFE, will the government be supplying all items listed in the VHA Technical Stack? | Yes. The vendor will be required to manage projects for which the tools listed in the VHA technical stack are used. Use of certain tools such as Jira or Stash will be specified at the TO level. | |
| 13 | PWS IDIQ, Section 5.2.2.5 | 24 | Can the government clarify if resources are expected to work full time in Tampa, FL; New Orleans, LA; and San Diego, CA in support of this task? | No. The Government is removing the requirement for on-site resources in those locations. | |
| 14 | PWS IDIQ, Section 5.2.4.1 | 31 | Will the contractor be responsible for purchasing programs to develop learning courses (E.g., blackboard) or will they be provided by the government? | The Contractor will not be required to purchase Blackboard or any other Learning Management Platform, but will be required to utilize the tools and platforms necessary to develop training courses. | |
| 15 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.1.2 | 7 | Can the government confirm that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Deliverables should be Heath Outreach, Public Awareness, Content Management & Training (HOPAT) deliverables? | Yes, HOPAT deliverables are ICT deliverables. Section 508 requirements will apply to deliverables in all functional areas in the base contract, as defined at the Task Order level. | |
| 16 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.3 | 11 | Can the government confirm whether the offeror will develop 32 training courses total (E.g., 2 high complexity, 20 moderate complexity, and 10 low complexity technologies) or multiple training courses for each technology topic? | The Contractor will develop 32 training plans total. The PWS has been modified to clarify. | |
| 17 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.3.1 | 12 | Can the government confirm whether the offeror will complete 32 training plans total (E.g., 2 high complexity, 20 moderate complexity, and 10 low complexity technologies) or multiple training plans for each technology topic? | The Contractor will develop 32 training plans total. The PWS has been modified to clarify. | |
| 18 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.5 | 16 | Can the government confirm if the offeror is expected to including pricing for other direct costs (ODCs) as part of the sample task response? | Please reference revised Attachment D - B Table for Offerors provided with Amendment 0001. | |
| 19 | PWS, 5.2.1 Program Management and Program Integration Support | 17 | Regarding the "connected care technology capability that scans the connected care environment for new innovative technologies," does the government intend to have the contractor support acquisitions of new technology from various vendors or mainly due diligence activities? | Due diligence activities. | |
| 20 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.7 | 20 | The PWS indicates that the MAP includes a deep integration of patient generated data. Can the government confirm if the offeror will need to handle personally identifiable information (PII) as part of this contract? | The Contractor will be exposed to PII through Veteran interactions, i.e., focus groups, interviews, and outreach events. | |
| 21 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.7.1 | 20 | To help inform level of effort, does the government anticipate the contractor will need to film video footage and facilitate photo shoots to gather new content for the websites? Is so, how many video or photo shoots are expected per year? | There are no video or photo shoot deliverables for 5.7.1. | |
| 22 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.8.3 | 27 | Does the government have a preferred platform for webinars (e.g., WebEx)? | The VA's preferred platform for meetings and webinars is Microsoft Teams. | |
| 23 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.8.4 | 27 | To help inform level of effort, can the government confirm if the education, training and outreach videos are anticipated to be live action or animated in nature? | The videos delivered as a part of this Section are intended to be live action, but may include some animated graphics. | |
| 24 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.8.5 | 28 | To help inform level of effort, does the government have an existing distribution list and preferred email platform (e.g., GovDelivery)? | Currently, the Government has an existing distribution list and is using a MS Word template that is distributed via email to VA employees. |
The Government intends to move to GovDelivery at some point in the future.
| 25 | PWS Sample Task, Section 5.8.5 | 28 | The deliverable for Section 5.8.5 mentions blogs and social media posts; however the task description does not mention these products. Can the government clarify if the offeror will be expected to develop blog and social media posts as part of this task? | The blogs and social media are covered under 5.8.1. Editorial & Copy Writing products and 5.5.OCC Outreach Campaigns. The content from these items are often highlighted in the newsletter. | |
| 26 | IDIQ PWS | 20 | Does the Government currently utilize Jira (or other tool / "single source of truth") to manage all of OCC's business needs and subsequent Epics, Features, Stories, etc.? If so, is that same tool utilized to manage requirements elaboration and release planning? | Atlassian is used to manage tickets and project-specific documentation, specifically Jira and Confluence. Teams are allowed to use Jira to match their preferred workflow. A number of teams use Kanban boards within Jira to better track items under dev/test, blockers, etc. | |
| 27 | IDIQ PWS | 20 | Does the Government intend to have the PSI Vendor lead Human Centered Design activities with support for other vendors on one of the other OCC IDIQ contracts? | Yes. | |
| 28 | IDIQ PWS | 20 | Will the Government allow the OCC PSI Vendor access to the other OCC IDIQ contracts / price schedules to complete Lifecycle Costing / Cost Estimates? | Yes, only on an as needed basis in the performance of specific PSI task orders. | |
| 29 | IDIQ PWS | 20 | Is it the Government's intent to utilize tools such as (e.g. MS Project, Primavera, etc.) to manage their Integrated Master Schedule? | ||
| Would the Government open to other tools for tracking progress? | The vendor may recommend whatever tool they feel would be most effective. VA's basic toolset includes Microsoft-branded products such as Project. Other products could be considered. | ||||
| 30 | IDIQ PWS | 20 | Does the Government currently manage an OCC Knowledge Repository or Knowledge Management System (KMS)? | ||
| If so, how many Knowledge Management Systems or Repositories does OCC need the Vendor to manage? | Historical and project-specific documentation is stored in Sharepoint and Atlassian Confluence. Every product, both active and inactive, has a Confluence document repository while some products store additional documentation in their own Sharepoint libraries. | ||||
| 31 | IDIQ PWS | 21 | How many ATOs does OCC currently manage? | Three ATO's - CirrusMD, Somnoware, and Image Viewing Solution. Most products are hosted in the MACM VA Enterprise Cloud, which has an overarching ATO that the OIT vendor keeps up-to-date as products are added to and removed from the environment. Any products external to that environment in the future would need an ATO managed by PSI. | |
| 32 | IDIQ PWS | 21 | Does the Government currently utilize a single tool (e.g. MS PowerBI) to visualize and monitor OCC metrics and KPIs? | No, there are multiple business intelligence platforms used that will be specified at the task order level. | |
| 33 | IDIQ PWS | 4 | Is it the Government's intent to have the CCIN and CCPC contracts in place by the same time the PSI IDIQ contract is in place? | No, the Government expects PSI to be awarded first. | |
| 34 | Attachment D | The Program Mgmt & Integration tab sum formulas in Row 30 do not include row 28, leading to a inaccurate CLIN total. Could the Government please fix this formula? | The formulas have been updated in Attachment D. | ||
| 35 | Attachment C | 18 | PWS Section 5.2.1.1 OCC OUTREACH PLANNING ASSISTANCE outlines various outeach activities the contractor will support, including "Improving Veteran satisfaction and access to care." Does OCC have existing mechanisms in place to collect quantitative research data to measure Veteran satisfaction and access to care as related to OCC initiatives, or how will improvement in these areas be measured? Please explain if the Contractor will have access to exisiting research data sources or will have the ability as part of this IDIQ to develop, execute, and analyze formal surveys as part of this work. | The Contractor will have access to existing data sources and the ability to develop, execute, and analyze formal surveys as part of this work. My HealtheVet collects user satisfaction data through patient portal surveys and the VA Mobile apps have ratings on the mobile app stores that provide some feedback on user satisfaction. The Telehealth team also collects user satisfaction data. | |
| 36 | Attachment C | 29 | PWS section 5.2.4 TRAINING DEVELOPMENT, DELIVERY, AND IMPLEMENTATION includes Videos in the list of training materials. Is the Contractor be expected to use VA video equipment and recording studios, or is the Contractor expected to provide video equipment and recording studio facilities? About how many videos a year is the Contractor expected to produce, and what length videos are epxected? | The Contractor is expected to provide their own equipment and recording studio, including but not limited to, the capability for voice-over and live-action video recording, video and audio editing, video publishing, screen capture, storyboard and script development, and animations. In the last year for the VA Telehealth program, 35 videos were developed that ranged from less than 1 minute to 15 minutes (most are 1-3 minutes). For the Connected Health Implementation Strategies program up to 10 videos are being developed that range from 2 minutes to 15 minutes (most are 1-3 minutes) in the current period of performance. The specifc level of effort moving forward will be provided at the task order level. | |
| 37 | Solicitation | 88 | Item (b)(1) Contract Management and Quality Control. This section references the work performed as described in PWS Paragraph 5.1. Is it the Government’s expectation that this further includes the sub-tasks 5.1.1, 5.1.2, etc? | Yes. | |
| 38 | Solicitation | 90 | Item (b)(7) Corporate Capability. Will the Government provide a minimum number of corporate experience examples that are provided by the Prime Offeror vs. a Major Subcontractor? | Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001. | |
| 39 | Solicitation | 90 | Item (b)(7) Corporate Capability. Will the Government confirm that there is no recency requirement for experience examples in this volume vs. 3 years outlined in Past Performance? | Yes. | |
| 40 | Solicitation | 90 | Item (b)(7) Corporate Capability. Will the Government provided additional guidance on the layout to be used for each experience example in order to establish a relevancy standard? | Per the solicitation, the Government is most interested in examples of real work with actual results of the prime contractor, or major subcontractor, in performing requirements similar to those of each functional area in terms of size, scope, and complexity. Please include information on the Offeror’s role (prime/sub), Total Contract Value (TCV), Offeror’s portion of the TCV, and the FTE count. Please provide the reference contact information (name, phone number, email) if different than what is provided in the past performance volume response. |
Please reference revised addendum to 52.212- 1, Instructions to Offerors included in Amendment 0001
| 41 | PWS | All | Please confirm what part of the PWS is different than the incumbent contract(s). | This is a new procurement. Please refer to Section 1.0 of Attachment C (Performance Work Statement). |
| 42 | Attachment C - Performance Work Statement (PSI).pdf | 21 | As it relates to 5.2.2 bullet "o" what is the exact role that the PSI contractor will have concerning ATOs? There is a cost to obtaining ATOs. Is the PSI contractor to develop the artifacts for any ATO that OCC decides to pursue, or will that responsibility go to the subcontractors, suppliers, and OEMs on the CCIN side? Additionally, most cloud solutions that would require an ATO will also require FedRAMP. Who has the responsibility to create and provide the required FedRAMP artifacts? | The PSI vendor will need to keep track of upcoming renewals or establishment of ATO's from a business perspective - communicating with OIT and approval bodies, managing communications, sharing documentation, and coordinating with the product development team. ATO does not always require FedRAMP when the products are hosted internally to VA. When FedRAMP is required, the same applies with the PSI role being mostly one of communication, coordination and business writing. |
| 43 | Attachment C - Performance Work Statement (PSI).pdf | 21 | As it relates to 5.2.2 bullet "q" what platform are the dashboards to be developed in? Are the dashboards related to overall program performance or the individual dashboards that are used for specific project such as the PVT utilization dashboard? | The Government expects to use multiple business intelligence platforms including PowerBI. These tools will be specified at the TO level. |
| 44 | Attachment C - Performance Work Statement (PSI).pdf | 22 | As it relates to 5.2.2.1 bullet "g" how will the PSI contractor gain access to all the current applications fielded to gain usage metrics? Would this be better suited for the CCIN contractor as this requirement has to do with applications that are deployed into production and not new/in the pipeline projects or pilots? | The Government will specify which data and systems the vendor will need to access at the TO level. Access permissions will be handled as part of the onboarding process. |
| 45 | Attachment C- PWS (PSI) | 10 of 65 and 23 of 65 | Referencing Sec 4.3 and Sec 5.2.2.5 of the PWS: The solicitation states in Sec 4.3 that the place of performance “…shall primarily be performed at Contractor Facilities but may include Government sites…” The solicitation then goes on in Sec 5.2.2.5 to state that on-site support is required in Tampa, FL, New Orleans, LA, and San Diego, CA. Will the Government confirm this list of on-site locations is comprehensive? And if not, will the Government identify all potential on-site locations? Knowing all potential on-site locations is essential to offerors in order to adequately develop IDIQ ceiling rates that are sufficient to cover any given area but also to provide the Government apples to apples rates for evaluation. | The Government is removing this requirement for on-site presence. |
| 46 | Attachment C- PWS (PSI) | 42 of 65 | The requirements for background investigations per labor category may vary depending on individual access requirements. Can the Government confirm that contractor incurred expenses related to background investigations will be an allowable ODC? | It is not stated as an ODC. Offerors should account for this cost when submitting the overall proposal. |
| 47 | Solicitation | 87 and 88 of 114 | Can the Government clarify the "defined transition goals" referenced on P.88 of 114, (i) paragraph a bullet two of the Transition-In Approach? Is the offeror restricted to bidding only the technical manpower labor categories identified in CLIN OP1 (CLIN0001) to satisfy the Transition-In Approach requirements of the RFP? Does the Government expect that the 180 day transition period will include an iterative rolling transition of any technical capabilities consistent with the nature of the agile software development lifecycle currently in place and already defined in the current Integrated Master Schedule? | Propose on the labor categories identified. The Offeror should define tranistion milestones and goals as a part of the draft Transition in Plan in accordance with the requirements of PWS task 5.1.7.1. The expectation is for all transition items to be concluded in 180 days or less. The awardee will not be responsible for technology development activites, just managament of the agile SDLC as defined in the PWS. |
| 48 | Task Order | 17-18 | 5.6.1: What is the expected number of participants for the two pre-event meetings and one-post event meeting for each national conference? Will the contractor be responsible for selecting and securing the necessary conference room(s), AV requirements, and any food and beverage requirements? Will the contractor be responsible for the cost of any room rental(s), AV equipment and food and beverage costs? | The pre-event and post-event meetings can be conducted virtually. We anticipate 2 - 5 participants for these meetings (coordination of internal SMEs). There is no need for conference room rentals, AV equipment, or food/beverage service. |
| 49 | 5.6.1 | 18 | 5.6.1 (e) Will the contractor be required to provide any production and logistics support for the actual national conference or will the production and logistics support be limited to the pre- and post-conference meetings. If the contractor is required to also provide production and logistics support for the national conference-wide activities, will the government specify the additional type of support required such as plenary session support, note takers, registration desk, exhibit hall, etc. | The Contractor is expected to provide production and logistics support for Connected Care to participate/have a presence at the national conferences. There are no requirements to provide support for national conference-wide activities. |
| 50 | 5.8.3 | 27 | 5.8.3 Webinars: What is the anticipated number of participants for each webinar? Will the Government be responsible for the technology platform and all recruitment activities including invitations and RSVP tracking? | Anticipated number of participants ranges from 50-250. The Contractor is responsible for all logistics surrounding webinar development and delivery, including recruitment activites (e.g., invitations, management of distribution list, RSVP tracking). The Government will provide access to the technology platform for the delivery and recording of the webinar. These details are subject to change and will be specified further at the TO level. |
| 51 | 5.8.6 | 38 | 5.8.6 Focus Groups: If OMB clearance is required for the proposed focus groups, has the Government already obtained the required blanket OMB clearance/approvals or will the contractor be responsible for the preparation of an OMB package and what is the anticipated timeline to receive approval? | If required, the Contractor is not responsible for preparing an OMB package for approval. |
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