36C25624Q1189 0001.docx

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE

7.

ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF

PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE

OF YOUR

ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office.

is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO:

Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERE

D CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR

OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendmen t, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF

CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30

PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243 (Type or print) (Type or print) (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (If other than Item 6) (Specify type of modification and authority) such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF

SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer) 520-25-1-415-0001 Department of Veterans Affairs Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Network Contracting Office 16 400 Veterans Avenue Biloxi MS 39531 Department of Veterans Affairs Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Network Contracting Office 16 Veterans Avenue Biloxi MS 39531 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C25624Q1189 08-15-2024

X X X

12PM CT AUGUST 23, 2024

See CONTINUATION Page

The purpose of this amendment is to answer the questions formed from the solicitation.

The quote submission date is not extended, and all are due by 12PM CT August 23, 2023, via email to tina.harris3@va.gov

Tina Harris Contracting Officer

CONTINUATION PAGE

Questions & Answers

1. Are there any page limitations to any of the volumes? Is there a PWS/SOW for this solicitation?

The solicitation is 36C25624Q1189_1 which contains the statement of work and should answer all questions. As per the volume size this is address in the section E.1 Instructions to offerors. Any attachments must be readable using Microsoft Office or Adobe PDF. The size of the email is limited to 5 megabytes (MB), but multiple emails are allowable.

2. How many FTEs are projected and how many are currently on board?

The Contractor decides the number of FTEs currently we have one manager and 9 switchboard operators

3. Are there any Key Personnel?

What do you mean by key personnel? I would say no

4. What is the date by which you will answer these questions?

August 15, 2024, via modification to the solicitation

5. If there was a previous solicitation for these services, what was its title, number, release date, and due date?

This is a new requirement that has not been solicited in 5 years.

6. Can you please provide greater details on how proposals will be evaluated and how the selected vendor(s) will be chosen?

The quotes received will be compared to each other to determine who provides the best value. For example, the technical of one quote will be compared to the technical of the other, same goes for the price and past performance.

7. Are bidders permitted to deviate in any way from any manner of quoting fees you may be expecting? For example, if there is a pricing page in the RFP, can bidders submit an alternate fee structure? If there is no pricing page in the RFP, do you have any preference for how bidders should quote fees or can bidders create their own pricing categories?

This is a RFQ not RFP and A Price Schedule section B.4 has been provided, however you can submit pricing in a different form as stated in the instructions section E.1; just make sure we are able to match those prices with the line items we have.

8. Please describe your level of satisfaction with your current or recent vendor(s) for the same purchasing activity, if applicable.

They have performed satisfactorily

9. Has the current contract gone full term?

Yes, the current contract is on its last option year which ends 09/30/2024.

10. Have all options to extend the current contract been exercised?

All of the options have been exercised there has not been any need for any extensions.

11. Who is the incumbent, and how long has the incumbent been providing the requested services?

The incumbent is Career Management Associates and they have provided services 5 years come 09/30/2024.

12. To what extent will the location of the bidder’s proposed location or headquarters have a bearing on any award?

The company’s location has no bearing this is not a local area set aside and the switchboard operators will perform on our services on our VA campus.

13. How are fees currently being billed by any incumbent(s), by category, and at what rates?

Invoices are submitted monthly in arrears, labor rates/ category for offerors to consider is in the solicitation in section C.17 and current wage determination is attached in section D.

14. What estimated or actual dollars were paid last year, last month, or last quarter to any incumbent(s)?

This is proprietary information; I cannot provide you yearly monthly or quarterly information. However, the current contract was a base and four option periods for a total award amount of $2,082,714.00.

15. Is previous experience with any specific customer information systems, phone systems, or software required?

No

16. What is the minimum required total call capacity?

<5000

17. What is the minimum simultaneous inbound call capacity?

This is not information we track

18. What is the maximum wait time?

All incoming calls, both internal and external, shall be answered within three (3) rings.

19. What is the maximum hold time?

There should not be any hold time they are transferring calls

20. What percentage of inbound calls must be answered by a live operator?

All calls will be answered by a live operator there is no automation.

21. What percentage of calls must be resolved without a transfer, second call, or a return call?

All Calls will be transferred, no call backs

22. Is there a minimum or maximum number of operators and supervisors?

No

23. What are the required language options?

English is mandatory any other language is a bonus

24. What is the required degree of dedication for the call center? (Can the call center work on other contracts at the same time as this one)?

No

25. Are callers required or allowed to connect with a message verification system or pre-recorded message before connecting to a live operator, or must a live operator be the initial contact?

Live operator is the initial contact

26. What are the recording requirements for inbound and outbound phone calls and how long must recordings be maintained?

There are no recordings

27. What are the recording and storage requirements for non-phone communications?

There are no recordings

28. What information is to be included in call logs?

There is no call log required

29. What was your average monthly call volume over the past year?

At less than 5000 a day you would have to estimate the monthly amount in accordance with the number of days in the month. We do not track monthly number of calls.

30. What is the current number of seats for operators and supervisors at your existing call center?

31. What is the current average wait time for phone calls?

There is no wait time

32. What is the current average handle time for phone calls and other types of communications?

However long it takes to find out the department the patient requires and transfer the call.

33. What is the current average after-call work time for operators?

I am not sure I understand the question however switchboard operator is required 24 hours

34. Over the past year, what is the percentage of calls received in English versus non-English?

This is not information we track.

35. Over the past year, what percentage of calls received were in Spanish?

This is not information we track.

36. What time of day, days of the week, or times of the year do calls typically peak?

Normal business hours are 8am to 430pm there is no data on peak time.

37. Paragraph 1 (pg. 15) states the business hours are (8am-4:30pm) seven days a week, however in that same paragraph last sentence states the operator function shall be provided 24/daily. (Clarifying that the hours for this PWS are the latter?)

Normal hours of operation are when most employees are present. The switchboard operator are 24 hours.

38. Is there one campus to which all calls are directed to this one centralized location? or is there 6 separate campuses?

One campus

39. Is there an Incumbent and are they eligible for hire as consultant for short period for purposes of hand-off?

Are you asking if they can work for the successful bidder temporarily that is up to them and the offeror and needs to be stated in the approach

40. What phone system is being used?

HPC Smartcard Keyboards, as well as various paging and alarm systems (Symplex Alarm System) section 1.1 of PWS

41. Will the new contractor be able to offer first refusal employment to the current incumbent’s employees? We’ve found this helps smooth our transitions If you are asking if the successful offeror can hire or not hire current employees first, then yes.

42. How many employees are currently on the contract? Of the employees currently on the contract, how many are operators and how many are supervisors/managers? 9 employees which include 1 manager

43. How many full-time employees are currently on the contract?

All are full time just broken down into shifts.

44. How many part-time employees are currently on the contract?

If you are asking if the successful offeror can hire or not hire current employees first, then yes.

45. Are the current employees being given at least a compensation of $17.20 per hour in compliance with Executive Order 14026 and the DOL update on Jan 01, 2024?

Yes, they are

46. : Is this a new acquisition or a continuation of a previous contract?

This is a new acquisition previous contract is ending

47. Could you provide the contract number for the previous contract and the current incumbent company name?

36C25620C0022 Career Management Associates

48. Will there be an option to retain primary key personnel if they are currently performing at the required level Yes

49. Does the government anticipate a contract transition period? What length of time will be allowed for contract transition (e.g., 30 days)?

There will not be a transition period successful offer will be notified prior to contract start date which shall allow ample time for placement. That successful offer will also be provided anniversary dates of current employees.

50. Who is the incumbent contractor and associated contract number?

Career Management Associates 36C25620C0022

51. How many personnel, full-time and part-time, are currently supporting the call volumes?

Currently we have 8 switchboard operator and 1 manager

52. How many incumbent personnel currently staffed/positions filled on the existing contract? Will the government provide anniversary dates of incumbent personnel to ensure contractors can appropriately price in SCLS benefits for incumbent personnel?

Yes, this information will be provided

53. RFQ pg. 15, PWS 1.1.1 states, “the average number of calls received per day for the 6 campuses combined is<5000."

54.

· Will the government please provide the incoming call volumes to the switchboard by day of week and hour of day, so that we may appropriately estimate the proposed staffing plan?

This information is not available

· Will the government please provide the outgoing call volumes to the switchboard by day of week and hour of day, so that we may appropriately estimate the proposed staffing plan?

They do not make outgoing calls

· Will the government please provide the average call talk time, so that we may appropriately estimate the proposed staffing plan?

However, it long it takes to find out the department the patient is seeking and get them transferred.

55. RFQ pg. 18, PWS 5, Government Furnished Property, Equipment, Furnishings and Materials. How many workstations/cubicles will be provided by the government under GFP/GFE?

Depends on the number of employees the contractor deems necessary to achieve the monthly abandonment rate of 5%.

A.1 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

ITEM INFORMATION

TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR SERVICES

Contract Period: Base POP Begin: 10-01-2024 POP End: 09-30-2025 PRINCIPAL NAICS CODE: 561421 - Telephone Answering Services PRODUCT/SERVICE CODE: R699 - Support - Administrative: Other

TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR SERVICES

Contract Period: Option 1 POP Begin: 10-01-2025 POP End: 09-30-2026

TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR SERVICES

Contract Period: Option 2 POP Begin: 10-01-2026 POP End: 09-30-2027

TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR SERVICES

Contract Period: Option 3 POP Begin: 10-01-2027 POP End: 09-30-2028

TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR SERVICES

Contract Period: Option 4 POP Begin: 10-01-2028 POP End: 09-30-2029

Base Period Total

Option Year One (1) Total

Option Year Two (2) Total

Option Year Three (3) Total

Option Year Four (4) Total

Contract GRAND TOTAL

For the purposes of the award of this Contract, the Government intends to evaluate the option to extend services under FAR 52.217-8 as follows:

The evaluation will consider the possibility that the option can be exercised at any time and can be exercised in increments of one to six months, but not for more than a total of six months during the life of the contract. The evaluation will assume that the prices for any option exercised under FAR 52.217-8 will be at the same rates as those in effect under the contract at the time the option is exercised. The evaluation will therefore assume that the addition of the price or prices of any possible extension or extensions under FAR 52.217-8 to the total price of all proposals relative to each other and will not affect the ranking of proposals based on price, unless, after reviewing the proposals, the Government determines that there is a basis for finding otherwise. This evaluation will not obligate the Government to exercise any option under FAR 52.217-8.

End of Document Switchboard Operator Services