S05 - Vendor Questions.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 32 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- 36C77624R0031
About this file
This document contains questions and answers related to a solicitation for nursing workforce strategic plan support services. The solicitation seeks proposals to provide project management, training, surveys, and SharePoint/PowerBI support to the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Nursing Services. Key deliverables include project management plans, workflow documentation, training materials, VISN/field level surveys and analyses, and maintenance of up to three PowerApps. Proposals are due within six weeks and the base year period of performance is one year with four optional one-year extensions. Pricing shall be submitted using the provided Attachment B template and basis of estimate forms. The incumbent contractor is Artemis Arc LLC under contract 36C77622P0189.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment B - 36C77624R0031 LineItems 1.2.24 A03.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Attachment A - PWS - Nursing Workforce Rev2 A03.docx | DOCX document | |
| 36C77624R0031 0003.docx | DOCX document | |
| P09 - PWS - Nursing Workforce 12.19.23 update after questions.docx | DOCX document | |
| 36C77624R0031 002.docx | DOCX document | |
| 36C77624R0031 0001.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment A - PWS - Nursing Workforce rev1 12.19.23.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment B - 36C77624R0031 Line Items Template.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Attachment A - PWS - Nursing Workforce r11.2.2023.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment C - QASP - Nursing Workforce 24R0024.docx | DOCX document | |
| 36C77624R0031.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment D - 852.219-75 VA NOTICE OF LIMITATIONS SUBCONTRACTING-CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE.docx | DOCX document |
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Sheet1
| Question# | OPR | Vendor Question | Government's Response |
| 1 | ONS | The government states that in addition to the narrative, a Resume/CV shall be provided for each individual proposed as key personnel. Is there a page limit per each Resume/CV included in the proposal response? For example, each Resume/CV shall be limited to 2 pages. (solicitation pg. 83) | No page limits on Resume / CV's |
| 2 | ONS | The solicitation states, “The government reserves the right to incorporate proposed key personnel and education/certification requirements into the PWS upon award”. Can the government please confirm the intent of this statement? Is this to protect the government from poor industry practices of swapping out highly qualified key personnel with key personnel that do not meet/exceed education/experience of those originally proposed, or is there a possibility that the type of key personnel could change after award? (solicitation pg. 83) | Govt does not intend to change the type of key personnel after award. Government may incorporate education/certification requirements into the PWS at the time of award. |
| 3 | CON | The solicitation states that fax numbers are to be provided for POCs listed in Past Performance references. Please confirm if this is required as many entities, both government and contractor, do not have fax numbers. (solicitation pg. 83) | FAX numbers will not be provided and are not required |
| 4 | ONS | The government states that 2 VISN/Field Surveys will be needed within 30 days of request. PWS Section 2.a on page 7 states that up to 4 VISN/Field Surveys will be needed. Can the government confirm the quantity needed or if 2 surveys could be optional tasks to be awarded if needed? (same question applicable to the OY deliverables in PWS Section 4.2 on pg 15 and Section 4.3 on page 18). (PWS 4.0 Deliverable Table) | Updated to four on base, however reduced to two on option years |
| 5 | ONS | The government states that 2 VISN/Field Survey Analysis Reports will be needed within 30 days of request. PWS Section 2.a on page 7 states that up to 4 VISN/Field Survey Analysis Reports will be needed. Can the government confirm the quantity needed or if 2 survey analysis reports could be optional tasks to be awarded if needed? (PWS Deliverable Table) | See question 4 |
| 6 | ONS | Can the government confirm when the VISN/Field Survey Analysis Reports will be due? Deliverable Table states, “within 30 days of request” and PWS Section 2.a states, “Once survey is completed, perform an analysis of results”. (PWS Deliverable Table) | Edited deliverable table to reflect analysis is due within 30 days of survey completion. |
| 7 | ONS | The PWS states the Nursing Roadmap will be provided monthly but delivered quarterly with a quantity of 4 deliverables. Can the government confirm that although maintained monthly, there will only be quarterly deliverables? (PWS Deliverable Table) | Edited to reflect quarterly deliverable |
| 8 | ONS | The PWS states that 3 Workflows will be needed. PWS Section 2.a on page 7 states that up to 5 Workflows will be needed. Can the government confirm the quantity needed or if 2 Workflows could be optional tasks to be awarded if needed? (PWS Deliverable Table) | Edited deliverable table to reflect 5 workflows |
| 9 | ONS | The PWS states that a quantity of 3 deliverables is needed for “SharePoint Support – Create and Maintain PowerApp”. Can the government confirm if this is a monthly/ongoing creation/maintenance of 3 PowerApps rather than 3 single deliverables? (PWS Deliverable Table) | It is creation of three power apps and then the ongoing maintenance of them as needed to ensure their functionality. |
| 10 | CON | Within Volume III Price Factor, should offerors include the BOE per deliverable/task as separate tabs in Attachment B, or in a separate Word document with no page limit? (Solicitation Volume III Price Factor) | You may include the BOE as spreadsheet tabs, or if preferred, word. The Price volume has no page limit. |
| 11 | CON | Within Volume II Past Performance Factor, is there a limit to how many total contract references an offeror can include? (Solicitation Volume III Past Performance Factor) | There is no limit |
| 12 | ONS | Within the 10-page Key Personnel section of Volume I Technical, should offerors include a staffing plan in addition to identifying and expanding on the qualifications of proposed Key Personnel? If so, can the government provide additional instructions as to what elements offerors should address in said staffing plan? (Solicitation Information to be submitted Volume I Technical) | Staffing Plan is not an evaluation factor, however offerors are not precluded from providing a staffing plan |
| 13 | ONS | The government states that a quantity of 11 deliverables is needed for “Workstream Project Management – Maintain PMP for each Workstream”. If 12 PMPs are initially delivered (one for each of the 12 workstreams), wouldn’t the total quantity of the monthly updates thereafter be a total quantity of 132 (12x11)? (PWS Deliverable Table) | Updated PWS quantity on deliverable #35 |
| 14 | ONS | Please confirm the number of face-to-face meetings per year. Optional Tasks on page 20 states 5 while the travel deliverable table on page 21 states both 2 and 4. Potential Travel table on page 22 states 5 required travel instances (10 days total) and 5 optional travel instances (10 days). (PWS Travel) | Updated PWS to reflect 2 travel and 5 optional |
| 15 | ONS | The government states that a potential need for a quantity of 5 SharePoint Support – Create and Maintain PowerApps is needed. Can the government provide additional detail surrounding that potential optional task and how it differs from the 3 PowerApps already required? (PWS 4.4 Optional Nursing Strategic Plan Deliverable) | Those are optional tasks in addition to the three under the required deliverables. Government knows we have a need for three PowerApps to be created, but given the fluid nature of this project wanted to have the option to add more should the need arise. |
| 16 | CON | What is the purpose of the "Action Line Item Information" worksheet, and how should it be populated? (Attachment B Line Items) | The purpose is to provide CLIN pricing. It should be populated in accordance with the instructions on page 83, Volume III - PRICE FACTOR, (1) |
| 17 | CON | For the worksheet "Items" within Attachment B, can the government please clarify which columns vendors should populate and which columns will be evaluated? Currently, there are 103 columns that can have values. (Attachment B Line Items) | Column O, Unit Price must be populated on any item that is NOT NSP - Not Separately Priced. All Priced Line items must be populated |
| 18 | ONS | Is this a new requirement, or previous requirement? | There is currently a contract in place with a different scope and level of effort, performing some of what is on the current requirement. |
| 19 | ONS | We noticed that many of the meetings and requirements are listed as virtual. Is there a prescribed on-site requirement? | No on-site requirements with the exception of the travel events |
| 20 | ONS | Will there be a CLIN or can the contractor provide a budget for VISN site visits to improve survey efforts? | There will be no CLIN |
| 21 | ONS | Have the responsibilities outlined within the RFP been managed in house thus far? If not, is there any transition period from incumbent? | Some have been completed in-house, mainly in the workstream management area, however in this effort we are moving to additional contract support in that area. |
Dependent on award date, there is a ~6-week transition period built in
| 22 | ONS | Is there a standard advance notice provided prior to scheduling in-person meetings? | Updated PWS - When travel is necessary Government intends to provide the most time possible to allow the Contractor to mobilize necessary support personnel for travel | |
| 23 | CON | Will the government accept PP questionnaires (PPQs) to augment our PP Write-ups? (Solicitation Past Performance) | Yes, as long as the 3 page maximum is not exceeded per Past Performance Reference | |
| 24 | CON | If the government accepts PPQs, will they count against the page count in the PP section? (Solicitation Past Performance) | yes, they will count against the page count | |
| 25 | ONS | For the 10 page Key Personnel write-up, can it be constructed in a traditional proposal response “Staffing Plan” should it meet all factors described in the 10-page limit? (solicitation) | Yes. However, a Staffing Plan is not an evaluation factor, but offerors are not precluded from providing one | |
| 26 | ONS | Does the government have a template a requirements it would like to see in the provided Teaming Agreement with subcontractors other than what work the subcontractors will be providing? (solicitation) | No - any standard commercial practice is acceptable | |
| 27 | CON | For pricing, does the government request multiple quotes or one final and best price? It is unclear based on the requirements. (Solicitation) | Pricing volume consists of a completed Attachemnt B, Line Item Worksheet and completed BOE's for each deliverabl/task. All proposal voumes should be best and final proposals. | |
| 28 | ONS | Who is the support vendor for the ONS PMO team, and how long have they been supporting it? | Artemis Arc LLC. 36C77622P0189, total PoP 18 months | |
| 29 | ONS | Can the government provide any previous version to PMO roadmaps? | No | |
| 30 | ONS | What does the timeline look like for the build out of the Integrated Healthcare Portfolio Management (IHPM) system? Who will make that decision? | Updated PWS to reflect use of Microsoft Project/Project Web Application to do project management. Project Management Office makes all final decision. | |
| 31 | ONS | Will we be meeting in person two or four times a year? | Edited to 2 (plus kick off in yr. 1) | |
| 32 | ONS | Regarding place of performance, will any work be completed at the Office of Nursing Services (ONS) in Washington, DC.? | No on-site work is anticipated other than when at an official event on travel orders | |
| 33 | ONS | When will travel destination locations be finalized? Will it be determined/finalized by the time of the award? | Locations and dates will not be known at award, updated PWS to reflect Govt intent to provide as much time as possible. | |
| 34 | ONS | The Contractor shall ensure the following required forms are submitted to the COR within 5 days after contract award: | ||
| Optional Form 306 (so is this optional per the title of the form or mandatory based on the description?), Self-Certification of Continuous Service, VA Form 0710, Completed background investigation form | The official government title on the form is "optional form 306" but it is a required form to do background checks and onboard procedures. | |||
| 35 | ONS | GFE is provided; is licensing included? | GFE may be provided if appropriate. Licensing can be provided if COR and/or PM approve and VA currently has licenses available. | |
| 36 | ONS | Task 2-Enhancing SharePoint and Power BI Support: Understanding the critical role of SharePoint and Power BI support, we aim to leverage our expertise in design and integration. Are there specific features or functionalities the government prioritizes in these systems that we should focus on to enhance the overall appeal and functionality? | No | |
| 37 | ONS | In Task 2a, it states "Conduct up to four (4) VISN/Field level surveys at the request of the PMO. Contractor will develop surveys for PMO distribution. Once survey is completed, perform an analysis of results ". Is there a standard of survey and survey processes or will the contractor establish the survey and the process for approval? | Contractor will develop survey and follow standardized process for distribution | |
| 38 | ONS | Task 3-Workstream Training: Are there specific topics or content areas that the government prioritizes for inclusion in workstream training? | Prioritize items mentioned under PWS 3.B. | |
| 39 | ONS | In the RFI, there were two tasks that were not included in the RFP. It seems some of the sub tasks were moved to fit under other tasks, but the following seem to be removed. | Based on the RFI submissions many tasks were re-organized and/or removed as we realized duplication of work across the PWS. In addition, Government has hired additional permanent staff which will assist in these areas. The tasks are not currently part of another contract. | |
| § 3. TASK THREE: Strategic Communication Support | ||||
| § 3.b. Stakeholder Engagement and Sponsorship | ||||
| § 3.c. Strategic Communications | ||||
| § Change Monitoring and Reinforcement | ||||
| § 4. TASK FOUR: Management Consulting Services | ||||
| § 4.a. Additional Program Support Services . | ||||
| § 4.b. Program Evaluation | ||||
| Are these part of a separate contract or are these services not needed? | ||||
| 40 | CON | Instructions say: "If volume discounts are proposed, the estimated quantity would dictate which price to provide." Where in the Line Item Template can Offeror include the discount? (Line Item Template) | There is no specified format. Offeror may include with Unit price or use column AI immediately following unit price, or any other means to identify discounts. | |
| 41 | CON | Will the government please provide instructions for each column in Attachment B Line Items Template?” In attachment B, many of the fields in the pricing spreadsheet appear to be more relevant to bill of material (BOM) vs labor categories related service delivery. Please provide instructions for each column. Alternatively, will the Government consider a pricing structure aligned to LCATS and hours as per the required BOE? What is the source of the labor categories? (Line Item Template) | In accordance with Volume III Price Factor, Instruction to Offerors, Line item prices must be populated. There are no additional instructions to populate Attachment B. The government will not be using a pricing structure aligned to LCATS and hours. LCATS are not provided in Attachment B. This is up to the offeror to propose based on their Level of Effort associated with Basis of Estimate. | |
| 42 | CON | In Pricing Template, there is a column that asks for "Item Price on BPA". Is this solicitation part of a BPA? (Line Item Template) | No, this is not part of a BPA. | |
| 43 | CON | Are the quantities in the pricing template "not to exceed"? (Line Item Template) | No. no quantities are "not to exceed." | |
| 44 | ONS | Can the government confirm that the contractor will NOT have access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII)? | Confirmed. No PII access will be granted | |
| 45 | ONS | Does ONS have an existing VISN/Filed level survey(s) that that contractor would facilitator or would contractor be required to create survey questions and facilitate survey approval (e.g., Labor Management Relations reviews)? (PWS) | Contractor will develop survey and follow standardized process for distribution |
46 ONS Does ONS plan on utilizing the existing IHPM cloud environment for hosting project artifacts and schedules? (PWS) Updated PWS to reflect use of Microsoft Project/Project Web Application system for project management
47 ONS Regarding "support build out of Integrated Healthcare Portfolio Management (IHPM) system", does ONS expect contractor to provide programming/development support for updates/ enhancements to the system? (PWS) Updated PWS to reflect use of Microsoft Project/Project Web Application system for project management. Development is restricted to building the project within the Office of Nursing Services.
| 48 | Regarding "IHPM system", what technology platform does the system use? Would contractor require specific technical knowledge to populate and maintain the system? (PWS) | Updated PWS to reflect use of Microsoft Project/Project Web Application system for project management. | |
| 49 | ONS | Could the government describe what is meant by public and private SharePoint support? | Public means site open to all of VA/VHA (VA internal) while private is only for the ONS PMO/Workstreams |
| ONS | - Does public mean accessible to the general public (external to VA)? - Does public mean a site open to all of VA/VHA (VA internal) while private is only for the ONS PMO/Workstreams? (PWS) |
| 50 | ONS | Could the government provide example functionality that the "up to three (3) PowerApps" may support? Would PowerApps be maintained both on public and private SharePoint site? (PWS) | Functionality is not known, but LOE is moderate for an experienced PowerApp developer. Will be hosted on public or private (but not both at the same time) SharePoint depending on PowerApp itself. |
| 51 | ONS | In travel, states that "travel may be required for the kick-off meeting and up to two (4) face to face meetings per year." Is it two (2) or four (4)? (PWS) | Corrected to two per year |
| 52 | ONS | In the scope of work, VHA Nursing Workforce Strategic Plan is noted. Please provide the most current version of that plan. (PWS) | Yes |
| 53 | ONS | Is it anticipated that the VISN/Field level surveys will be conducted through interviews with the Field staff and facilitated by the contractor? If not, what approach is preferred? (PWS) | No, Question form based |
| 54 | CON | The RFP instructions for Volume II state, "Offerors shall submit all Government contracts and/or commercial contracts (prime contracts, task/delivery orders, and/or major subcontracts) in performance at any point during the five [5] years immediately prior to the proposal submission date, which are relevant to the efforts required by this solicitation. Areas of relevance include all objectives addressed in the Nursing Workforce Strategic Plan PWS (Section 3, Attachment A). Data concerning the prime Offeror shall be provided first, followed by each proposed teammate and/or subcontractor, in alphabetical order." | This is not an administrative error. The language "contracts" does not refer to providing the actual contract, but the information requested in the instructions as it relates to each government contract. The page limit for each contract past performance submission is 3 pages per reference and there is not limit on the number of contracts referenced |
| Please clarify whether the "all Government contracts and/or commercial contracts" statement is an administrative error and the number of references expected. If the statement is not an administrative error, what is the maximum number of contracts allowable to be referenced in Volume II? (Solicitation) | |||
| 55 | ONS | Please confirm that the VA owns all associated software related to Microsoft Project, SharePoint, and Power BI and clarify whether the Use of Software Products section of the RFP is relevant to our response if we are not introducing software beyond Project, SharePoint, and Power BI. (PWS) | Not relevant if not including software beyond what is mentioned |
| 56 | ONS | Please clarify when the Project Management Plan is due to the Government. (PWS) | Initially within 30 days after kick-off meeting, and then updates every 30 days after that initial plan. |
| 57 | ONS | Please provide the expected support level in terms of FTEs and projected volume of projects | Updated PWS to reflect use of Microsoft Project/Project Web Application system for project management. Build out/maintenance is focused to the development of this project within Microsoft Project |
| pertaining to the build out and maintenance of Deliverable #27 (IHPM system). (PWS) |
| 58 | ONS | Request substitution for years of program and project management experience in place of a | No |
| PMP certification for the Program/Project Manager role. (PWS) |
| 59 | ONS | Request substitution for years of experience in lieu of a Master’s Degree for the | No |
| Program/Project Manager role. (PWS) | |||
| 60 | CON | Is there a minimum number of contract references for Volume II, Past Performance? | No |
| 61 | CON | Is there a maximum number of contract references for Volume II, Past Performance? | No |
| 62 | ONS | Can you confirm the incumbent for the above effort? If so, could you please provide the incumbent name as well as the contract number? | Artemis Arc LLC, 36C77622P0189 |
| 63 | CON | In Attachment B, columns AI through CX on the “Items” tab includes sections for extraneous information or government completion. Would the government please clarify which columns are to be completed by offerors? (line items template) | Column O must be completed |
| 64 | CON | In Attachment B, columns are hidden after column O and until column AI. Can the government confirm if the offeror is required to complete these columns? | The offeror is only required to complete Column O |
| 65 | ONS/CON | Will the government consider a brief extension to allow offerors time to adequately respond to answers to questions? | See SF-30 |
| 66 | ONS | The PWS notes that the project plan shall be developed and maintained utilizing a project management software/system that is accessible to the PMO at any time. The PWS notes multiple sub plans (e.g., change management plan, communications plan, operations plan) that are often developed in a narrative format to be most effective. Can the government confirm these plans should be narrative and then the implementation of these plans should be managed and tracked using the program management software? (PWS) | Yes |
| 67 | ONS | Can the government clarify whether the Maturity Assessment is intended to assess the maturity/progress of the Nursing Workforce Strategic Plan or the maturity of PMO processes? (PWS) | PMO Processes |
| 68 | ONS | To help inform level of effort (LOE), does the government anticipate project face-to-face meetings or virtual events to take place over one or multiple days? (PWS) | Face to Face events are typically two days. |
| 69 | ONS | Can the government clarify if the Integrated Healthcare Portfolio Management (IHPM) System will require developer support, or simply maintenance? (PWS) | Updated PWS to reflect use of Microsoft Project/Project Web Application system for project management |
| 70 | ONS | The quantity is 4 EA. However, the description notes this document is provided monthly by the 5th business day of the quarter. Should the word “monthly” in the description be removed? (PWS) | Changed to quarter |
| 71 | ONS | The quantity for these deliverables is listed as 2 EA. However, earlier in the PWS, it was noted that the offeror should develop up to four surveys. Can the government clarify if the required number of surveys will be two or four? (PWS) | Updated on PWS to four |
| 72 | ONS | The quantity of workflows required is 3 EA. However, earlier in the PWS the quantity was listed as five workflows. Can the government please confirm if the required number of workflows will be three or five? (PWS) | Updated on PWS to five |
| 73 | ONS | For line 17 and 18 in the table, the deliverable slide decks appear to be duplicated. Can the government confirm that only 48 slide decks are expected as part of deliverable 3.2a? (PWS) | They are separate. Line 17 requires contractor to do all parts of the meeting from development of agenda, slide decks and prepare the minutes. Line 18 requires contractor to just produce the slide deck and others will do agenda, presentation, and minutes. |
| 74 | ONS | Can the government clarify the types of participants in External Meetings (e.g., external to ONS or external to VHA)? (PWS) (4.0 Deliverables Table, Base Year, 18 and 19, External Meeting Coordination and Development ) | External to ONS but still within VA…we are often asked to present the nursing strategic plan to other programs or facilities. |
| 75 | ONS | To help inform LOE, can the government clarify how this CLIN differs from CLINS 20 – 25? (PWS Base Year) | CLIN 0019 is the general technical writing and quality control on any product the contractor produces. Conceptually, line 19 would be the employment of a person/s that do all the quality control work and then bills monthly. line 19-25 are 1 or 2EA meaning they create the item and then are paid when complete |
| 76 | ONS | The quantity for item 34, Creation of PMP for each workstream, has a quantity of 12 EA. However, maintain PMP for each workstream (item 35), is listed as 11 EA. For consistency, should item 34 be 1 EA and incorporate all 12 PMPs? (PWS Base Year Deliverables) | Corrected |
| 77 | CON/ONS | If any deliverable quantities are adjusted in the PWS as a result of answers to questions, can the government please update the Price/Cost Schedule and Attachment B to match? (Solicitation lime item template) | Yes, Govt has updated applicable documents |
| 78 | CON | Does the offeror need to complete B.2 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE as part of their price volume submission? (Solicitation) | No. Attachment B, Line Item Worksheet |
| 79 | CON | The solicitation indicates that “All offers submitted in response to this solicitation or request for quotation shall address the approach for completing the security plan and accreditation requirements in clause 852.239–70, Security Requirements for Information Technology Resources.” Can the government clarify if the offeror needs to include this information in their response? If so, which proposal document should this be included with? (VAAR 852.239-71 solicitation) | IAW C.12 (page 61) All offers submitted in response to this solicitation or request for quotation shall address the approach for completing the security plan and accreditation requirements in clause 852.239–70, Security Requirements for Information Technology Resources May include with Volume IV, other required submittals |
| 80 | CON | E.1 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (SEP 2023). This clause notes that the NAICS is 541519. However, elsewhere in the solicitation notes that the NAICS is 541611. Can the government confirm the NAICS is 541611 for this effort and update the size standard accordingly? (Solicitation) | The NAICS is 541611. 52.212-1(a) does not note the NAICS as 541519, it references it in certain situations |
| 81 | CON | Section E.1 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (SEP 2023), letter (e) indicates that offerors are encouraged to submit multiple offers. However, ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES number (4) notes that the offeror may only submit one proposal per registered small business. Can the government confirm whether multiple responses per offeror is allowed? (Solicitation) | Offerors may only submit one proposal |
| 82 | ONS | The solicitation notes that the government reserves the right to incorporate proposed key personnel and education/certification requirements into the PWS upon award. Since the government provided key personnel requirements, can they please advise if this statement should be removed or if they expect the offeror to propose key personnel in addition to those outlined in the PWS? (52.212-1 Solicitation) | Govt does not intend to change the type of key personnel after award. Offeror should propose |
| 83 | CON | The Instructions to Offerors note that offerors should “provide an approach to quality control, including the offeror’s processes and methodologies for: … (2) providing project status.” Can the government confirm that offerors are expected to describe how quality will be tracked and reported to the government? (52.212-1 Solicitation) | Government will evaluate quality control in accordance with addendum to 52.212-1, page 84 |
| 84 | ONS | Can the government confirm that other direct costs (ODC) and travel will be reimbursed based on receipts provided by the contractor? (Solicitation Price Factor 52.212-1) | ODC will be provided for actual costs. Travel is reimbursed per actual assumed they are in compliance with FTR |
| 85 | CON/ONS | The solicitation asks for copies of signed contractor teaming arrangements or prime and subcontractor agreements. Would the government be amenable to the offeror providing a list of teaming partners as part of their submission volume instead of the full teaming arrangements, which are often lengthy? (Solicitation 52.212-1) | The offeror must provide documentation as required in addendum to 52.212-1 |
| 86 | ONS | The solicitation notes that “in the event the Contractor proposes the use of software product(s) from Independent Software Vendors (ISV) as part of its selected information system solution, Contractors must provide, to include but not limited to, written evidence of any/all 3PAO assessment(s) and attestation(s) stating that the Contractor’s ISV- produced software product(s) have been independently audited, evaluated, and certified for FedRAMP compliance (in particular, that they have been certified for use with their selected FedRAMP-authorized hosting infrastructure).” Since this solicitation indicates the requested use of Microsoft Products, which VA has licenses for, can the government please confirm if the offeror needs to address this requirement as part of our submission? (Solicitation 52.212-1) | Would only need to include items Government currently doesn’t have licenses for, if you are unsure please include and we can review. |
| 87 | CON | Can the government confirm if the offeror needs to complete OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2023) as part of their submission? (Solicitation) | In accordance with 52.212-1 and addendum to such, offerors are required to submit Offeror Representations and Certification - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2023) |
| 88 | CON | The solicitation notes that the successful bidder must present to the Contracting Officer, prior to award, evidence of general liability insurance without any exclusionary clauses for asbestos that would void the general liability coverage. Can the government confirm if all offerors should submit this with their proposal or if the government will request this from the successful bidder at the time of award? (Solicitation) | In accordance with FAR 28.307-2 AND FAR 52.228-5, page 45, (d) The successful bidder must present to the Contracting Officer, prior to award, evidence of general liability insurance without any exclusionary clauses for asbestos that would void the general liability coverage |
| 89 | ONS | “Support build out of Integrated Healthcare Portfolio Management (IHPM) system. This is a government product that will be implemented by award. Contractor will assist in populating and maintaining of system.” 1. What does support build out mean? Technical or administrative? 2. What is the level of effort in “populating and maintaining” the system? | Updated PWS to reflect use of Microsoft Project/Project Web Application system for project management. Development and maintaining is restricted to this project within the Office of Nursing Services. |
| 90 | ONS | “Create and maintain up to three (3) Power apps (Power Apps, PowerApps Model Driven / Dynamics 365, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agent, Power BI) as requested by the PMO.” 1. How do we provide a technical approach, recruit or staff for this capability not knowing which product they will request (up to 3 times)? | Functionality is not known, but LOE is moderate for an experienced PowerApp developer. |
| 91 | ONS | “The contractor shall employ a project management approach in compliance with ONS guidelines and best practices.” 1. This deliverable is due within 30 days of award, how will the contractor provide a “feasible” approach without knowing ONS guidelines or best practices? 2. Is a copy of the ONS guidelines available to vendors? | ONS guidelines are in alignment with PMP Certification Standards for PM |
| 92 | ONS | “Technical writing and quality control check on all deliverables, 12, EA, Ongoing” 1. Deliverable table on page 13, states “ALL DELIVERABLES”, then a quantity of 12. All deliverables = a lot more than 12, needs LOE clarification | All deliverables need to be reviewed for technical writing and quality control. Line 19 is marked at 12 due to the ability to bill monthly for this service vs. per individual deliverable. |
| 93 | ONS | “Note: The Government reserves the right to incorporate proposed key personnel and | Govt does not intend to change the type of key personnel after award |
| education/certification requirements into the Performance Work Statement upon award.” Could the Government clarify what is meant by this statement? |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .