4. USGCRP RFP 80HQTR20R0016 Sections L - M.pdf

RFP 80HQTR20R0016

Sections L and M

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 52.204-7 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (OCT 2018)

L.2 52.204-16 COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT ENTITY CODE REPORTING. (JUL 2016)

L.3 52.204-22 ALTERNATIVE LINE ITEM PROPOSAL. (JAN 2017)

L.4 52.215-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS -- COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION (JAN 2017)

L.5 52.215-16 FACILITIES CAPITAL COST OF MONEY. (JUN 2003)

L.6 52.215-22 LIMITATIONS ON PASS-THROUGH CHARGES--IDENTIFICATION OF

SUBCONTRACT EFFORT (OCT 2009)

L.7 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

The Government contemplates award of a hybrid Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) contract with core and Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract components resulting from this solicitation.

(End of provision)

L.8 GSFC 52.215-200 COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING THIS SOLICITATION (SEP 2017)

Any questions or comments regarding this solicitation shall cite the solicitation number and be directed to the following Government representative:

Name: Cassandra K. Moore E-Mail: Cassandra.K.Moore@nasa.gov

(End of provision)

L.9 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006)

(a) Protests, as defined in section 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from the Contracting Officer, via e-mail at Cassandra.K.Moore@nasa.gov .

(b) The copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with the GAO.

(End of provision)

L.10 1852.233-70 PROTESTS TO NASA (DEC 2015)

(a) In lieu of a protest to the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), bidders or offerors may submit a protest under 48 CFR part 33 (FAR Part 33) directly to the Contracting

Officer for consideration by the Agency. Alternatively, bidders or offerors may request an independent review by the Assistant Administrator for Procurement, who will serve as or designate the official responsible for conducting an independent review. Such reviews are separate and distinct from the Ombudsman Program described at 1815.7001.

(b) Bidders or offerors shall specify whether they are submitting a protest to the Contracting Officer or requesting an independent review by the Assistant Administrator for Procurement.

(c) Protests to the Contracting Officer shall be submitted to the email specified in the solicitation.

Alternatively, requests for independent review by the Assistant Administrator for Procurement shall be addressed to the Assistant Administrator for Procurement, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001.

(End of provision)

L.11 52.222-24 PREAWARD ON-SITE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMPLIANCE EVALUATION

(FEB 1999)

L.12 52.222-46 EVALUATION OF COMPENSATION FOR PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES

(FEB 1993)

L.13 52.237-10 IDENTIFICATION OF UNCOMPENSATED OVERTIME (MAR 2015)

L.14 52.252-1 -- SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB

1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses:

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provisions:

http://www.acquisition.gov/far/

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) provisions:

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/NFS.pdf

(End of Provision)

L.15 52.252-5 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN PROVISIONS. (APR 1984)

(a) The use in this solicitation of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of (DEVIATION) after the date of the provision.

(b) The use in this solicitation of any NASA FAR Supplement (48 CFR Chapter 18) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of (DEVIATION) after the name of the regulation.

L.16 1852.231-71 DETERMINATION OF COMPENSATION REASONABLENESS

(APR 2015)

(a) The proposal shall include a total compensation plan. This plan shall address all proposed labor categories, including those personnel subject to union agreements, the Service Contract Act, and those exempt from both of the above. The total compensation plan shall include the salaries/wages, fringe benefits and leave programs proposed for each of these categories of labor. The plan also shall include a discussion of the consistency of the plan among the categories of labor being proposed. Differences between benefits offered professional and non-professional employees shall be highlighted. The requirements of this plan may be combined with that required by the clause at FAR 52.222-46, "Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees."

(b) The offeror shall provide written support to demonstrate that its proposed compensation is reasonable.

(c) The offeror shall include the rationale for any conformance procedures used or those Service Contract Act employees proposed that do not fall within the scope of any classification listed in the applicable wage determination.

(d) The offeror shall require all service subcontractors provide, as part of their proposal, the information identified in (a) through (c) of this provision for cost reimbursement or non-competitive fixed-price type subcontracts having a total potential value expected to exceed the threshold for requiring certified cost or pricing data as set forth in FAR 15.403-4.

L.17 1852.245–80 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

(JANUARY 2011)

(a) The offeror shall identify the industry leading or voluntary consensus standards, and/or the industry leading practices, that it intends to employ for the management of Government property under any contract awarded from this solicitation.

(b) The offeror shall provide the date of its last Government property control system analysis along with its overall status, a summary of findings and recommendations, the status of any recommended corrective actions, the name of the Government activity that performed the analysis, and the latest available contact information for that activity.

(c) The offeror shall identify any property it intends to use in performance of this contract from the list of available Government property in the provision at 1852.245–81, List of Available Government Property.

(d) The offeror shall identify all Government property in its possession, provided under other Government contracts that it intends to use in the performance of this contract. The offeror shall also identify: The contract that provided the property, the responsible Contracting Officer, the dates during which the property will be available for use (including the first, last, and all intervening months), and, for any property that will be used concurrently in performing two or more contracts, the amounts of the respective uses in sufficient detail to support prorating the rent, the amount of rent that would otherwise be charged in accordance with FAR 52.245–9, Use and Charges (June 2007), and the contact information for the responsible Government Contracting Officer. The offeror shall provide proof that such use was authorized by the responsible Contracting Officer.

(e) The offeror shall disclose cost accounting practices that allow for direct charging of commercially available equipment, when commercially available equipment is to be used in performance of the contract and the equipment is not a deliverable.

(f) The offeror shall identify, in list form, any equipment that it intends to acquire and directly charge to the Government under this contract. The list shall include a description, manufacturer, model number (when available), quantity required, and estimated unit cost. Equipment approved as part of the award need not be requested under NFS clause 1852.245-70,

(g) The offeror shall disclose its intention to acquire any parts, supplies, materials or equipment, to fabricate an item of equipment for use under any contract resulting from this solicitation when that item of equipment:

Will be titled to the government under the provisions of the contract; is not included as a contract deliverable; and the Contractor intends to charge the costs of materials directly to the contract. The disclosure shall identify the end item or system and shall include all descriptive information, identification numbers (when available), quantities required and estimated costs.

(h) Existing Government property may be reviewed at the following locations, dates, and times:

N/A

L.18 GSFC 52.215-201 PROPOSAL PREPARATION—GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS (MAR

2020)

It is NASA's intent, by providing the instructions set forth below, to solicit information that will demonstrate the Offeror's competence to successfully complete the requirements specified in the Statement of Work (SOW), Attachment A and Technical Scenario, Exhibit 16. Generally, the proposal should:

Demonstrate understanding of the overall and specific requirements of the proposed contract.

Convey the company's capabilities for transforming understanding into accomplishment.

Present in detail, the plans and methods for so doing.

Present the costs associated with so doing.

In the event that other organizations are proposed as being involved in conducting this work, their relationships during the effort shall be explained and their proposed contributions shall be identified and integrated into each part of the proposal, as appropriate.

As part of the Request for Proposal, the offeror shall respond to the core requirements and the Technical Scenario (See L.21). THE OFFEROR IS NOT TO PERFORM ANY ACTUAL WORK

OR PRODUCE ANY DELIVERABLES ON THE CORE REQUIREMENTS OR TECHNICAL

SCENARIO IN RESPONSE TO THE RFP!

(a) PROPOSAL FORMAT AND ORGANIZATION

(1) Offerors shall submit proposals in four volumes as specified below:

Volume Title

I Offer Volume

II Mission Suitability Volume

III Cost Volume

IV Past Performance Volume

(2) All pages of Volumes I, II, III, and IV shall be numbered and identified with the Offeror’s name, RFP number and date. Subsequent revisions, if requested, shall be similarly identified to show revision number and date. A table of contents shall be provided with figures and tables listed separately

(3) Each proposal volume shall be submitted in a single searchable Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file (compatible with version Adobe Reader DC), with appropriate bookmarks.

For Cost volume exhibits required to be submitted in Microsoft Office Excel format (described below), spreadsheets shall also be converted to PDF, in the most readable manner practicable, and submitted as part of a single PDF file for Volume III.

As indicated above, the Cost Volume exhibits shall also be provided in Excel format (compatible with Excel 2010). While the RFP provides these exhibits in PDF format, instructions for converting from PDF format to Excel can be found in the Cost Volume Instructions provision.

Offerors shall submit all exhibits in Excel and the exhibits shall contain all formulas.

(4) The format for each proposal volume shall parallel, to the greatest extent possible, the format of the evaluation factors contained in Section L of this solicitation. The proposal content shall provide a basis for evaluation against the requirements of the solicitation. Each volume of the proposal shall specify the evaluation criteria being addressed, and contain a table of contents aligned with the RFP evaluation criteria. This table of contents is excluded from the page limitations contained in paragraph (b)(1) below.

(5) Information shall be precise, factual, detailed and complete. Offerors shall not assume that the evaluation team is aware of company abilities, capabilities, plans, facilities, organization or any other pertinent fact that is important to accomplishment of the work as specified in the SOW. The evaluation will be based primarily on the information presented in the written proposal. The proposal shall specifically address each evaluation factor.

(b) PROPOSAL CONTENT AND PAGE LIMITATIONS

(1) The following table contains the page limitations for each portion of the proposal submitted in response to this solicitation. Additional instructions for each component of the proposal are located in the solicitation provision noted under the Reference heading.

Proposal Component

Volume

Reference

Page Limitations

Offer Volume I L.19 None

Mission Suitability Volume II L.21 30 Pages

Cover Page, Indices, SOW Compliance Matrix, Total Compensation Plan, Phase-in Plan, and Small Business Utilization

Excluded

Cost Volume III L.22 Mixed

(a) Direct Labor Rates, Indirect Rates, and Fee Matrices (Attachment B)

None

(b) Cost Exhibits None

(c) Basis of Estimates 10 Pages*

Past Performance Volume IV L.23 Mixed

(a) Information from the Offeror 10 Pages**

(b) Cover Page, Indices, List of those sent Past Performance Questionnaires, Small Business Subcontracting Plan History, Customer Evaluations, Termination/Descope information, and List of Acronyms

Excluded

*Prime Offeror individually and each Significant Subcontractor individually may submit up to 10 pages.

**Prime Offeror and all Significant Subcontractors combined shall submit 10 pages or less.

(2) When page limitations apply to a volume or specific section, a page is defined as one side of a sheet, 8-1/2" x 11", with at least one inch margins on all sides, using not smaller than 12 point type Times New Roman font. Line spacing or the amount of vertical space between lines of text shall not be less than single line (Microsoft Office Word’s default line spacing). Character spacing shall be “Normal”, not “Expanded” or “Condensed.” The margins may contain headers and footers, but shall not contain any proposal content to be evaluated. Electronic foldout pages count as an equivalent number of 8-1/2" x 11" pages. The metric standard format most closely approximating the described standard 8-1/2" x 11" size may also be used. The Excel exhibits provided are formatted using 9-12 point type Arial font.

Diagrams, tables, artwork, and photographs may be reduced and, if necessary, run landscape or folded to eliminate oversize pages. Text in Diagrams, schedules, charts, tables, artwork, and photographs shall be no smaller than 10 point. Diagrams, tables, artwork, and photographs shall not be used to circumvent the text size limitations of the proposal.

(3) Title pages, tabs, and tables of contents are excluded from the page counts specified in paragraph (1) of this provision (as well as other documents specified in table (b)(1) above).

Proposal sections that do not have an associated page limit should be strictly limited to the information described as part of that section. Regardless of where it appears in the proposal, information construed as belonging in a page-limited section of the proposal will be so construed and count against that section’s page limit.

(4) The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award contract(s) without discussions with Offeror’s (except clarifications as described in FAR 15.306(a)). Therefore, the Offeror's initial proposal should contain the Offeror's best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint. The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer later determines them to be necessary. If discussions are held and final proposal revisions are requested, the Government will specify separate page limitations in its request for that submission.

(5) Pages submitted in excess of the limitations specified in this provision will not be evaluated by the Government and will be returned to the Offeror in accordance with NFS 1815.204-70(b).

L.19 GSFC 52.215-203 OFFER VOLUME (MAR 2019)

This must be a separate volume.

(a) STANDARD FORM (SF) 33, OFFEROR FILL INS AND SECTION K

Blocks 12 through 18 of the SF 33 and the indicated Offeror required fill-ins in Sections B-K must be completed. The signed SF33 and the pages with the required fill-ins must be submitted.

Annual representations and certifications shall be completed electronically via the System for Awards Management (SAM) web site accessed through https://www.acquisition.gov, in accordance with Section K provision FAR 52.204-8, Annual Representations and Certifications.

The balance of the solicitation need not be returned unless the Offeror has made changes to other pages that will constitute part of the contract. Any such changes must be separately identified in the Summary of Exceptions. All SF 33s require original signatures.

(1) It is requested that Offerors indicate, in Block 12 of the SF 33, a proposal validity period of 260 days. However, in accordance with paragraph (d) of FAR provision 52.215- 1, “Instructions to Offerors--Competitive Acquisitions,” a different validity period may be proposed by the Offeror.

(2) Provide the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of persons to be contacted for clarification of questions of a technical nature and business nature. Identify any consultants and/or subcontractors used in writing this proposal (if any) and the extent to which their services will be available in the subsequent performance of this effort.

The contract schedule refers to TBD and TBP. They are defined as follows:

TBD = TO BE DETERMINED BY THE GOVERNMENT

TBP = TO BE PROPOSED BY THE CONTRACTOR

(b) SUMMARY OF EXCEPTIONS

Include a statement of acceptance of the anticipated contract provisions and proposed contract schedule, or list all specific exceptions to the terms, conditions, and requirements of Sections A through J of this solicitation, to the Representations and Certifications (Section K) or to the information requested in Section L. Include the reason for the exception, new terms, conditions, and/or clauses, including any proposed benefit to the Government. This list must include all exception(s), deviation(s) and/or conditional assumptions taken.

Offerors are cautioned that exceptions or new terms, conditions, or clauses may result in a determination of proposal unacceptability (NFS 1815.305-70), may preclude award to an Offeror if award is made without discussions, or may otherwise affect an Offeror’s competitive standing.

(c) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED

(1) Business Systems

State whether all business systems, including but not limited to accounting, property control, purchasing, estimating, and employee compensation, which require Government acceptance or approval (as applicable) are currently accepted/approved without condition.

Provide the date of acceptance/approval for each system and the cognizant contract administration office. Explain any existing conditional acceptances/approvals and the compliance status of any systems(s) for which acceptance or approval is currently withheld.

FAR 16.301-3 requires that a contractor's accounting system be adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract prior to the award of a cost-reimbursement contract. The Offeror shall provide evidence of an adequate accounting system, as determined by the cognizant administrative office, for accumulating and reporting incurred costs. Offerors who do not have an adequate accounting system determination shall provide evidence of any independent audit and system approvals as well as documented system ability to segregate and accrue costs by contract. If an Offeror is relying on the accounting system adequacy of a Joint Venture team member, sister company, or any other affiliated company’s accounting system, they must specifically assert such an intended reliance for the performance of this contract and must demonstrate a convincing basis for using that system as a source for determining their own adequacy in this proposal volume.

An adequate accounting system is not an evaluation criterion. It is a basic contract requirement with a pass/fail determination. A contract may only be awarded to the Offeror(s) who are determined to have an adequate accounting system.

(2) Contract Administration

Furnish the information listed below:

a. Cognizant Government audit agency with mailing address, email address, telephone number, and fax number.

b. Cognizant Government inspection agency with mailing address, email address, telephone number, and fax number.

c. Cognizant Government Administrative Contracting Officer by name with mailing address, email address, telephone number, and fax number.

(3) Responsibility Information

Provide information addressing all of the elements under FAR 9.104 to demonstrate responsibility (address the elements under this section that are not addressed in another proposal volume).

(4) Taxpayer Identification Number

Prime Offerors shall provide their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) (the number required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be used by the Offeror in reporting income tax and other returns).

(5) Cost Accounting Standards

State whether the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Disclosure Statement represented in Section K FAR provision 52.230-1, Cost Accounting Standards Notices and Certifications, has been approved by the cognizant Administrative Contracting Officer, and provide the date of such approval. If your CAS Disclosure Statement is currently not approved or there are some existing CAS non-compliance findings, please provide detailed explanation of the CAS non-compliance issues, corrective action status, and any potential impact on this procurement. If the Offeror has not submitted a Disclosure Statement, but would fall under CAS compliance if awarded the resultant contract, then a CAS Disclosure Statement shall be submitted as part of your proposal in this volume.

The Government will forward the Disclosure Statement to the cognizant contract administration office with its request for review of the submitted CAS Disclosure Statement.

(6) Subcontractor Listing

The Offeror shall provide a summary listing (by name and address) of all subcontractors (regardless of dollar value) that have been identified throughout the Offeror’s proposal and the subcontract Core/Technical Scenario value associated with each entity.

L.20 GSFC 52.215-205 PROPOSAL DELIVERY (APR 2020)

The Offeror shall submit its proposal via NASA’s secure Large File Transfer (LFT). Electronic submissions shall not contain hidden formulas, tables, be locked, be protected or contain links to data not included in the electronic copy. All electronic submissions should be searchable and should not contain scanned documents, except those documents that must be provided in their native format (e.g., signature pages, prior award fee letters for past performance, DCAA/DCMA approval letters, as applicable). It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure documents are free from virus and malware, as documents determined by NASA to contain a virus or malware will not be opened or evaluated. Significant Subcontractors for the Cost Volume and/or Past Performance Volume may submit their required proposal information separately using the instructions in this provision.

Offerors interested in submitting a proposal in response to this RFP shall request a LFT invitation email from Cassandra K. Moore at the following email address:

Cassandra.K.Moore@nasa.gov. Offerors must courtesy copy (cc) Lashawn K. Feimster at Lashawn.K.Feimster@nasa.gov to ensure requests are accommodated timely. All Offerors must submit their request for an LFT invitation to the aforementioned emails, no later than 10 calendar days prior to the proposal due date. The Government anticipates responding with an invitation to use LFT no later than 5 calendar days prior to the proposal due date.

Upon receipt of the invitation email, an offeror’s representative must click the link in the email to access the LFT website and register for an account. Email invitations with LFT links expire in 168 hours. The offeror’s representative will create his/her own password. The LFT website contains an LFT Quick Start Guide and an LFT User Guide with additional instructions. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to follow instructions provided in the LFT Quick Start Guide and the LFT User Guide. After logging into LFT, the Offeror should click the Send File tab to enter the recipient’s email address of Cassandra.K.Moore@nasa.gov and a cc copy to Lashawn.k.feimster@nasa.gov, compose a message to the recipient, and attach files. In the “Subject” block of the “Send File” tab state “insert USGCRP Follow-on Support Services Proposal - Insert Company Name”. Note: LFT sessions expire after 15 minutes of inactivity.

Offerors are advised that notifications alerting users the session is about to expire will not be provided by the LFT system, and any changes to the email form on the Send File tab will not be saved if the session times out. If an Offeror wishes to send a file over 2GB, an Accellion applet will need to be downloaded. Files can be sent up to 100 GB in total size.

Immediately after all files have been transferred and the proposal has been submitted in its entirety, the offeror shall email the Contracting Officer with a listing of all documents that were submitted via LFT.

Each offeror is responsible for ensuring its proposal reaches the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time and date specified in the solicitation. In accordance with FAR 52.215-1(c)(3), any proposal that is received after the exact time specified for receipt of proposals is late. As the transmission of files from the Offeror to the Government via LFT is not instantaneous, Offerors are cautioned to allow sufficient time for transmission before the deadline. FAR 52.215-1(c)(3)(ii) recognizes an exception to the late proposal rule for proposals submitted through an electronic commerce method if the proposal is received prior to award, acceptance would not unduly delay the acquisition, and the electronic proposal was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals. To ensure timely delivery, Offerors are therefore encouraged to submit their proposals by 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the due date specified in this RFP.

L.21 GSFC 52.215-210 MISSION SUITABILITY VOLUME INSTRUCTIONS (COMPETITIVE)

(NOV 2017)

Contents of Mission Suitability Volume Instructions

(a) General Instructions

(b) Mission Suitability Volume Format

(c) Mission Suitability Instructions

(a) General Instructions

The Mission Suitability Volume should be specific, detailed, and provide all the information requested by these instructions. The Mission Suitability Volume must demonstrate that the Offeror understands the requirements and has the ability to meet the requirements. General statements such as the "requirements are understood" or "standard procedures will be employed" are not adequate. Also, restatement or paraphrasing of the requirements should be avoided. Information previously submitted, if any, will not be considered unless it is resubmitted as part of the Mission Suitability Volume. It must not be incorporated by reference.

(b) Mission Suitability Volume Format

The Mission Suitability Volume must be divided and presented by each Mission Suitability as follows:

–Technical Approach

– Management Approach

– Small Business Utilization (SBU)

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) contained in Attachment A of this solicitation shall be used to structure the Mission Suitability information within each area, consistent with the instructions for each area (e.g., if the instruction requires that only a subset of WBS elements be addressed, offerors should not address the entire set of WBS elements in its response). This solicitation contains NASA FAR Supplement clause 1852.242-73, "NASA Contractor Financial Management Reporting." For the purpose of NF 533 reporting under the actual contract, Offerors may propose a different WBS more tailored to the way the work is to be performed or to the Offeror’s management or reporting systems for consideration by the Government.

However, the Mission Suitability Volume and the Cost Volume must follow the provided WBS.

(c) Mission Suitability Instructions

Technical Approach

The Offeror's technical approach shall demonstrate an understanding of the requirements and provide the techniques and procedures that will be used to satisfy the requirements in a timely and cost effective manner.

A.1 A critical aspect of the SOW is the provision of timely and responsive operational support for the USGCRP’s IT requirements including the USGCRP website and Global Change Information System (SOW Section 7.0). The technical approach shall address this area in enough detail to clearly and fully demonstrate that the Offeror understands the requirements and the inherent problems associated with the objectives of this procurement.

A.2 The Offeror shall identify the most significant potential risks under this contract and also describe the risk management techniques that will be used to manage identified risks during contract performance. Risk factors may be those inherent in the work or unique to the Offeror's chosen approach. General areas of possible risk that are of concern to NASA are technical, schedule, cost, security (including personnel, information technology), export control and environmental risks. The identification of risks is the responsibility of the Offeror. The Offeror's discussion of a risk factor should provide the Offeror's approach to managing the risk--the probability of the risk, impact and severity, and risk acceptance or mitigation.

A.3 The Offeror shall identify the proposed labor categories and hours required to accomplish the entire Core SOW requirements and IDIQ Task Order requirements.

A.4 The Offeror shall provide a written task plan addressing the technical scenario included as Exhibit 16. In accordance with the 52.216-91 Supplemental Task Ordering Procedure clause in Section B of this solicitation, the task plan shall identify the technical approach, staffing plan including labor categories, projected hours, Government interface, and the flow of activities from start to completion (including time line). The Offeror shall address the Government interface including the offeror’s strategy for conducting and managing federal executive-level communications and meetings with up to 13 federal agencies as well as external partners. The Offeror shall address a quality assurance process that will be evaluated for sufficiency in terms of ensuring task order deliverables/products meet or exceed the Information Quality Act (IQA) standards for highly influential scientific products of the federal government. The plan must be sufficiently specific, detailed, and complete to demonstrate a clear and full understanding of the objectives; potential technical problems, risks, and critical issues; and possible problem mitigation/resolution. Any assumptions made in preparing a response to the technical scenario shall be clearly stated.

Management Approach

B.1 The Offeror shall describe its approach for managing all aspects of the SOW.

B.2 The Offeror shall describe its strategy for using (or not using) significant subcontractors (based on the definition of significant subcontractor in the cost volume instructions). If significant subcontractors are proposed, the Offeror shall identify the interfaces between its organizational structure and the significant subcontractors. Additionally, the proposal shall describe the nature and extent of the work to be performed by the significant subcontractor, including the split of responsibilities and the potential percentages of work to be performed. The Offeror shall discuss its plans for addressing any performance issues on subcontracted portions of the contract.

B.3

The Offeror shall discuss its management structure including interrelationships of technical management, business management, and subcontract management. The proposal shall include an organizational chart that identifies where this contract fits in the corporate structure.

In addition, the proposal shall contain an organizational chart for this contract identifying all managerial positions by title. The Offeror shall provide a detailed description of the responsibilities and authorities for management of this contract, from lower levels through intermediate management to top-level management. The Offeror should include such elements as the span of control, degree of autonomy, and lines of communication. All interfaces with government civil servants as well as proposed subcontractors must be clearly delineated.

B.4

The management plan shall contain an in-depth discussion of the independence and autonomy of the Program Manager, including the type and degree of support and resources that are under his/her direct control in the performance of this contract. In addition, the plan shall clearly address the Program Manager's access to corporate officials and essential resources/functions necessary to accomplish the work, including the Program Manager's authority to utilize and redirect subcontract and/or Joint Venture resources (if applicable). The plan shall also describe the process to be followed by the Program Manager in obtaining decisions beyond his/her authority and in the prioritization of conflicting needs for resources and functions within the organization.

B.5

The Offeror shall provide a detailed phase-in plan that will ensure continuity and a smooth transition with the incumbent Contractor during the 30-day phase-in period. The phase-in plan shall clearly demonstrate an ability to assume full contract responsibility on the effective date of the contract. The phase-in plan shall also specifically address how ongoing work will be transitioned, the proposed management organization, schedule, orientation and training of personnel. The Offeror shall address its preparation for the timely processing of the Personal Identify Verification (PIV) requirements. If the phase-in plan assumes any dependency upon the incumbent contractor, please identify. Also, specify the anticipated extent of involvement of NASA personnel during this period. The 30-day phase-in period will be accomplished through the issuance of a separate firm fixed-price contract vehicle.

B.6

The Offeror shall provide a complete staffing plan that describes how the Offeror intends to staff this effort and how the approach will allow the Offeror to meet the requirements of this contract.

The staffing plan shall include a comprehensive hiring plan which presents the expected number of personnel to be hired from incumbents, those to be transferred from within the Offeror’s own organization, and those from other sources, as well as the associated strategy for achieving each aspect of the proposed hiring plan. Additionally, please provide any staffing reach-back to corporate resources or supplemental capabilities to minimize staffing disruptions throughout contract performance.

B.7

Task orders will be issued in accordance with the Supplemental Task Ordering Procedure clause 52.216-91 in Section B of this solicitation and the Task Ordering Procedure clause 1852.216-80 in Section I of this solicitation. The Offeror shall detail its process for responding quickly and efficiently to requests for task plans. The Offeror shall address its plan for organizing, assigning staff, tracking, and managing task orders from task initiation to completion, including configuration control, subcontracting, schedule, and cost. The Offeror shall describe the approach for managing multiple tasks simultaneously.

B.8

Offerors shall provide written Position Qualifications for each specific labor category proposed for contract performance. Per the directions in the Cost Volume Instruction provision, the Offeror’s Position Qualifications are to be included in the contract Attachment B entitled, “Direct Labor Rates, Indirect Rates, and Fee Matrices,” which shall be submitted in the Cost Volume (per table (b)(1) of GSFC provision 52.215-201). Offerors shall address the minimum requirements in the Position Qualifications, to include necessary experience, summary of duties and responsibilities, specific requirements/licensing, minimum education and/or experience required for the position.

B.9

The Offeror shall provide a Total Compensation Plan (TCP) for all personnel proposed, in accordance with NFS provision 1852.231-71, “Determination of Compensation Reasonableness,” and FAR provision 52.222-46, “Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees.” The required TCP must:

Classify all labor categories proposed as “exempt” or “non-exempt” positions. Briefly define the terms “exempt” and “non-exempt” as used by the Offeror’s organization and correlate this definition with that provided for in the Code of Federal Regulations.

Identify the categories of personnel that are in a bona fide executive, administrative or professional capacity as defined by FAR 22.1102 and 29 CFR 541.

In accordance with the Exhibits 13A and 13B "Fringe Benefit Chart", the Offeror and all service subcontractors (as defined in paragraph (d) of NFS provision 1852.231-71) shall provide a detailed list of their fringe benefits and company estimated cost per hour, along with an itemization of the benefits that require employee contributions and the amount of that contribution as a percentage of the total cost of the benefit. Two exhibits shall be submitted, one containing the average of fringe benefit information for all the exempt labor categories and one containing the average of fringe benefit information for all the non-exempt labor categories.

(The Mission Suitability Volume must not include Exhibits 13A and 13B but should reference where the information appears in the Cost Volume.)

Provide supporting data, such as recognized national, regional, and local compensation surveys and studies of professional, public and private organizations, used in establishing the total professional compensation structure.

Small Business Utilization (SBU)

C.1 All Offerors, except small businesses, shall complete the portion of the instructions under Small Business Subcontracting specific to Small Business Subcontracting Plans. Small businesses are not required to submit Small Business Subcontracting Plans; however, small businesses shall indicate the amount of effort proposed to be done by a small business either at the prime level or at the first tier subcontract level.

All Offerors (small businesses and other than small businesses) shall respond to the Commitment to Small Business Program.

(a) Small Business Subcontracting Plan

(1) This solicitation contains FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation)--Alternate II, “Small Business Subcontracting Plan”. The Plan described and required by the clause, including the associated subcontracting percentage goals and subcontracting dollars, shall be submitted with the proposal.

(2) The Contracting Officer’s assessment of appropriate subcontracting goals for this acquisition, expressed as a percent of the TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE (CORE basic and all options combined plus IDIQ Maximum Ordering Value basic and all options combined, is as follows:

Small Businesses (SB) 7.0%

Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Concerns 2.5%

Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Concerns 2.0%

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/ Minority Serving Institutions (MSI)

0.0%

HUBZone Small Business (HBZ) Concerns 0.5%

Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) Concerns 1.0%

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Concerns

0.5%

(3) The numbers above reflect the Contracting Officer’s assessment of the appropriate subcontracting goals to be achieved at the completion of contract performance. When appropriate, an Offeror may discuss plans to phase-in small business concerns, explaining the rationale for the phase-in schedule. If the Offeror anticipates that it will not meet the proposed small business goals by the time the Offeror submits its first Individual Subcontracting Report (ISR) for this effort as required by FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation), Small Business Subcontracting Plan, the Offeror should discuss its approach to include a timeline for meeting these goals and the associated rationale.

(4) Offerors are encouraged to propose goals that are equivalent to or greater than those that the Contracting Officer has recommended. However, Offerors shall perform their own independent assessments of the small business subcontracting opportunities and are encouraged to propose goals exceeding the recommended goals where practical.

(5) The Plan that the Offeror submits with its proposal shall be incorporated in Section J as Attachment G in the resulting contract. The requirements in the Plan shall flow down to first tier large business subcontracts expected to exceed $700,000 (or $1,500,000 for construction of a public facility). Although these first tier large business subcontractors are encouraged to meet or exceed the stated goals, NASA recognizes that the subcontracting opportunities available to these subcontractors may differ from the recommended goals in the solicitation based upon the nature of their respective performance requirements.

(6) Offerors are advised that a proposal will not be rejected solely because the Plan submitted does not meet the NASA recommended goals listed in paragraph (a) (2) above in terms of percent of the TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE (CORE basic and all options combined plus IDIQ Maximum Ordering Value basic and all options combined). NASA will consider the amount of work that the prime contractor plans to perform when determining whether a subcontracting plan is acceptable. Offerors shall discuss the rationale for any goal proposed that is less than the Contracting Officer’s recommended goal in any category. In addition, the Offeror shall describe the efforts made to establish a goal for that category and what ongoing efforts, if any, the Offeror plans during contract performance to increase participation in that category.

(7) In addition to submitting a Small Business Subcontracting Plan in accordance with the Section I, FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation)--Alternate II, Offerors shall complete Exhibits 15A, 15B and 15C, SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN GOALS, which provide a breakdown of the Offeror’s proposed goals, by small business category, expressed in terms of both a percent of the TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE and a percent of TOTAL PLANNED SUBCONTRACTS. Offerors shall show the proposed subcontracting goals for the basic contract requirement and each option separately.

(NOTE: FOR PURPOSES OF THE SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN, THE

PROPOSED GOALS SHALL BE STATED AS A PERCENT OF TOTAL SUBCONTRACTS,

NOT AS A PERCENT OF THE TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE, REFER TO THE BELOW

EXAMPLE)

Example of Subcontracting Goals as expressed in both the Total Contract Value and Planned Subcontract Value for a Total Contract value of $100M and planned subcontract value of $50M.

Column A Column B Column C

Category Percent of Total Contract Value

Dollar Value

Percent of Subcontracting Value

Small Business (SB) Concerns 25 percent $25,000,000 50 percent

Other than Small Business Concerns N/A $25,000,000 50 percent

Total Dollars to be Subcontracted N/A $50,000,000 100 percent

The following small business subcategories do not necessarily add up to the percentage and dollar amount in the “Small Business Concerns” category above, since some small businesses do not fall into any of the subcategories below, while others will fall into more than one subcategory below.

Small Disadvantaged Business (SBD) Concerns

5.5 percent $5,500,000 11 percent

Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Concerns

9 percent $9,000,000 18 percent

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Serving Institutions (MSI)

1.5 percent $1,500,000 3 percent

HUBZone (HBZ) Small Business Concerns

1.5 percent $1,500,000 3 percent

Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) Concerns

2.5 percent $2,500,000 5 percent

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Concerns

1.5 percent $1,500,000 3 percent

The Offeror proposes small business subcontracting goals as a percentage of Total Contract Value in column A.

Then based on the $100 million Total Contract Value the resulting statement of dollars that the Offeror would include in the Subcontracting Plan, as required by paragraph (d)(2) of FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation)—Alternate II, would be as indicated in column B.

However, the Small Business Subcontracting Plan shall also express goals as a percent of total planned subcontracts. Assuming total subcontracting of $50M, the resulting percentage goals, expressed as a percent of total subcontract dollars, and which would be stated in the Small Business Subcontracting Plan as required by paragraph (d)(1) FAR clause 52.219-9 (Deviation)--Alternate II would be recorded in column C.

(b) Commitment to the Small Business Program

(1) All Offerors must briefly describe the work that small businesses will perform to meet the stated requirements.

(2) If the subcontractor(s) is known, Offerors shall describe the work that each subcontractor will perform and specify the extent of commitment to use the subcontractor(s) (enforceable vs.

non-enforceable commitments). (Small Business Offerors shall provide this information to the extent that subcontracting opportunities exist in their approach to performing the requirement.)

(3) All Offerors shall provide information demonstrating the extent of commitment to utilize small business concerns and to support their development. Information provided shall include a brief description of established or planned procedures and organizational structure for Small Business outreach, assistance, counseling, market research and Small Business identification, and relevant purchasing procedures. (For Other than Small Business Offerors, this information shall conform to applicable portions of the submitted Small Business Subcontracting Plan. Small Business Offerors shall provide this information to the extent subcontracting opportunities exist in their approach to performing the requirement.)

(4) The NASA Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to incentivize NASA large prime contractors to assist a Small Disadvantaged Business, a Women-Owned Small Business, a HUBZone Small Business, a Veteran-Owned or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, or Historically Black College and University/Minority Serving Institution in enhancing their capabilities to perform NASA contracts and subcontracts, foster the establishment of long-term business relationships between these entities and NASA large prime contractors, and increase the overall number of these entities that receive NASA contract and subcontract awards. Provide a description of the prime’s planned participation in the NASA Mentor Protégé Program.

L.22 GSFC 52.215-224 COST VOLUME INSTRUCTIONS (DEC 2018)

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requires Contracting Officers to purchase supplies and services from responsible sources at fair and reasonable prices. It is expected that adequate price competition will be obtained under this solicitation so that submission of certified cost or pricing data is not required pursuant to FAR 52.215-20, Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data--Alternate IV. The term “data other than certified cost or pricing data” is defined at FAR 2.101.

(a) Instructions

An important prerequisite for the award of the contract is the Prime Offeror must have an accounting system that has been determined adequate by the cognizant administrative office for accumulating and reporting incurred costs prior to contract award. If an Offeror is relying on the accounting system adequacy of a Joint Venture team member, sister company, or any other affiliated company’s accounting system, they must specifically assert (in the submitted Offer Volume) such an intended reliance for the performance of the contract and must demonstrate a convincing basis for using that system as a source for determining their own adequacy.

While these proposals are not required to be cost certified, they are to be in sufficient detail to allow direct and indirect rate verification and audit of selected costs. The Cost Volume proposal should be prepared in a manner consistent with the Offeror’s current accounting system.

The contract resulting from this solicitation is potentially subject to Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) compliance, unless the Offeror qualifies for a CAS exemption. Offerors shall determine CAS applicability (full or modified CAS coverage) for its proposing business unit based on applicability criteria. If full CAS coverage applies to the Offeror and it has not submitted a Disclosure Statement that has been deemed adequate by its cognizant contract administration entity (typically DCMA), then a Disclosure Statement shall be prepared in support of the Offeror’s proposal. While CAS Disclosure Statements are not evaluated by NASA, their evaluation must be coordinated between NASA and the cognizant contract administration entity; as such, the CAS Disclosure Statement shall be submitted to NASA with the proposal in the Offer Volume.

The required format for other than certified cost or pricing data is for evaluation purposes. The cost for any resultant contract will be awarded on the basis of the successful Offeror's normal estimating and/or accounting system or the system set forth in the CAS Disclosure Statement required by Public Law 100-679, if applicable. If the Offeror's estimating and/or accounting practice differs from the required Cost Volume proposal format, the costs should be computed in accordance with the Offeror’s normal accounting and estimating procedures and provide your rationale for the format adjustments.

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