Amendment_0001_questions_through_20190626.pdf

Solicitation Q&A June 26, 2019 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY SPD F&O Design-Build/Construction MA IDIQ Solicitation 47PH0119R0001

Solicitation Questions and Answers asked through June 26, 2019.

1. Section II.B Proposal format of the RFP indicates proposal materials shall be double-spaced. However, it is most common for GSA proposals to allow use of single spacing, which is essential to achieve the submission requirements within the page limits. Please allow the use of single spacing throughout the proposal.

A: The requirements will be changed to allow for single spacing. Please refer to the revised solicitation.

2. Section II.B Proposal format of the RFP indicates the 50-page limit includes the table of contents, charts, exhibits, and any other materials the offeror includes for each technical factor. The only items not included in the page limit are CPARS / PPQs and the cover letter.

Please consider excluding the Subcontracting Plan to be submitted by large business offerors under Factor 5, the Price Proposal (RFP section II.C), and the Other Information (RFP section II.E) from the page limit. The 50-page limit is significantly inadequate if these items are included.

A: The requirements will be changed to exclude the subcontracting plan, price proposal sheet, and Other Documents as Required section from the 50 page limit.

Please refer to the revised solicitation.

3. Section II.D(1)(a)(3) of the RFP notes projects submitted under Factor 1 must be completed within the last 8 years of the original proposal due date of this Solicitation. In GSA RFPs it is most common for the project timeframe to be based on the RFP issue date, in this case June 21, 2019. Please consider amending this section to establish the RFP issue date as the basis for the project timeframe in lieu of the original proposal due date.

A: Factor 1 project timeframe will be amended to establish the RFP issue date as the basis for the project timeframe. Please refer to the revised solicitation.

4. In the Statement of Work, page 5, item 39 directs the D/B Contractor to hold a Design Kickoff Meeting at the site. Also, Item 40 states to hold a Pre-Construction Meeting at the site. Please confirm that each site will individually require these meetings and will not be combined into one meeting/location for all five locations.

A: The Statement of Work was structured to illustrate the SPD's typical processes, approach to project delivery, and the level of effort the contractor can expect when participating in the solicitation process. Since the project is hypothetical, we will not be doing site visits in the interest of the bidder's time. We expect the contractor to develop their proposal based on the information in the RFP and associated technical documents.

5. Please refer to Attachment A, Section 013300. Paragraph 1.4.A. Please provide the number of calendar days that GSA will require to review and comment or accept each of the shop drawing submittals.

Solicitation Q&A June 26, 2019 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

A: The contractor shall anticipate (14) calendar days for shop drawings and submittal review. We typically turn them around quicker but (14) days should be the basis for scheduling.

6. In the Statement of Work and Price Proposal Worksheet, the Eastport location is noted to be in Maine, which is not correct. The drawings for Eastport indicate that the site is located in Idaho.

A: Eastport is located in Idaho as stated on the drawings. The Statement of Work and Price Proposal Worksheet have been revised to the correct location.

7. Reference: II.B Proposal Format, pages 7/8 of 59) – Offeror’s proposals shall be no longer than fifty (50) pages inclusive of table of contents, charts, exhibits, and any other materials the offeror includes for each technical factor identified in Section II.D. The price proposal shall be included in the proposal page limit. The formatting instructions also indicate that “all proposal materials shall be in typeface Times New Roman 12 point, double-spaced on 8-1/2” x 11” paper with one-inch margins all around.” Clarifications Requested:

These requirements significantly limit an Offeror’s ability to provide a complete and compliant response for stated technical price submittal requirements. Further, the formatting instructions appear to conflict with certain requirements; the Government-provided documents such as the Past Performance Form and Project Data Sheet use a font size less than 12 point. Please revise the format requirements to allow typeface no smaller than 11 point for text and 10 point for graphics, exhibits, etc., single spaced to enable Offerors the ability to provide the detailed data required.

A: The requirements will be changed to allow for Times New Roman 11 point for text and 10 point for graphics, exhibits, etc. The spacing requirement has been changed in question #1. Please refer to the revised solicitation.

8. Reference: II.B Proposal Format, (1) 2nd Paragraph (page 7 of 59) – Offeror’s proposals shall be no longer than fifty (50) pages inclusive of table of contents, charts, exhibits, and any other materials the offeror includes for each technical factor identified in Section II.D along with the last paragraph:” Within the 50-page limit and the individual Factor page limitations, there are several Factors content requirements that are difficult to fulfill within the current page restrictions and to adequately address these requirements offerors require additional page allocation or exclusion from the page restrictions. These are:

a. Reference: Paragraph II.D (1) Factor 1 (b) (page 8 of 59) - Requires the project data sheets (restricted to two pages) for each project and the second paragraph requires CPARS / PPQs as part of the project performance. The average CPARS is two (2) to three (3) pages and the Attachment 7 PBS Past Performance form is five (5) pages with no data filled in. These documents do not comply with the font and spacing requirements of the solicitation as published.

Please confirm the CPARS /PPQs do not have to meet the font and spacing requirements.

Solicitation Q&A June 26, 2019 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

A: CPARS/PPQs should be completed in the format of the document, and are not included in the page limit.

b. Reference: Paragraph II.D (4) Factor 4 (b) (page 12 of 59) - “Each project shall not exceed two (2) pages. … A representative floor plan, a site plan, a building section, or other appropriate drawing, and a minimum of two (2) photographs must be included for each project.” Please clarify if the two photographs and the requested plan or drawing is included in the page restrictions.

With the 12 point and double spacing the narrative on the design approach would be minimal if these components are part of the two-page limitation. It will limit offerors’ ability to address all salient features of the design. (1) We respectfully request that the drawing or plan and the two photographs be excluded from the 2-page limitation and from the overall 50-page limit of the proposal. (2) please confirm that the representative floor plan, site plan, building section, or other appropriate drawing requested under Factor 4 do not have to meet the font and spacing requirements. These drawings often are larger scale than letter size paper and will need to be reduced to fit the paper size and margin requirements in section II.B, last paragraph.

A: The two page limitation is for the written portion. The design docs and pictures are in addition to the two pages. Drawings do not have to meet the font and size requirements.

c. Reference: Paragraph II.D (3) Factor 3 (c) (page 11 of 59) - limits resumes to two (2) pages and must include “A brief description of responsibilities for each position held under for each employer (previous and current). For each position, include the job title and the start/end date or number of years and months the position was held. “It is reasonable to expect experienced team members to hold multiple positions within previous and current employers.

i. The Times New Roman 12-point, double-spaced requirement, combined with the two-page limit, potentially will prevent an offeror from being fully compliant as there is not enough space to adequately respond. We respectfully request that the Government allow a typeface no smaller than 11 point, single spaced and that the page count for resumes be increased from 2 pages to 3 pages for each team member.

A: Please refer to question #7 and question #1.

ii. Please clarify the requirement for the resume to be by employer and providing a brief description of their responsibilities by position. (1) If the candidate proposed meets the years of experience requirement with their current employer or with a fewer set of employers than the professional’s full career length, please clarify the need to provide all employers. Given the page format requirements and page limitation, fulfilling this stated submittal requirement of “all employers” severely restricts offerors’ ability

Solicitation Q&A June 26, 2019 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY to provide sufficient detail on the professional’s responsibilities. (2) describing by position a professional’s responsibilities tend to be generic;

please clarify if GSA is requiring information about the projects the professional worked and what role they performed on those projects or is GSA only interested in the company position and what the company’s job description is for that person. The former requires more detail and if this is the requirement please provide relief on the spacing and covering all employers. The recommendation is to allow offerors to provide resumes by projects that demonstrate their relevant experience and not be by employer. Secondly the recommendation is that offerors only need to provide relevant projects demonstrating the required years of experience and / or scope of the contract/customers.

A: Be selective and include the most relevant experience and qualifications that will fit within the specified space limitations. We recognize that people may have more extensive backgrounds, but all of an employee’s experience and qualifications are not needed if not relevant . “All Employers” refers to all employers listed on the resume.

d. Reference: II.D (5) Factor 5 (b) (page 12 of 59) - The small business plan required in the solicitation that complies with the FAR 52.219-8 requirements is a lengthy document averaging 10 to 15 pages, and likely will end up being 20-30 pages using the current formatting requirements. We respectfully request that the required subcontracting plan under Factor 5 be excluded from the 50-page limit for our technical and price proposals OR be allowed to be submitted as part of Other Required Documents portion of our submittal that does not have a page limit.

A: Please refer to question #2.

9. Reference: II.D (4) Factor 4 (b) (page 12 of 59) - Please confirm if offerors can provide D-B projects (1) where we have completed design but not completed construction; and (2) if drawings may be substituted for the photographs if they are not available since the construction is not complete.

A: Projects that have been designed and constructed are preferred. An incomplete project may be considered only if the firm has completed the design and the construction is more than 50% complete.