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ATTACHMENT 43
QUESTION AND ANSWER (Q&A)
Procurement Instrument Identifier (PIID): 47QFCA23R0053
Note to offerors: Please provide the specific paragraph reference using the Section/sub-Section numbers in the solicitation.
| # |
| PART # |
| PARAGRAPH # |
| PARAGRAPH TITLE |
| QUESTION |
| GOVERNMENT RESPONSE |
| 1 |
| I |
| SF 30 |
| Block 14 |
| Will the government extend to the proposal to Oct 31, 2024? |
| The Government will extend the due date to October 30, 2024. |
| 2 |
| Amd 08 RFP 47QFCA23R0053 - Military OneSource Program |
| 6.1.2 |
| CONTRACTOR SUPPORT DURING TECHNICAL EVALUATION |
| Will the Government accept previously signed letters (OCI statements, NDAs with Hive/Fusion, and KP letters of commitment), or do contractors need to update the dates for these documents? |
| All documents must be resubmitted. NDAs and OCI statements do not need to be resigned if they are still current and there are no changes. The KP letters of commitment need to be signed showing the commitment to the new program start date specified by RFP Section 6.1 (March 1, 2025). |
| 3 |
| Magellan Discussions Letter_Military One Source |
| Final proposal revisions |
| Final proposal revisions |
| Will the Government consider an extension to October 21, 2024? The current timeframe doesn't allow much time for orals preparation and includes two Jewish holidays and a federal holiday. |
| The Government will extend the due date to October 30, 2024. |
| 4 |
| Amd 08 RFP 47QFCA23R0053 - Military OneSource Program |
| 6.3.6 |
| PAST PERFORMANCE |
| Will previously submitted past performance forms from contract POCs (Attach 35) remain valid? |
| All documents shall be resubmitted. Previously submitted forms (Attachment 35) may be resubmitted in accordance with RFP 6.3.6. and 7.6.3. |
| 5 |
| Amd 08 RFP 47QFCA23R0053 - Military OneSource Program |
| 6.4.4 |
| TECHNICAL PROPOSAL VIRTUAL ORAL Q&A SESSION SCHEDULING |
| Can the Government clarify the time range of when to expect a virtual Q&A so that contractor KP can ensure they are available? |
| The virtual clarification Q&A session will be scheduled from November 4, 2024 through December 13, 2024. |
| A two-week extension of the RFP submission due date to allow for offerors to adequately meet the new requirement of the Recorded Video Proposal Presentation, or, Changing the due date for the Recorded Video Proposal Presentation portion only to Tuesday, October 29, 2024. |
| The Government will extend the due date to October 30, 2024. The entirety of the proposal submission must be provided at the due date. |
| 7 |
| Amendment 08 - General Instructions, Part II Attachment II - 1 |
| 6.3.1 Att. II - 1 |
| Program Staffing Plan |
| What is the minimum level of detail required in each column of the PSP to be deemed compliant? |
| RFP Section 6.3.1 and Attachment 32, Program Staffing Plan (PSP) under the "INSTRUCTIONS - READ ME" Tab clearly defines the requirements for the PSP. |
| 8 |
| Amendment 08 - Performance Work Statement |
| 5.25 |
| Period of Performance |
| How long is the base period (non-implementation) period of performance? If less than 12 months, please explain why the Base Period quantities are in-line with the other full years. |
| RFP Section 5.25 states that base period is one-year. The base period is inclusive of both the Transition-In and the execution activities. |
| 9 |
| Previously Provided Data |
| N/A |
| Data related to call center volumes |
| Please clarify what type of contacts are considered a contact and are included in the contact center volumes. Specifically |
1. 100% automated outbound calls (no Vendor human interactions)
2. Incoming calls that are abandoned
3. Beneficiary survey calls
4. SMS / Text Messages
5. Outbound calls
6. Answered Chat / Messaging
7. Abandoned Chat / Messaging 100% automated outbound calls (no Vendor human interactions), abandoned calls, abandoned chats, and abandoned messages are not considered contacts.
| 10 |
| Amendment 08 - Performance Work Statement |
| 5.18 |
| eCMS Requirements |
| Is there an updated eCMS Work Instruction we can review? Does eCMS allow for managing/creating outbound tasks and appointment scheduling? |
| There is not an updated eCMS Work Instruction. No, eCMS does not allow for managing/creating outbound tasks and appointment scheduling. |
| 11 |
| Amendment 08 - Part III |
| 6.4.5 |
| Technical Proposal Virtual Oral Q&A Session Format |
| Will the government provide all questions in a written format/slide? Or, will the government provide the questions verbally? |
| Per RFP Section 6.4.5 the Virtual Oral Q&A will be oral, the Government will not provide written questions. |
| 12 |
| Amendment 08 - Part III |
| 6.4.5 |
| Technical Proposal Virtual Oral Q&A Session Format |
| Will the government allow the presenters to mute their microphones and turn off video during the 30 minutes caucus? |
| There will not be video during the Virtual Oral Q&A session. Yes, the offeror will be able to mute their microphones to caucus. |
| 13 |
| Amendment 08 - Part III |
| 6.4.4 |
| Technical Proposal Virtual Oral Q&A Session Scheduling |
| How soon after submission is Q&A expected to be scheduled and held? |
| The virtual clarification Q&A session will be scheduled from October 23, 2024 through November 14, 2024. |
| 14 |
| Attachments to Solicitation |
| N/A |
| Attachment 38 |
| Please provide a next-level set of volume data including inbound/outbound volumes (phone, chat, video) by function including triage consultants, non-medical counselors, specialty consultants, special needs consultants. |
| The Government does not currently have that information. All information that can be provided is in RFP and the attachments. |
| 15 |
| Amendment 08 - Method of Award |
| 7.6 |
| Technical Evaluation Factors |
| Will proposals received as a result of Amendment 08 be considered entirely new submissions for evaluation purposes? |
| Yes. |
| 16 |
| Amendment 08 - Method of Award |
| 7.6 |
| Technical Evaluation Factors |
| Will an Offeror's initial proposal evaluations or ratings be used by the evaluators of proposals submitted in response to Amendment 08? |
| No. |
| 17 |
| Amendment 08 - Method of Award |
| 7.6 |
| Technical Evaluation Factors |
| Are the Technical Evaluation Board (TEB) members who will evaluate proposals based on Amendment 08 the same individuals that evaluated the proposals for the submission as a result of Amendment 07? |
| The Government will not provide this information. |
| 18 |
| Amendment 08 |
| Title Page |
| N/A |
| Please explain the additional language added to page 1 of Amendment 08 that says, "Issued by: Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS)". |
| FEDSIM was an organizational unit within GSA's Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Office of Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS). Since the original RFP issue date, FAS underwent an organizational realignment. As part of that realignment, the organizational unit within AAS previously called FEDSIM was renamed AAS Defense. Other than the name change from FEDSIM to AAS Defense, the reorganization did not change the organization or personnel responsible for this procurement. Additional information can be found on https://aas.gsa.gov/ |
| 19 |
| Amendment 08 |
| Title Page |
| N/A |
| Does the addition of "Issued by: Assisted Acquisition Services" mean that a new evaluation approach is being used for proposals submitted in response to Amendment 08? |
| The evaluation approach will remain the same. See the response to question 18. |
| 20 |
| Amendment 08 |
| SF30 |
| N/A |
| We note on the SF30 for Amendment 07, the Agency was identified as "General Services Administration, AAS Defense." The SF30 for Amendment 08 lists "General Services Administration, FEDSIM." |
Please clarify:
1) Is "AAS Defense" the same as the "Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS)" listed on page 1 of Amendment 08?
2) Please clarify why the government would remove "AAS Defense" from the SF30 of Amendment 07 and change that to "General Services Administration, FEDSIM" for Amendment 08 when it would appear that according to the SF30 FEDSIM is both the "Issued by" Agency and the "Administered by" Agency per the Amendment 08 SF30.
The SF30 should reflect Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS), Defense. FEDSIM is now AAS Defense. See the revised SF30 which includes AAS Defense and removes General Services Administration, FEDSIM. See the response to question 18.
| 21 |
| Amendment 08 |
| SF30 |
| N/A |
| We note that the Contracting Officer remains Kristine Jarembeck when there appears to have been a change in Issued By and Administered by Agency via Amendment 08. Please explain which agency or division the Contracting Officer works for. |
| The Contracting Officer is Kristen Jaremback. See responses above explaining the AAS organizational change. |
| 22 |
| Amendment 08 |
| Page 1 |
| Title Page |
| Is the change of "Issued By" from FEDSIM to Assisted Acquisition Service (AAS) related to corrective action required of the Agency resulting from the GAO protests (File number B-422305.2, B-422305.3)? |
| No. See the response to question 18. |
| 23 |
| Amendment 08 |
| Multiple References |
| Multiple References |
| Throughout the updated RFP provided by Amendment 08, the government did not include any track change marks to indicate the change from "FEDSIM" to "AAS." Can the government please provide an updated copy of Amendment 08 that indicates ALL changes made between Amendment 07 and Amendment 08? |
| No, FEDSIM is now AAS Defense. This is a result of a reorganization. This is not a result of the protest, corrective action or any change to procurement process. |
| 24 |
| Amendment 08 - Method of Award |
| 7.6 |
| Technical Evaluation Factors |
| Is the proposal being submitted in response to Amendment 08 to the RFP considered a new and separate proposal with an independent evaluation, or will evaluation panel members have access to the previous proposals and evaluations? |
| It is a new evaluation. |
| 25 |
| Amendment 08 - General Instructions |
| 6.2 |
| Submission of Offers |
| Per Amendment 08, section 6.4, the Government has introduced a new requirement for Part III of the submission, Recorded Video Technical Proposal Presentation. While similar to the initial submission for oral presentation slides, the recorded video presentation is a new requirement with significant implications. This requirement not only means that all proposal changes resulting from the NLES letter will have to be completed before submission on 15 October, but it will also require the Offerors to also update scripts, fully rehearse, and record the video for submission within this same three-week timeframe. With the initial submission, Offerors were afforded an opportunity to use the time between proposal submission and oral presentations for script finalization and rehearsals. |
In addition, given the significant challenges with uploading files to the Google drive for the initial submission we are concerned about the impact of submitting a file the size of the recorded video via Google Drive.
To that end, will the Government please consider:
1. A four-week extension of the FPR submission due date to allow for offerors to adequately meet the new requirement of the Recorded Video Proposal Presentation, or,
2. Changing the due date for the Recorded Video Proposal Presentation portion only to Tuesday, November 12, 2024 The Government will extend the due date to October 30, 2024.
| 26 |
| SOLICITATION PROVISIONS |
and
ADDENDUM TO 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (AUG 2018) CONTINUED
| N/A |
| FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (SEP 2023) |
and
6.0 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS, part c
| The solicitation includes both FAR 52.212-1, which provides that offers must be withdrawn before the exact time set for receipt of offers, and 52.215-1, which provides that offers may be withdrawn any time before award. Please clarify when an offer may be withdrawn. |
| The offeror may withdraw its proposal at any time before award. |
| 27 |
| 4.3.1.f |
| part f |
| SUPPLEMENTAL WEB PRESENCE REQUIREMENTS |
| Can the government clarify that this requirement is to support the navigation, redirection, and/or forwarding of web and email requests to the government site (.mil) and from government site to contractor site, upon request from the government only? |
| Per RFP Section 4.3.1.f, "These requirements shall, as directed by the Government, include web and email redirection capabilities from the restricted web presence back to the Government’s public-facing militaryonesource.mil websites or the Government’s militaryonesource.mil email, as hosted in the Microsoft Government Community Cloud (GCC)." |
| 28 |
| 4.3 |
| 3 |
| PROVIDE RESTRICTED MILITARY ONE SOURCE WEB PRESENCE SUPPORT |
| Can the government clarify that the 'defined specifications' referenced in this statement, refer to the defined specifications in section 4.3.1 on page 85? |
| The defined specifications would be the Government approved defined specifications for the IT solution that the offeror plans to design and implement. |
| 29 |
| 6.3.3 |
| 1 and 2 |
| Key Personnel Qualification Matrix (KPQM) |
| RFP Section 6.3.3 states that all Key Personnel requirements apply at Program Start. Please clarify whether Key Personnel experience requirements can be met based on the Program Start date of March 1, 2025, or if Key Personnel must demonstrate the requisite years of experience at the time of proposal submission. |
| The Government removed "All Key Personnel requirements apply at PS" from RFP Section 6.3.3 and added additional clarification to RFP Section 5.2. See Revised Language in RFP Amendment 09 Sections 5.2 and 6.3.3. |
| 30 |
| 6.3.9 |
| 1 and 2 |
| Recorded Video Technical Proposal Presentation Slides |
| Please confirm whether our Presentation Slides should be submitted via Google Drive in .ppt or .pdf format, or both. |
| Per RFP Amendment 08 Section 6.2, "All electronic files shall be in MS Word, PowerPoint, PDF, |
or Excel formats." The Recorded Video Technical Proposal Presentation Slides may be submitted in PowerPoint, PDF, or both. Proposal submissions shall be in accordance with the directions provided in the solicitation Discussion Letter.
| Recorded Video Technical Proposal Presentation Media |
| Since there were no significant changes to the PWS, are there any additional benefits or efficiencies the government hopes to achieve by requiring offerors to submit a videotape presentation? |
| The Government needs to evaluate an oral presentation based on the final proposal, including any updated key personnel, and determined that a recorded video would be the most effective approach. |
| 32 |
| Discussions Letter |
| 6 |
| Final proposal revisions must be submitted by 11:00 AM on October 15, 2024. |
| Would the government please consider extending the deadline at least two weeks in observance of upcoming holidays, as well as to allow offerors more time to restaff their key personnel positions? The Government made an award announcement and everyone has released the key personnel they had to other work. |
| The Government will extend the due date to October 30, 2024. |
| 33 |
| 6.4.5 |
| 7 |
| 6.4.5 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL VIRTUAL ORAL Q&A SESSION FORMAT |
| Is the team allowed to go on mute, leave the room, or otherwise be off-camera and not recorded during the 30 minute caucus? |
| There will not be video during the Virtual Oral Q&A session. Yes, the offeror will be able to mute their microphones to caucus. |
| 34 |
| 6.3.6; Attachment 35 |
| 1 |
| 6.3.6 PAST PERFORMANCE |
| Are offerors required to resubmit signed Attachment 35 Past Performance Reference Sheets that were already sent to AAS contracts as part of offerors' proposals submitted in March? |
| The offeror is required to submit a complete proposal submission. The Past Performance Reference Sheets would not need to be resigned if they are in compliance with RFP Amendment 08. |
| 35 |
| 6.4.5 |
| 6 |
| 6.4.5 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL VIRTUAL ORAL Q&A SESSION FORMAT |
| The RFP states "Although no stated time limit for the duration of the Virtual Oral Q&A session will be imposed, for planning purposes, it is anticipated that the Virtual Oral Q&A session should not last more than one hour." Does the 30 minute caucus count towards the anticipated 1 hour for the live Q&A? |
| Yes. |
| 36 |
| 4.8.2 |
| 1 |
| 4.8.2 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR TAX SUPPORT SERVICES |
| We observed the references to MilTax on the MOS website. We attempted to contact MilTax and was redirected to Military OneSource. We reviewed the press release provided by the Pentagon 20230902, which states MilTax is provided by the DoD for use by service members at no cost. Can the government clarify why proposing support agents to help with the free service already provided does not meet the requirements. As it is a DoD product, can the DoD provide contact information? |
| MilTax is a DoD product because the DoD contracts with the Military OneSource contractor to provide tax services. The requirement for a tax service has not changed and is required. |
| 37 |
| 6.4.2 |
| 1 |
| Recorded Video Technical Proposal Presentation Media |
| Given the guidance on limited use of graphics and animations, should offerors avoid presenting additional documents or visual aids that are not directly related to the oral presentation? Additionally, is the government imposing any limitations on the use of artwork or illustrations in our presentation slides? |
| The Government will not dictate what the offeror chooses to present as part of its 90 minute Recorded Video Technical Proposal other than what is in the RFP Amendment 08 requirements. The only limitations for the Recorded Video Technical Proposal Presentation slides are in the RFP Amendment 08. |
Version 11/15/18