47QFPA23R0001 RFP QandA Response 03232023.pdf

Analytical Support for Office People Analytics Centers for Health & Resilience (H&R) and Retention & Readiness (R&R)

(Solicitation # 47QFPA23R0001)

47QFPA23R0001 Q&A 23 March 2023

Question

Does the Questio n Pertain to the

TOR,

PWS, or an Attach ment?

Paragraph

Pag e #

Vendor Question Government Response

1 PWS 4.5.1 Can the Government clarify the wording of the sentence "support survey design, construction, and execution of nation-wide, or world-wide-focus groups..."? Inferred that either "survey" should be struck or replaced with "instrument" as the remainder of 4.5.1 and 4.5.2 specifically note "focus groups" as the subject, whereas survey design is covered above in 4.4.1.

We are seeking to specify the information of interest to the Government in this section.

“Survey” has been removed from 4.5.1.

2 PWS 13 Deliverable table: Can the Government clarify if there will be funding for the contract deliverable

4.10.2.1 Providing documentation

(business, functional, and technical requirements) on the Government- Owned, Government-Developed SRT application to meet application security requirements that would be due within 3 months of contract award?

As updated in PWS Rev. 1, 4.10.2.1 is a “Task Order” Deliverable.

Funding for subsequent task orders that would require this deliverable will be determined for each task order at the time of their solicitation.

3 PWS 13 Deliverable Table: Can the Government clarify if there will be funding for the contract deliverable

4.10.2.2 Re-writing the

Government-Owned, Government- Developed SRT application that

As updated in PWS Rev. 1, 4.10.2.2 is a “Task Order” Deliverable.

Funding for subsequent task orders that would require this deliverable will be determined for each task

(Solicitation # 47QFPA23R0001)

47QFPA23R0001 Q&A 23 March 2023 would be due within 9 months of contract award?

order at the time of their solicitation.

4 PWS 13 Deliverable Table: Can the Government clarify if there will be funding for the contract deliverable

4.10.2 "Provide test plans, procedures" as it relates to modernization of the Government- Owned, Government-Developed SRT application that would be due within 6 months of contract award?

As updated in PWS Rev. 1, 4.10.2. is a “Task Order” Deliverable. Funding for subsequent task orders that would require this deliverable will be determined for each task order at the time of their solicitation.

5 PWS 4.1.10 4.1.10 Transition of Contracted Services. (4.1.10.1 Transition Plan,

4.1.10.2 Phase in Activities, and

4.1.10.3 Phase-Out Activities)

Noting that the instructions for Element C include: "(2) plan to start up and transition out services without degredation of performance" Is it acceptable to include a cross-reference in 4.1.10.1, 4.1.10.2, and 4.1.10.3 (Within Element A) to the Transition Plan portion of Element C or does the information need to appear in both Elements A and C.

Transition Plan is a requirement under Volume II, Factor II, Element B and is part of the overall page limit. See RFP Volume II, Factor II, Element B. It may be cross-referenced under Element A and under Element C.

6 PWS 4.1.7 6 4.1.7. Prepare a Staffing Plan.

Noting that the Staffing plan is a main component in Element B, is it acceptable to include a cross-reference in 4.1.7 (Part of Element A) to the Staffing Plan portion of Element B or does the staffing plan information need to appear in both Elements A and B.

There is only 1 Staffing Plan required, which is part of the Volume II, Factor II, Element B contents and evaluation criteria. It may be cross-referenced under Volume I, Element A. As a reminder, Volume I is subject to a total 75-page limit.

7 PWS 4.18 6 4.1.8. Quality Control Plan. Noting that Quality Control Plan has its own element (Element C), is it acceptable to include a cross-reference in 4.1.8 (Part of Element A) to Element C (The Quality Control Plan) or does the quality control plan information

There is only 1 Quality Control Plan, required which is part of Volume II, Factor II, Element C. It may be cross-referenced under Volume I, Element A. As a reminder, while Element C is not included in the page count, Volume II is still subject to a total 75-page limit.

(Solicitation # 47QFPA23R0001)

47QFPA23R0001 Q&A 23 March 2023 need to appear in both Elements A and C.

8 Price Workbo ok

The hours in the Price Workbook decrease fairly substantially (by roughly 20,000 hours) in Year 3.

Does OPA anticipate less contractor support in Years 3-5 of this IDIQ in comparison to Years 1 and 2?

The overall number hours are estimated at the IDIQ level, and can be used in any part of the 5-year base period depending on the nature of government’s requirements as specified in individual task orders. Major volatility is not expected over any year.

9 PWS 4.4.2 8 The first link in section 4.4.2 provides a 404 (not found) error when viewed from the public Internet. Would the government please provide the file?

The first link is:

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/5 4/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Roo m/Personnel_Related/2006_ADSS_ Codebook_and_Appendices_A-M-but_not_H.pdf The second link is:

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/5 4/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Roo m/Personnel_Related/DMDC_2010- 027_Codebook_and_Appendices_A- L_but_not_H.pdf

10 PWS 4.1.5 5 The Monthly Progress Reports are described as containing progress for the prior quarter and are discussed at the quarterly Senior Management Reviews. Should these instead be quarterly progress reports?

Monthly Progress Reports are monthly and include a summary of activities, actions, and progress for the prior month. The quarterly Senior Management Review meetings may include review of the MSRs for the given quarter.

11 PWS 4.10.2.3 10 Would the government please provide a copy of the DMDC Deployable Technology List (DTL)?

The DTL may only be released to the successful offeror after award and during contract performance.

Offerors are expected to affirm that the offeror expects to utilize only technologies listed in the DTL.

Offerors will not be evaluated further on this item with respect to the solicitation’s evaluation criteria.

However, compliance with the DTL will still be a part of contract performance review and monitoring.

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/2006_ADSS_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-M-but_not_H.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/2006_ADSS_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-M-but_not_H.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/2006_ADSS_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-M-but_not_H.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/2006_ADSS_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-M-but_not_H.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/2006_ADSS_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-M-but_not_H.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/DMDC_2010-027_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-L_but_not_H.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/DMDC_2010-027_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-L_but_not_H.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/DMDC_2010-027_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-L_but_not_H.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/DMDC_2010-027_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-L_but_not_H.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/DMDC_2010-027_Codebook_and_Appendices_A-L_but_not_H.pdf

(Solicitation # 47QFPA23R0001)

47QFPA23R0001 Q&A 23 March 2023

12 PWS 4.8.3 9 Section 4.8.3 reads: “Track the details of all OPA data requests.”

Would the government please provide additional instructional detail as to this requirement?

The intent is to keep a log of the data requests, date received, date data is provided, and what data file(s) are provided.

13 PWS 4.1.10.2

(3)

7 This requirement states “…without any degradation of service.” Would the government include in the QASP which services the Government is addressing, what counts as a degradation of service, and how the Government will measure this?

Performance will be measured on a monthly basis by OPA through monthly reports.

Factors evaluated will be quality of deliverables, timeliness of deliverables, and management of projects. (see updated pg 49 in RFP rev 1).

14 Price Workbo ok

Personnel Requirem ents Tab

For the Project Manager, there is no Master’s or Bachelor’s degree substitution listed for the PhD. The presumption is a substitution of either those degrees would reduce the 10 years relevant experience substitution. Would the government please confirm and provide years of needed relevant experience to substitute a PhD with a Master’s and years of needed relevant experience to substitute a PhD with a Bachelor’s degree?

For the Project Manager, if 10 years of additional relevant experience are used to substitute for a PhD for the Project Manager, then the Project Manager must have at least 18 years of relevant experience (10 to substitute for the PhD and 8 to meet the required years of experience).

A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree would both require the 10 years of additional relevant experience in order to substitute either of these degrees for a PhD. The total experience would be 18 years for either degree. See cell C3 of Exhibit A rev 1.

15 Price Workbo ok

Personnel Requirem ents Tab

The DRFP had three additional LCATs: Data Scientist Senior, Data Scientist Junior, and Associate Programmer. Would the Government consider adding those 3 LCATs to the standard set of LCATs in the contract to perform the 4.6 Data Science and Programming Support and 4.10 SRT Modernization tasks? The current menu of 10 LCATs does not include LCATs that would be logically necessary to complete those tasks.

The Government considers the current LCATs to be broad enough to apply to data science. Offerors have the ability to provide their equivalent or alternate LCATs as stated in Exhibit A IDIQ Price Input Tab, Column C and in Column E of the Personnel Requirements tab.

(Solicitation # 47QFPA23R0001)

47QFPA23R0001 Q&A 23 March 2023

16 PWS 4.10.1 10 Would the government identify the languages the Survey Reporting Tool (SRT), Sampling Tool, and statistical Analysis Macros (SAM) were written in?

Current SRT is written in Visual Basic

6/VB.NET

Old Sampling Tool is Visual Basic 6 New Sampling Tool is in R Old SAM is SAS with SUDAAN callable libraries New SAM is in R.

17 PWS /

TO 1

PWS

Section

3.0 and Section 3.0 and

The IDIQ PWS / TO 1 Scope states, "The Contractor shall provide all personnel management, equipment, and supplies as necessary to perform the requirements as detailed within this PWS.” Would the government please add a GFX section to the IDIQ PWS and the Task Order 1 PWS to identify equipment that is already available to the contractor to perform the work?

The Government will provide common use utilities, desk space, telephones, computers, and other incidental items necessary to maintain an office environment when contractor personnel are at Government facilities. The Government reserves the right to assign equivalent space in alternate Government owned or leased buildings. See PWS Rev. 1 Section 2.4 for full updated language.

18 TOR –

Analytic s Task Order A

2 - Backgroun d

1 What is the approximate total number of SAS programs that need to be migrated, including SAS modules, SAS macros, utility SAS scripts?

Roughly in the hundreds, less than a thousand.

19 TOR –

Analytic s Task Order A

2 - Backgroun d

1 What is the approximate size (GB/MB) of the largest SAS datasets that are being processed currently?

What is the number of records and number of columns in the largest files (approximate numbers)?

(Asking because of R's limitations with respect to large data volumes)?

The largest single SAS file would not exceed 10GB.

Largest file may contain ~800,000 records with up to ~2000 columns.

20 TOR –

Analytic s Task Order A

2 - Backgroun d

1 How are the current SAS programs being run -- on PC SAS , or on a UNIX server or SAS/GRID?

PC SAS

21 TOR –

Analytic s Task Order A

2 - Backgroun d

1 How long do the most demanding / complex SAS programs currently take to run?

Typically 15-20 hours, although some could take several days.

22 PWS 4.1.2 4 Section 4.1.2 speaks to Task Management Plans (essentially project management plans, but at a task order level). Do we need to include TMPs for each sample task, Sample Task Orders A and B do not require a Task Order Management Plan/Project Plan at award.

(Solicitation # 47QFPA23R0001)

47QFPA23R0001 Q&A 23 March 2023 or are we representing that we will provide TMPs as part of task order execution? If the former, space may start to become an issue.

23 PWS 4.1.3 5 Section 4.1.3 centers around a project manager, their role and certain duties. As written, it looks like the overarching PM is both being the lead for the government and executing lower level project management tasks. Would the government accept a project management team under the direction of the PM to do the lower level tasks, or is it expected of the overarching PM themselves?

A project management team under the direction of the PM would be acceptable, as long as the delegation of work is only for lower level tasks and is considered a collateral duty.

24 PWS 4.1.5 4 Section 4.1.5 addresses Monthly Progress Reports, but references “quarterly reviews” and “quarterly progress”. Can the government clarify the expected timeline and contents, whether monthly or quarterly?

Section 4.1.5 has been retitled Monthly Progress Meetings and rewritten. References to “quarterly reviews” or “quarterly progress” have been removed from Section 4.1.5.

25 RFP 39 Can the Government confirm Small Business Participation (Vol II, Factor I) is part of the 75 page limit for Volume II?

Confirmed, the Small Business Participation form is part of the 75 page limit.

26 RFP 41 Can the Government confirm they want Attachment 2, which contains pricing information for small business partners, included as part of Volume II which contains Technical information?

Confirmed, Attachment 2 is part of Volume II, Written Capabilities Information.

27 RFP 39 Can the Government confirm Past Performance (Vol II, Factor III) is part of the 75 page limit for Volume

II?

Confirmed. Past Performance is part of the 75 page limit.

28 PWS 4.1.

Can the Government elaborate on the distinction between the Quality Control Plan as given in the PWS, Section 4.1.8, and Element C of Volume 2 (RFP page 43). If content overlap between the two is expected, is duplication of information across sections

There is only 1 Quality Control Plan, required which is part of Volume II, Factor II, Element C. It may be cross-referenced under Volume II, Factor II, Element A. As a reminder, while Volume II, Factor II, Element C is not included in the page count, Volume

(Solicitation # 47QFPA23R0001)

47QFPA23R0001 Q&A 23 March 2023 preferred, or is cross-reference acceptable (see RFP page 39, final paragraph)?

II is still subject to a total 75-page limit.

29 RFP 42 We understand the Staffing Plan requires only one Key Personnel position. Given the size, breadth, and complexity of this requirement, will the Government allow for contractors to propose additional key personnel?

Yes, and the staffing plan will be evaluated in accordance with Volume II, Factor II, Element B, Project Management and Staffing plan.

30 PWS 5.0

DELIVERA

BLES

13 PWS deliverable table states “transition of contracted services” is due at the time of proposal submission; however, the RFP instructions do not include a transition plan or indicate in which volume we would submit the Transition Plan. Would the Government please clarify the Transition Plan is part of Volume II Element C and not included in the 75-page overall limitation?

Transition Plan is a requirement under Volume II, Factor II, Element B and is part of the overall page limit. See RFP Factor II, Element B. It may be cross-referenced under Volume II, Factor II, Element A and under Volume II, Factor II, Element C.

31 RFP (2)

Volume II

40-

The Volume II page limitation break-out by element does not indicate whether the Small Business Participation Information Sheet and the Past Performance submissions are part of 75-page overall limitation. Would the Government please confirm that both are NOT part of the 75-page overall limitation?

Both the Small Business Participation Information Sheet and the Past Performance submissions are included in the 75-page overall limitation. (RFP page 38)

32 RFP (iii)b. 43 Would the government please clarify the font size to be used when filling in Attachment 3.

The required font size for Attachment 3 is no smaller than 10-point (as illustrated in RFP Attachment 3 rev 1).

33 RFP 52.212-1

INSTRUCTI

ONS TO

OFFERORS

COMMER

CIAL

ITEMS –

ADDENDU

39 Instructions for Volume II, state to include, “Written Capability Information Factor I - Small Business Participation.” To fulfill the requirement in Volume II Factor I, Small Business Participation, would the government please confirm that the information sheet is the only

Confirmed the sheet is the only requirement; however, it is part of the 75-page limit.

(Solicitation # 47QFPA23R0001)

47QFPA23R0001 Q&A 23 March 2023

M, Formattin g Section requirement and not part of the 75-page limit?

34 Price Workbo ok

IDIQ Price Input

B.3 IDIQ

CONTRAC

T

ESTABLISH

ED RATES

2 The RFP states: “The labor rates proposed for each year of the IDIQ contract are binding maximum labor rates for the labor category.”

However, the evaluation criteria on page 53 states that “Labor rates will also be evaluated to see if they are realistic for the work to be performed” and “The Government may reject any proposal deemed to have unreasonably high or unrealistically low labor rates.”

Given the rates on the price input tab of the price workbook are ceiling rates, would the Government please confirm bidders can provide rates for personnel in each LCAT that would be considered highly qualified rather than minimally qualified?

Confirmed - the ceiling rates included in the input tab of the price workbook are estimates. Offerors may propose different ceiling rates.

35 RFP (i) Factor I

- Small Business Participati on, Para b

41 The RFP states: “Offerors shall also include all proposed subcontracting prices and costs in the price proposal.” Please confirm this requirement is only applicable for pricing for the awardable TO 1.

Offerors are required to provide estimated subcontracting prices only for the overall IDIQ.

36 Price Workbo ok

RFP

Sample Task A B.3.2

LABOR

RATES

3 The RFP states: “As needed, additional labor categories and rates will be negotiated at the task order level and will be incorporated to the table as they are approved.” In order to perform the work on Sample TO A, additional LCATs are needed. Would the Government please provide instructions on how to complete the Price Workbook tab when a bidder would like to propose additional LCATs?

See Q15.

37 RFP

Exhibit A Price

IDIQ Price Input tab

On the RFP Exhibit A Price Workbook, on the IDIQ Price Input tab, the period of performance for the Base Year is April 2022 to March

The dates in the IDIQ price workbook tab are placeholders only.

The actual dates will be updated to start on the month of award and

(Solicitation # 47QFPA23R0001)

47QFPA23R0001 Q&A 23 March 2023

Workbo ok

2023. Should the pricing file reflect April 2023 to March 2024 as the Base Year and then subsequent years extending respectively?

will have 12 month intervals for a total of 60 months. For estimation purposes the period for the 1st year will be updated to show May 2023 to April 2024.

38 RFP 49 The RFP states, “Proposal files must not contain classified information.

Unacceptable offers will not be considered for award. The CACO issues FPRRs and System Approval Letters under CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information).

According to the GSA Quick Tips page, “CUI being emailed outside the GSA network (gsa.gov) must be sent as a FIPS-compliant encrypted attachment.” Does the government have a system where Offerors can transmit required documents (FPRR) labeled CUI in support of proposal submission or will the government accept a password protected email to only include those CUI labeled document?

Currently, the RFP does not call for any classified information to be provided and proposals can be submitted via email. As such, potential offers do not need to use password protection.

39 Attach ment 2

Attachme nt 2- Small Business Participati on Informatio n Sheet

1 Would the government please confirm the far right column in the table should state “Goals as a percentage of total contract value” as opposed to “Goals as a percentage of total subcontracting dollars”?

The far right column is correct, “Goals as a percentage of total subcontracting dollars.”

40 RFP 52.212-1

INSTRUCTI

ONS TO

OFFERORS

COMMER

CIAL

ITEMS -

ADDENDU

M

38 Would the government consider extending the submit date at least 2 weeks from the release date of the Q&A in order to properly address changes from the Q&A?

The response date has been updated to Thursday, April 6, 2023 to allow an additional time to offerors.