RFQ 49100423Q0166 508 Compliance Remediation QA.pdf

RFQ 49100423Q0166- 508 Compliance Remediation

Questions & Answers

Submitted Question NSF Response

What is the average number of pages per file? (you reference Price Per Page for additional pages beyond the estimated 2,181 documents and reference # of files in the deliverables timeline. We are seeking clarification on how many pages would be in a file.)

Average # of pages per type of issuance:

NSF Bulletins: 2 pages Staff Memoranda: 2 pages Important Notices: 5 pages Circulars: 8 pages Manuals: 85 pages Estimated total number of pages: 6,188

2 How was the average of 25 minutes per file determined? The average time of 25 minutes per file was determined through market research.

What is the general complexity of the documents? Can you provide us with any details of the possible content of the files? For example, are there simple tables, complex tables, links, table of contents, etc?

Most documents are straightforward text, organized into paragraphs. However, a few documents -perhaps 10 percent - include simple tables, similar to a basic row/column spreadsheet.

Do you require this work to be done onshore, we have found if this is not stated some vendors will send work offshore to be remediated (we have a secure site designated for remediation and located onshore in Potsdam NY and are currently doing federal government work there for a number of other agencies)

We require this work to be completed within the United States and its territories.

5 Would you be open to extending the response date for an additonal week? Please refer to Sam.gov for the response date.

This came out on SAM, but it kind of reads as a GSA MAS solicitation (language like RFQ, referencing FAR 13.106-2 [granted I get a little fuzzy on that sort of item]). Is this something that you’re thinking of moving to the Schedule?

No this is not being moved to a GSA Schedule.

If it is, would you be interested in setting it up as a BPA? It would just allow for some more flexibility with task orders and potential future needs, as compared to mods as (if) additional items are found to need remediation.

No NSF is not interested in setting this award up as a BPA.

Can we please get a representative copy of at least one document in each category. A couple of each would be great.

Document samples are available upon request to the Contracting Officer.

How did NSF determine that it will take approximately 25 minutes to remediate each file? We typically determine level of effort by the number of pages and the type of elements required to make the files compliant (i.e., Alt+Text missing, complex tables, fillable forms, footnotes, links, etc.)

The average time of 25 minutes per file was determined through market research.

10 Can we get an approximate total number of pages in addition to the number files added to the “Deliverables and Timeline” table?

Approximate total number of pages is 6,188.

Will NSF consider allowing delivery time of NSF Bulletins within 3 months of award and Staff Memoranda within 4 months of award. These entail the bulk of the work.

Yes; NSF will consider adjustments to the delivery time, based on contractor recommendations.

However, total period of performance cannot exceed March 31, 2024.

12 Is Alt+Text already applied to images and charts? No.

13 If Alt+Text is not applied, will NSF provide the Alt+Text content for the contractor insert?

No. The contractor can generate the alt-text for images and charts, provided that the text meets 508 compliance standards. Most images, such as the NSF logo, are decorative. There are few charts and tables in the files.

14 Approximately how many complex tables need to be remediated?

Perhaps 10 percent of the documents contain simple tables, containing the rows and columns of a typical spreadsheet.

15 Will the vendor be expected to fix color contrast issues for compliancy? Yes, as needed.

16 If color contrast issues need to be fixed, will NSF provide alternative color within NSF’s branding guidelines.

No. The contractor can adjust color contrast as needed to comply with Section 508. Most documents are black-and-white or grayscale. Given the age of the documents, NSF branding guidelines need not apply.

Does NSF require any fillable forms to be remediated? If yes, approximately how many pages of fillable forms does NSF expect the contractor to make compliant?

Most of the included forms are for example or informational purposes only, such as an example to staff of the form they would use to request building services. These forms are intentionally blank.

However, they should be remediated per Section 508 regulations.

Do any of the documents include footnotes or links that will need to be confirmed that they actively link or work? Or, has NSF already confirmed that footnotes and links work?

Some documents may contain footnotes, but there are no active hyperlinks. The Contractor need not verify hyperlinks.

19 Will NSF provide the Document properties/descriptions (i.e., document Name, etc.) for each document?

No. Each document includes a title, date, and other information which can be added for 508 compliance.

There is little instructions for the Pricing Proposal. Does it only need to contain a fixed price for the two CLINs provided along with the quoter’s information?

The pricing volume should include the company contact information and the pricing for the two CLINs as laid out in the RFQ. This volume should not exceed 3 pages including the cover page.

Is the government estimating 25 minutes per file for testing, remediation and validating? This estimated time seems very low if we are following the testing standards of https://www.section508.gov/create/pdfs/authoring-guides/ and https://www.access-board.gov/ict/. They require a mix of manual and automated methods for each document and testing would be required at the initial review and the confirmation of Section 508 compliance once the remediation is complete.

The average remediation time of 25 minutes per file was determined through market research.

How much time should be estimated for creating the Non-Compliance documents to recreate?

The Statement of Work specifies 6 months from the date of award to receive the irremediable files with plain-text versions.

How much time should be estimated for the surge CLIN (additional pages beyond the estimated 2181 documents)

This is a surge CLIN and therefore there is no time estimated. This CLIN will only be utilized should CLIN 0001 be fully utilized and there are additional documents requiring remediation. This pricing should be provided per page for any additional pages over the 2,181 documents with approximately 6,188 pages. NSF will assign a Not To Exceed Value for the CLIN at the time of the award with the per page pricing listed for the awardee.

24 Section III – Is there a page limit for this section?

The entire page limit as listed in the RFQ (Section xi) for Volume I: Technical Volume which includes Section 1: Corporate Overview, Section II: Prior Experience and Section III: Description of the Technical Plan of Approach shall not exceed 8 pages exluding the cover page and the table of contents.

25 Is there an incumbent? No.

26 Please indicate the average number of pages for the documents listed in Table 5. Can examples be provided of these documents?

Average # of pages per type of issuance:

NSF Bulletins: 2 pages Staff Memoranda: 2 pages Important Notices: 5 pages Circulars: 8 pages Manuals: 85 pages Estimated total number of pages: 6,188

Document samples are available upon request to the Contracting Officer.

Table 5 also lists an estimate of 25 minutes per document for the Stage 1 deliverable. Is this because the page count per document is relatively short and the main task is to categorize the document as “remediable” or “irremediable”?

As explained in the Statement of Work, there are three tasks: remediate scanned files for 508 compliance; separate files which cannot be remediated; and generate plain-text versions of irremediable files. The estimate of 25 minutes per document is for remediation of files, based on market research.

Average # of pages per type of issuance:

NSF Bulletins: 2 pages Staff Memoranda: 2 pages Important Notices: 5 pages Circulars: 8 pages Manuals: 85 pages Estimated total number of pages: 6,188

Task 2.1.1 indicates that the OCR text quality should be evaluated. Does this require reading all of the text or a general evaluation that reasonable text is present?

The OCR-generated text of each document should be evaluted for completeness and accuracy. It is likely that words will be missing, particularly on old or poorly-scanned originals. An occasional artifact, such as the hole from a 3-hole punch, might obscure a word in the text.

Will documents be provided sorted by year so that similar documents can be evaluated in sequence? The solicitation indicates that older documents are expected to be lower quality and this could improve the efficiency of the evaluation.

Most of the documents have unique file names that allow sorting and separation by year. For instance, OD 74-50 indicates issuance #50 from 1974. IB 85-48 is issuance # 48 from 1985.

Task 2.1.3 requires to “create plain-text versions of one or more irremediable files”. Does this require the awardee to type the text from the original document, given that the OCR was not successful, or does NSF provide another method to obtain the text?

The awardee is expected to re-create the plain-text text of the original document where necessary for Section 508 compliance.

Does Line Item 0001 for “508 Compliance Remediation” include tasks 2.1,

2.2 and 2.3? If so, some of these tasks depend on how many documents are irremediable and the page count for these documents. Are there any suggested assumptions to quote the per page portion if that is needed?

The Statement of Work assumes that about 10% of the scanned filed are irremediable and will require creation of plain-text versions.

Does Line Item 0002 for the “Surge CLIN” require evaluation similar to Line Item 0001, or are these documents already designated as needing remediation? Will these documents be scan/OCR related, or are these generated from PDFs that were directly created from their source documents?

The files were scanned and OCR-ed from printed source documents. All of the documents need 508 remediation, although about 10% of them may be irremediable.

Please provide any other information related to the reason that Line Item 0002 is priced per page, while Line Item 0001 is a fixed price.

CLIN 0001: Is a Firm Fixed Price CLIN. This pricing should be estimated at the provided information of 2,181 documents with approximately 6,188 pages. In accordance with Section 1.3 of the SOW and the average number of pages per type of issuance as listed in this Q&A. CLIN 0002 is a surge CLIN and therefore will only be utilized should CLIN 0001 be fully utilized and there are additional documents requiring remediation. NSF will assign a Not To Exceed Value for the CLIN 0002 at the time of the award with the per page pricing listed for the awardee.

34 The statement of work references 2,200 documents. Can you confirm the approximate number of pages in the 2,200 documents?

Average # of pages per type of issuance:

NSF Bulletins: 2 pages Staff Memoranda: 2 pages Important Notices: 5 pages Circulars: 8 pages Manuals: 85 pages Estimated total number of pages: 6,188

There are approximately 2,200 documents. Do you have an estimation on the number of total pages?

Average # of pages per type of issuance:

NSF Bulletins: 2 pages Staff Memoranda: 2 pages Important Notices: 5 pages Circulars: 8 pages Manuals: 85 pages Estimated total number of pages: 6,188

We would also love to see sample documents in the following areas, if possible:

NSF Bulletins Staff Memoranda Important Notices NSF Circulars NSF Manuals

Document samples are available upon request to the Contracting Officer.

Is it possible to see a sample of each type of document that is referenced in this RFQ? This would help determine the amount of time each type of document will take to review.

Document samples are available upon request to the Contracting Officer.

38 For the 2,200 documents is there a total page count available?

Average # of pages per type of issuance:

NSF Bulletins: 2 pages Staff Memoranda: 2 pages Important Notices: 5 pages Circulars: 8 pages Manuals: 85 pages Estimated total number of pages: 6,188

39 If a page count is not available, can a sample of each type of the 5 document categories be made available?

Document samples are available upon request to the Contracting Officer.

Would me proposing a lengthier timelines eliminate me from being considered?

NSF will consider all quotes which meet the guidelines of the RFQ as explained in the Statement of Work, time to final deliverables is negotiable since the Government cannot provide all of the files at once. Any changes to the proposed timeline should be presented in Section III: Description of Technical Plan of Approach of the quote for evaluation.

Is there an estimate on the number of pages contained within the 2200 pdf files? If this is not available and as this can affect the overall work effort how would you like the vendor to take this into account for offering a fixed fee?

Again if not, would a fixed fee based on an estimated number of pages suffice with proper adjustments made during the project based on the actual number of pages remediated?

Average # of pages per type of issuance:

NSF Bulletins: 2 pages Staff Memoranda: 2 pages Important Notices: 5 pages Circulars: 8 pages Manuals: 85 pages Estimated total number of pages: 6,188

42 Are you able to provide a sample of each type of file? Document samples are available upon request to the Contracting Officer.

Are the tasks listed in Item 2 to be completed in that order? Would it be ok to process the batch as a whole and kick out the files that are of poor quality while we remediate the others? This would enable a shorter turnaround time and limit the amount of handling of each file.

Not all of the files are currently available, so en masse processing is not possible at this time.

44 What evaluation tools will you be using to check 508 compliance?

The Government will use Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessbility Checker to verify that documents are 508 compliant.

Is this a new requirement? If not, can the government please share the name of the incumbent and the current contract under which the services are being performed?

This is a new requirement.

46 What is the anticipated Period of Performance for this requirement?

Six months, though, as explained in the Statement of Work, time to final deliverables is negotiable since the Government cannot provide all of the files at once.

47 Can the government please specify the place of performance for this requirement?

Work can be performed at the Contractor's site or remotely within the US and its territories.

However, the Contractor is responsible for maintaining security of the files and ensuring that copies are not distributed beyond the scope of the work.

Can the government please share the anticipated Period of Performance Start Date for this requirement?

The anticipated period of performance will be six months for the date of award.

Can the government please share the instructions to submit Volume II which consists of Pricing?

The pricing volume should include the company contact information and the pricing for the two CLINs as laid out in the RFQ. This volume should not exceed 3 pages including the cover page.

50 Is the government currently using any softwares for remediation and accessibility testing services?

The Government will use Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessbility Checker to verify that documents are 508 compliant.

51 Will the government provide any software/hardware equipment to the vendor to work on this requirement?

No.

52 Which Cloud Service does the government utilize?

Microsoft Office 365. The Government will share the files using a secure OneDrive folder. The link will be sent to the Contractor after award.

53 Can the government please consider extending the due date for this requirement?

Please refer to Sam.gov for the response date.

The government has asked for the resume of the Key Personnel, but no key personnel have been identified. Can the government please identify the key personnel, or is the vendor required to identify the Key Personnel as part of their proposal?

It is at the quoters descretion to determine the Key Personnel who will perform the work in accordance with the SOW. Resumes should display adequate 508 remediation experience.

Can the government please share the list of the LCATs and the Level of Effort in terms of labor hours?

It is at the quoters descretion to determine the LCATs and associated Labor Hours that will comprise their submission in accordance with the SOW and RFQ.

56 What is the level of conformance that the Government is looking for [for minimum compliance]?

Section 508 Conformance Level A is acceptable for this project.

For all 508-remediated PDF files, add the phrase “This document has been archived” on the first page of the document, in Arial 12-point, bold font, hex color #aa0000, in the top left corner. Figure 1, below. (Figure 1 shows 508 compliance and non 508 compliance outlines). Question: Does the document need both or just one?

Documents that can be remediated need only "This document has been archived." Documents that cannot be remediated need both "This document has been remediated" and "

58 What is the page count in total?

Average # of pages per type of issuance:

NSF Bulletins: 2 pages Staff Memoranda: 2 pages Important Notices: 5 pages Circulars: 8 pages Manuals: 85 pages Estimated total number of pages: 6,188

59 How many times have these documents been digitally scanned (quality standards)?

Nearly all of the documents have been scanned once, to PDF format, from printed original sources.

60 Are [the text versions] hand typed?

No. The scanned PDFs were OCR-ed and have a text layer beneath the graphical image of the documents. For files that cannot be remediated, the Contractor must create a plain-text version.

The Contractor may extract the incomplete OCR-ed text layer and manually correct errors.

61 Have these documents already been scanned? Yes.

62 Can the Government provide [timeline for analysis… for different document types]?

No.

63 Are quoters expected to remediate the Sample Files provided?

No NSF does not expect contractors to remediate the Sample Files provided. These were provided solely as examples of the types of files that will be a part of this project.

64 Should prior experience only be submitted from Prime Contractors or is expereience from subcontractors allowed?

Prior experience can be submitted from the Prime or its Subcontractors on the project.

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