RFP_QUESTIONS_&_ANSWERS.pdf

RFP Section Paragraph Title/Page No. Questions Answer

1. RFP deadline extension

We respectfully request that FTA extend the deadline until the second week in January at the earliest rather than January 3. This proposal requires a very large effort from consultants and team members. With the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday mixed in, this greatly shortens our response time. We would appreciate your consideration of this request. Refer to Amendment 0001

2. Attachments J-8, J-11, J-13 B.28, and J-13 B.29 Can these forms be provided in Excel format? Refer to Amendment 0003

3. J-2 Form Resumes Can you confirm that the only resumes that need to be included at the time of proposal submission are key and mission-critical personnel? With the form being 7 pages long, this could mean upwards of 200 pages of resumes if resumes were required for all proposed staff. Refer to Section L

4. J-2 Form Resumes We have noticed that the J-2 forms are requesting each individual sign the J-2 resume form.

Because team members are located throughout the country, will FTA allow individuals to use electronic signatures? Certified electronic signatures, such as found in Adobe, will be allowed.

5. J-1, J-3 Forms Attachments to RFP Can you provide Attachment J-3, Past Performance Questionnaire, in Word? Yes. FTA will provide a copy of the PPQ in MS Word Format

6. C.6 Labor Categories and Minimum Personnel Requirements – QA/QC Manager, pages 27, 125

To maintain the independence and integrity of the internal PMOC process that will be established by the QASP, the QA/QC Manager cannot fulfill both roles noted for them in this RFP. There would need to be a separate position for the internal QA/QC implementation and for the oversight activities of the project sponsors’ quality management.

Please clarify how the government would resolve this conflict of responsibilities as listed for the QAQC Manager.

The QA/QC Manager is expected to review both the processes of the grantees and the internal processes of the PMOC. Some of these internal processes include resume submittals, reports, invoices, Travel Authorization Requests, cost data, Cost Proposals, etc.

7. C.6.b Minimum Personnel Requirements, page 24

Please clarify the meaning of the following, “For those individuals being proposed who do not possess fifteen (15) or more years of experience in the relevant field, but meet all other criteria in the respective labor category, a “grace period” of three years, from the time the individual is added to the contract via modification, will be granted to obtain the required license or certification.”

Should this be modified to say “…will be granted to meet the specified 15 years of experience.”?

No. It means if an individual being proposed does not possess, for example, a PMP, they will have 3 years to meet the requirements of the labor category and obtain certification. If they do not comply with achieving certification within this 3 year grace period, the matter will be dealt with at the Contracting Officer level.

8. C.6.c Minimum Technical Requirements, pages 32 to 33

We respectfully request that many years of relevant experience (15-20+) serve as a substitute for the bachelor’s degree requirement for the vehicle engineer, rail transit signal and control systems, transit operations manager, Buy America Expert, and communications engineer positions. By FTA requiring a bachelor’s degree for these positions, a number of individuals who have been working on FTA contracts for long periods of time will now be excluded from continuing to work on the PMOC contract.

Although these individuals have the deep experience that FTA has come to expect, they do not necessarily have the bachelor’s degree. Your consideration would be greatly appreciated. No response required

9. C.6.c. pages 33 and 44. Minimum Technical Requirements

There seems to be some inconsistency on whether or not a PE is required for the Vehicle Engineer. The labor category chart (page 33) indicates that no specific certification or license is required for this position.

However, on page 176, under L.24, Labor Categories and Minimum Personnel Requirements, Vehicle Engineer, the RFP states the vehicle engineer “must have a current Professional Engineer License in any State, US Territory, or the District of Columbia.”

Question: Can you please clarify whether a vehicle engineer does or does not need to have a PE license?

The PE license is not required for the Vehicle Engineer. We will omit the last sentence for this category on Page 28 and Page 176 of the Solicitation. Refer to Amendment 0004

10. H.43 Information Technology Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities/Section 508 Compliance, page 124

Last paragraph of this page states that GPAT forms will be provided. However, these were not included with the other solicitation documents.

Can you please provide these forms? This language will be removed from the solicitation. Please refer to Amendment 0004

11. L.16 Two-Step Evaluation Process, page 158

• Does this clause apply to proposed subcontractors under Section G.37?

• If so, does it apply to all subcontractors, including Small Businesses?

• If the prime contractor proposes to use a subcontractor that doesn’t already have an approved accounting system, will it be deemed non-responsive? This clause applies to all Primes submitting a proposal.

12. L.6, L.19

Proposal Submission Instructions, page 154 General Information Required to Prepare Proposals/Offers, The RFP states, “Any exception to the solicitations terms and conditions must be fully explained and justified.”

The RFP also states, “Offerors are reminded that offers containing exceptions to the solicitation shall render the offer non-responsive, and the Offeror shall be ineligible for award.”

Please clarify whether exceptions—with justification provided—will be accepted for consideration. Refer to Amendment 0004.

13. L.22 Proposal Organization and Preparation, Tab 3, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, page 162

This table contains a Small Business Subcontracting Plan (Tab 3). Please clarify whether this plan is required with the Offeror’s proposal or at the time of award. If the plan is required with the proposal, will the Offeror be considered non-responsive if it doesn’t contain the same goals as the FY 2019 DOT Small Business Subcontracting Goals listed on page 167 of the RFP? Yes.The Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required with the proposal for all Prime Contractors.

14. L.22 Proposal Organization and Preparation, Tab 3, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, page 162 Is the Offeror required to identify all Small Businesses it plans to utilize in the proposal or just provide the goals?

Please refer to Clause L.23, Volume I Tab 3 - Small Business Subcontracting Plan, page 166-167 of the

RFP.

15. L.22 Proposal Organization and Preparation, Tab 3, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, page 162

Will the Offeror’s proposal be considered nonresponsive if it doesn’t contain a complete list of subcontractors for the Small Business categories required to fulfill the DOT subcontracting goals, or will the Offeror be allowed additional time after submission of the proposal, but prior to award, to identify the Small Businesses for each category in the Offeror’s plan Refer to RFP

16. L.22 Proposal Organization and Preparation, Tab 6, Past Performance, page 163

It is noted that there is a limit of 3 references for Prime and a limit of 2 references for subcontractors. Does FTA mean 2 references per subcontractor, or 2 subconsultant references total? Three references for the Prime and two references for Subcontractors for a total of five.

17. L.22 Proposal Organization and Preparation table, Tab 2, Cost and Price Proposal, page 164

The table on this page indicates that there are fill in Sections B.8.1, B.8.2, B.14, B.15, B.18, and B.19; however, we could only find B.18 and B.19 (Attachment J-13). Will FTA be providing tables to be filled in for B.8.1, B.8.2, B.4, and B.15? Refer to Amendment 0004

18. L.22, L23

Proposal Organization and Preparation, Tab 2, Certifications and Representations, page 162 Proposal Preparation Instructions, page 166

Within the table shown, it states Section K applies to the prime and subs; however, on page 166, it states the prime and all major subs are required to provide Section K information. Can you please clarify which is correct? This language will be revised in Amendment 0004 to read "major subs".

19. L.23 Proposal Preparation Instructions, Volume 1, Tab 2, Section 1, page 166 Please complete the last sentence of this paragraph. This language will be added in Amendment 0003

20. L.24 Volume II, Tab 6, Section 1, Corporate Experience, page 188 Section 2, Performance History, page 192

This section indicates that descriptions of 5 examples of corporate experience related to the SOW.

Can you please explain the difference between the information requested in this section and the information requested in Section L.24, Tab 6 – Performance History on page 192? The information being requested appears to be very similar and we are uncertain as to how to address these when they appear to request very similar information. Refer to Amendment 0003

21. L.26 Volume I -The Offer and Other Documents table, page 193 Does the contract allow the prime contractor to issue time and material type subcontracts to Major Subcontractors, as defined on page 199 of the RFP.

FTA contract will be with the Prime Contractor only. Therefore, it will not comment on contract types to be issued by a Prime Contractor to its Major Subcontractors.

22. L.31 Proposal Page Specifications and Instructions, Page Description, page 203

This paragraph states that charts, graphs, figures, and tables shall be no smaller than size 12, but clearly legible.

This paragraph states that “Graphs, tables and spreadsheets where necessary must be 10 point or larger Arial or Times New Roman font type.

Can you please confirm whether 10-point font is acceptable for graphs, tables, spreadsheets, etc.? It would be helpful to be able to use 10-point font when trying to relay the required information in charts/graphs to FTA.

This language will be revised in Amendment 0004 to read "Graphs, tables, spreadsheets, footers, etc…must be 10-point font or larger." Refer to Amendment 0004

23. L.31 Proposal Page Specifications and Instructions, Page Description, page 203

Please clarify whether headers and footers are allowed to be placed outside the 1-inch margin This includes such items as page numbers, name of offeror, date of submission, solicitation number, data disclosures, etc.

Also, is it acceptable to use 10-point font for the headers and footers, as FTA is required a significant amount of information to be provided on each separate page within the submittal. Refer to Question 22.

24. Volume I – Tab 3, Section 1 Small Business Subcontracting Plan Will a consultant be deemed nonresponsive if they have not named a HUBZone firm in its proposal?

Or, is the naming of subs something that can be done at time of award? Please refer to Clause L.23, Volume I Tab 3 - Small Business Subcontracting Plan, page 166-167.

25. Volume 1 Representations and Certifications

Are we required to provide a copy of each firm’s Certs and Reps from SAM? As you can imagine, printing the full FAR/DFAR reports for all team members can add considerable length to Volume I.

Or can we just reference that each firm’s Certs and Reps in SAM are current and correct? Yes

26. Volume II - Tab 1 - Section 1 Key Personnel, page 170

The RFP states "The Offeror shall provide a matrix table between the Government specific labor categories for which the key personnel are identified, describe their qualifications (education and experience) as it relates to the SOW in Section C, and demonstrate how these qualifications meet or exceed the applicable minimum qualifications established in the solicitation.

However, RFP states: "Provide a cross-walk between the Government specified labor categories for which the key personnel are proposed and the offeror’s internal labor categories in which the personnel are/will be classified. The cross-walk shall describe their qualifications (education and experience) as it relates to the functional area requirements of the SOW and demonstrate how these qualifications meet or exceed the applicable minimum qualifications established elsewhere in this solicitation."

Can one of these requirements be eliminated since they both seem to be basically asking for the same information? No.

27. Volume II – Tab 2, Section 1 Key Personnel (Commitment Letters), page 171 End of paragraph states, “The Letter of Commitment shall state, as follows:” However, no text follows this statement. Can you please update? Refer to Amendment 0004

28. Volume III, Tab 1, Section 3 Financial Statements, page 195

To protect confidentiality, is it acceptable to submit financial statements separately, either in a sealed envelope along with our submittal or submitted directly to the FTA, prior to the proposal submission due date rather than including in the proposal? This practice has been acceptable for past PMOC submittals and we would like FTA to confirm this is still acceptable. Yes. This is acceptable as long as the financial statements are received prior to the proposed due date.

29. Volume III-Tab 2, Section 1 Cost Proposal, Indirect Rates, page 197 If the Offeror does not have a cognizant DCAA Auditor, will CPA-approved provisional billing rates be acceptable in lieu of DCAA-approved provisional billing rates?

Are the provisional rates approved by FTA in the current PMO contract acceptable? Yes. Offerors may submit audits from DCAA, DCMA, or a CPA firm.

30. Volume III -Tab 3 Accounting System Audit Information, page 201 If the Offeror does not have a cognizant DCAA Auditor, will a statement from the Offeror’s CEO or CPA firm that conducted the audit be acceptable? Refer to Question 29.

31. Volume III -Tab 3 Accounting System Audit Information, page 201

If the Offeror plans to only issue time and material contracts to its major subcontractors, are DCAA statements required from the subcontractors concerning the status of their accounting systems? Does this paragraph apply to T&M subcontracts and are the subcontractors required to have approved accounting systems if the Offeror will not be issuing any cost-type subcontracts?

FTA contract will be with the Prime Contractor only. Therefore, it will not comment on contract types to be issued by a Prime Contractor to its Major Subcontractors. However, in accordance with the RFP, all

Primes and Major Subcontractors are required to provide documentation of adequate accounting systems at time of proposal.

32. Volume III -Tab 3 Accounting System Audit Information, page 202

The paragraph in bold print provides the requirements if the Offeror/Major subcontractor does not have a recent federal audit.

Question 1: Does this provision take precedence over other sections of the RFP that state a DCAA audit is required?

Question 2: Are CPA statements on the status of accounting systems required from subcontractors that will only be issued time and material subcontracts. Refer to Question 29.

33. Section C, Clause C. 6

The final FTA PMO RFP requires a PMP or CCM certificate for the Program Manager and Task Order Manager I/II roles. In addition, a PMI-RMP or DRMP certificate is required for the Risk Assessment Manager I/II roles. [See pdf Pgs. 33-35 and 178-179 in particular] However, the RFP states “for the labor categories that require a certificate, a request for a waiver shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer to be reviewed on a case by case basis. The Contracting Officer shall have thirty (30) calendar days from the date of receipt of the request to review and respond to the request for waiver. Personnel who are seeking this waiver must demonstrate fifteen

(15) or more years of experience in the relevant field they are seeking the waiver for.” [See pdf Pg. 24] Our program manager, task order managers, and risk assessment managers have each worked on the current and past FTA PMO contracts, but do not necessarily have the required certificates because they have not been required in the past. However, each of these individuals has more than 15 years of experience in their respective field. Therefore, we have the following questions and request:

a. Is it FTA’s intention to only accept requests for certification waivers after contract award?

b. If the answer is yes to the above (a), can it be assumed that proposals may be submitted and requests for waivers included as part of our proposal submission with the understanding that as long as FTA’s specified years of experience requirements are met, with the exception of the required certification, that the waiver will be approved?

c. If the answer is no to the above (a), please clarify how a proposer will be assured to have its proposal considered for a contract award and not rendered non-responsive prior to incurring significant costs to prepare and submit a proposal.

d. Will FTA consider pre-qualifying PMs, TOMs and RAMs, and can this be done prior to the proposal due date?

e. Answers to the questions above are kindly requested as soon as possible since they will determine our ability to successfully propose and respond to this RFP.

a. Is it FTA’s intention to only accept requests for certification waivers after contract award? YES

b. If the answer is yes to the above (a), can it be assumed that proposals may be submitted and requests for waivers included as part of our proposal submission with the understanding that as long as FTA’s specified years of experience requirements are met, with the exception of the required certification, that the waiver will be approved? Refer to Amendment 0002.

c. If the answer is no to the above (a), please clarify how a proposer will be assured to have its proposal considered for a contract award and not rendered non-responsive prior to incurring significant costs to prepare and submit a proposal. Refer to Amendment 0002

d. Will FTA consider pre-qualifying PMs, TOMs and RAMs, and can this be done prior to the proposal due date? No

e. Answers to the questions above are kindly requested as soon as possible since they will determine our ability to successfully propose and respond to this RFP. No Response Required.

34. Section C, Clause C. 7

1. The final FTA PMO RFP requires a Bachelor of Sciences degree for all 29 labor categories except for the clerical position. Although the overwhelming majority of our individuals, who have worked on the previous contract, are slotted for the majority of the labor categories have Bachelor of Science degrees or equivalent, there are still a few people from our past FTA contract that do not have the required educational degree. Will FTA accept the substitution of 15 years of relevant experience in lieu of the Bachelor of Science or equivalent degrees? No.

35. Section C, Clause C. 8

1. Although we have individuals with PEs who worked on the previous contract slotted for the majority of the labor categories, there are still a few people from our past FTA contract that do not have the required PE. In the past FTA PMO solicitation, a PE license was required for certain highly technical labor categories and desired, but not required for others. Will FTA accept the substitution of 15 years of relevant experience in lieu of the PE requirement? No.

36. Section L.16, Page 158 Can you confirm that the offeror needs to have an accounting system that has been audited by a cognizant Government audit agency or any other government agency (such as the DCAA or DCMA) at time of base award? Refer to Question 29.

37. RFP Attachment J.13.

In this attachment, no labor categories are marked as Mission Critical Staff or Consultant Staff. But in the RFP document, seven labor categories are marked as Mission Critical Staff. Is Attachment J.13 missing these designations? Refer to Amendment 0004

38. RFP Section C.6, Page 23

This section states: “The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this SOW for the above reasons. Due to the critical nature of the work, all personnel on this contract are considered highly important and the contractor shall ensure that all personnel are filled no later than twenty (20) calendar days.” Does this 20 calendar-day timeline include background clearance processing? Many of the required labor categories are not full-time positions. It will already be difficult for small business to keep candidates “on bench” for non-full time roles. If the 20 calendar-day requirement includes background clearance processing, it will be extremely difficult for small businesses to meet staffing requirements within that timeline. Does this 20 calendar-day timeline include background clearance processing? NO

39. RFP Section L.24, fifth paragraph, page 173

Paragraph states that “For the labor categories that require a certificate, a request for a waiver shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer to be reviewed on a case by case basis. The Contracting Officer shall have thirty (30) calendar days from the date of receipt of the request to review and respond to the request for waiver.” We will need to submit waiver requests for proposed Key and Mission Critical staff currently serving on our PMO Contract and approved for labor categories that now require a certification and will need those reviewed prior to the proposal due date. Can you please confirm this is the correct point of contact for waiver requests to be sent, and if there is any specific format you require other than detailing rationale why a given personnel should be granted a waiver for the certification requirement.

The Contracting Officer is the primary point of contact for any waiver request. Please refer to the RFP and Amendment 002 for further details.

40.

RFP Section L, L.22, Proposal Organization & Preparation, Pg. 161, Pgs. 167-195 The Volume II organization structure does not match the detailed instructions on pp 167-195. Please clarify the correct organization of Volume II. Refer to Amendment 0004

41.

RFP Section L, L.22 Proposal Organization & Preparation, Vol. II, Tab 2 Staffing & Recruiting Section 1: Key Personnel (Commitment Letters), Pg.

The “Letter of Commitment” language is missing (available in the previous RFP). Please provide the desired Letter of Commitment language. “The Letter of commitment shall state, as follows: …” Refer to Question 27

42.

RFP Section L, L.22 Proposal Organization & Preparation, Tab 2 Staffing & Recruiting Section 2 – Resumes of Key Personnel & Mission Critical Personnel , Pg. 172

The Offeror is limited to submitting two resumes for each Key Personnel labor category and one resume for non-key personnel labor categories. The Offeror shall provide a resume for all the positions as listed below in the order as listed. Please clarify if “Mission Critical” personnel are considered non-key? You are correct. Mission Critical personnel are considered Non-Key Personnel.

43.

RFP Section L.22 Proposal Organization & Preparation, Tab 5, Section 1 Pg. 188

In addition, the CO’s written consent is required for a Contractor to enter into subcontracts in accordance with FAR clause 52.244-2, “Subcontracts”, and in accordance with Section H, titled, “Subcontract Approval.” The Contractor shall notify the CO reasonably in advance of placing any subcontract or modification thereof, including the information identified in FAR clause 52.244-2 (e)(1). Each request for subcontract consent package, if required, must be submitted to the CO by the proposal due date.

Is the Government requiring Primes to submit a subcontract consent package with the proposal or with task order responses? The CO consent process will be post award at the task order level.

44.

RFP Section L.22 Proposal Organization & Preparation, Volume II – Tab 2 – Staffing and Recruiting, Pgs 171 and 172

Sections 1 and 3 require a list of Key Personnel. Is it the Government’s intent to have the same list in two places? Please clarify where you would like the Key Personnel list and if that list should also include Mission Critical and Non-Key Personnel.

· Section 1: Key Personnel (Commitment Letters): The Offeror shall identify key personnel as proposed for this effort. The key personnel positions for this requirement are identified as the Program Manager and Task Order Manager I, II.

· Section 3: Key Personnel: The Contractor shall identify key personnel within the proposal and shall acknowledge that all personnel assigned to this contract are capable of working independently and demonstrate knowledge, skills and expertise in their respective functional areas necessary to perform tasks within the SOW. At a minimum, the Contractor shall designate the following as Key Personnel Yes

45.

RFP Section L.22 Proposal Organization & Preparation, Volume II – Tab 2 – Staffing and Recruiting, Section 2: Resumes of Key Personnel and Mission Critical Personnel , Pg. 171

The Government states:”For evaluation purposes, the Government has identified the following labor categories as key personnel and/or critical personnel that all offerors must provide a resume as a result of this solicitation.” However, the only key personnel and/or critical personnel is in Section 3: Key Personnel. Please clarify.

Refer to Amendment 002

46.

RFP Section H.31 Conflict of Interest Disclosure, Sections A and C , Pg

The government states, “The interest(s) descried shall include those of the proposer, its affiliates, proposed consultants, proposed subcontractors and key personnel of any of the above.” Also states, “The Offeror must obtain the same information from potential subcontractors prior to award of a subcontract.” Does the Offeror need to have a signed conflict of interest form from all major and non-major subcontractors or just major? And/or do the subcontractor forms need to be submitted with the proposal or just prior to award of a subcontract (as stated)? The Offeror must have signed COI forms from all Major Subcontractors.

47.

RFP Section L.26, , Adequate Accounting System – Preaward Pg. 193

This section is titled “Preaward”, however, within the opening paragraph, it states, “The system shall be approved at the time of submission of the proposal” – please clarify if evidence of an adequate accounting system information requested in this section should be submitted with our proposal, or after award (but prior to a TO award). Refer to Question 31

48.

RFP Section L.26, Adequate Accounting System – Preaward Pg. 193

Assuming in answer to question #8, an Adequate Accounting System needs to be submitted with our proposal, the government further states, “Complete in detail and provide responses to the Pre-Award Modified Survey” (Form J-6). Does completion of this form apply to both major and non-major subcontractors? This applies to all Primes and Major Subcontractors.

49.

RFP Section L.27 Labor Categories and Hours Information, Financial Statements Pg. 195

The government states, “The Offeror, JV, Partnering/Teaming and all subcontractors shall submit current financial statements, including a balance sheet and income statement for the last completed fiscal year to demonstrate the financial capability to perform a contract of this size and duration.” Please clarify if this requirement pertains to all major and non-major subcontractors or just major? Refer to RFP

50.

RFP Section L.27 Labor Categories and Hours Information, Financial Statements Pg. 195

The government states, “Specify resources available to perform the contract without assistance from any other source.”Please clarify that you are asking for confirmation that financial resources internal to the company are in place to negate the need to borrow from outside sources? Refer to RFP

51.

RFP Section Vol. III, Cost and Price Proposal, Tab 3, Accounting System Audit Information, Pg. 201

The government states, “The Offeror, JV, Partnering/Teaming and all major subcontracts shall provide the current audit report…” The following paragraph states, “The Offeror, JV, Partnering/Teaming shall submit for themselves and for each proposed subcontractor (team member) statement certifying the most recent year.” And, there are at least five other instances within the same section that either mention just major subcontractor or just subcontractors (assuming non-major). Please clarify what requirements need to be met by major, non-major and/or both within this section. Refer to RFP

52.

RFP Section Volume II – Tab 6 , Corporate Experience and Past Performance; PPQ section , Pg. 190

The government states, “The completed Questionnaire shall be submitted directly via email from the customer reference to: 2019ProjectManagementOversight@dot.gov , no later December 19, 2018, 3:00PM,Eastern Standard Time. With the extension of the proposal due date to January 3, 2019, we request that completed Questionnaires also be submitted to FTA no later than January 3, 2019. Refer to Amendment 0003

53.

RFP Volume II – Tab 6 Corporate Experience and Past Performance; PPQ section, Pg. 190

The government states, “The Offeror shall be responsible for ensuring that each of the customer references receives, completes and returns Attachment J-3, Past Performance Questionnaire, to the appropriate Government point of contact. The Offeror shall complete the project title and contract reference number to match its corporate experience proposal information before sending the form to its reference…. Failure to receive a questionnaire from a reference will result in the non-consideration of the Reference.”We would like to use the FTA as a reference on our current FTA PMO contract(s), and thus provide you with a PPQ for your completion.

We feel that this is critical for the FTA to properly evaluate our very relevant/recent past performance. If requested, will the government complete and return a completed PPQ for work completed for you under the current FTA PMO contract(s)? If not, will you still accept FTA PMO contracts as relevant experience with a disclaimer that we have confirmed that we are in good standing in the FTA’s database?

Offerors should not use FTA personnel as references for their PPQ, as this would create a Conflict of Interest.

54.

RFP Section Vol II Tab 2, Staffing and Recruiting, Section 3 Key personnel, Pg 172

On page 172, “The Offeror is limited to submitting two resumes for each Key Personnel labor category and one resume for non-key personnel labor categories.” We will identify the resumes of our best qualified Key Personnel (PM, TOMI, and TOMII). What is the intent of the Government in asking for additional resumes for these Key Personnel Labor Categories?

The Government is seeking resumes for the Mission Critical categories as part of the evaluation process.

55.

RFP Section L.23, Proposal Preparation Instructions, Minimum Technical Requirements, Pg. 179

The minimum technical requirements in parenthesis after the Discipline Role states that a person can have a certain license OR certain certifications. Within the description however, some certifications read as a “must have” requirement. For example, Program Manager states “PE OR PgMP or CCM NAAB (should this also state ABET as an option to the PE?) ”.The preceding statement allows for a BS or BA degree OR PE license. Both of these statements conflict with the statement directly located after the Description Role title. Please clarify the license and certification requirements for each of the disciplines beginning on page 179.

These labor categories require either an [ABET accredited degree in engineering or a degree in architecture from an accredited NAAB program] OR licensure in the United States as either. We are essentially limiting these positions to either architects or engineers.

56. RFP Section C6, Labor Categories, Pgs. 44 and 184 In Section C, pg 29 Electrical is titled “Electrical Power Distribution Engineer I & II”; in other places in the RFP, including Section L, Page 184, the category is listed as, “Electrical and Traction Power Distribution Engineer I & II” Please clarify the correct title for this position.

The correct title is Electrical and Traction Power Distribution Engineer I & II. Thank you for your comment. We will make all necessary changes.

57.

Attachment J-2, Resume Template/Min Technical Requirement

Please consider adding a section to the resume template to allow for a professional summary so that we may list personnel experience relating to the minimum technical requirements for each position. The 5 allowed projects may not be able to touch on all of the required experience to be highlighted in the resume. You may include this the dialog box titled "Your specific roles, responsibilities and tasks accomplished".

58.

RFP Section L.23, Proposal Preparation Instructions, Corporate Experience and Past Performance, Pg.

“Recent” is defined as within the last three (3) years from the date of release of this RFP. Since the FTA PMO is a 5-year contract, please consider extending the time to within the last five (5) years. Refer to the RFP

59.

RFP Section L.24, Labor Categories and Minimum Personnel Requirements, Project Scheduling Manager, Pg 183

Within the Q&A issued on Nov. 6, the question is asked: “Project Scheduling Manager Certification: Recommend the Certified Scheduling Technician (CST) is not accepted as sufficient for this position, as it is designed for early-career professionals or recent college graduates with minimum experience. CST does not demonstrate a professional level of expertise. It should not be equated to the PSP or EVP, which are professional level certifications, designed for experienced practitioners with advanced knowledge and technical know-how in the broad aspects of Total Cost Management. Refer to the AACE website for more information (www.aacei.org). The Government responded: “Thank you for your comment. We concur and have updated the certification criteria for this labor category.” However, on page 183 of the RFP, the CST certification has not been eliminated.

We thank you for your comment. We will remove this certification in Amendment 0004.

60.

RFP Section L.24,Labor Categories and Minimum Personnel Requirements, Transit Asset Management Analyst, Pg. N/A

Through the delivery of task orders under the current contract, there have been informal discussions and request to add a Transit Asset Management Analyst labor category to the contract; does the government still intend to add?

FTA recognizes the criticality of this position, but does not feel it needs to be a major labor category for oversight. FTA will gladly add it on a case-by-case basis for any project.

61.

RFP Section C6 and L27, Labor Categories,Pgs 24- 30,Pgs. 31 – 41,Pg. 194,Pgs. 173-179

The order of the labor categories and some titles conflict between Section C6 pgs 24 – 30; the table beginning on pg 31, Sec L27; table on pg 194; the list on pg 179 – 187, and the list on pgs 173 – 179. Please clarify/make consistent the order and titles you’d like for all disciplines/roles.

We thank you for your comment. We will review the RFP for any clerical errors prior to the release of Amendment 0004.

62. L.22 Proposal Organization and Preparation, page 161

Under “Note” on this page, the RFP states that “Offerors shall tab each section listed below under each volume for ease of reference.” However, in the first column of the table on page 162, it appears that FTA is only requiring main titles, such as “Tab 1 – The Offer, Tab 2, Certification and Representations, etc.” Please clarify how tabs should be sent up: Tabs for all sections included within each tabbed section (which would require a large number of tabs), or only major tabs as shown in the table (Tab 1, Tab 2, etc.). Refer to RFP

63. L.22 Proposal Organization and Preparation table, Tab 2, Staffing and Recruiting, page 163

The table on page 163 lists:

Section 1: Commitments Letters Section 2: Staffing and Recruiting Section 3: Key/Mission Critical Personnel Resumes However, within the organization of the proposal (starting on page 171), the RFP shows:

Section 1 – Key Personnel Commitment Letters Section 2 – Resumes of Key Personnel and Mission-Critical Personnel (requests resumes) Section 3 – Key Personnel, Mission-Critical Personnel (requests resumes) Both Section 2 and Section 3 seem to request resumes be provided in these sections.

Question 1: In which section should the resumes actually be included?

Also, there is a “Section 2, Staffing and Recruiting” section listed in the table on page 163, but not in the proposal organization beginning on page 171. Refer to RFP

64. RFP Section G.31 - Page 89 Travel and Per Diem What if you have to be in a meeting that is earlier then your normal work day? Refer to RFP

65. RFP Section G.31 - Page 89 - Section a Travel and Per Diem What if you have to travel outside of your normal work day/week? Refer to RFP

66. RFP Section G.31- Page 88 Section 2 Paragraph 2 Travel and Per Diem How is this standard to be applied to travel for attendance at a meeting at 9 am Monday morning. Refer to RFP

67. RFP Section G.31 - Page 89 - Section b Travel and Per Diem How are we to bill travel and time for visits that require a full work week on site. Refer to RFP

68. Request for Extension

Would the FTA consider extending the deadline for this proposal by another month? This request is made based on the following factors:

- Compressed schedule due to holidays – and subsequent out-of-office responses - will impact the ability of agency references to respond to and complete requests.

- Team members – Prime and Subconsultant firms - have already scheduled use-it-or-lose-it vacation benefits. These days cannot be rescheduled, and were planned far in advance of the RFP release date.

- Additional time is needed to mobilize complete submissions, especially for Small Business Enterprises submitting as Primes. We do not have the same internal structures as the larger firms, and with individuals on out of the office, there is a hardship presented.

- Anticipated responses to questions and waiver requests may impact submissions; these may not be received in time with the compressed schedule as is right now.

Proposals are due on Jan. 3, 2019.

69. Section L.7 Please provide a three week extension on the proposal due date to accommodate holiday schedules and the resource and logistical challenges that typically occur during this time. Proposals are due on Jan. 3, 2019.

70. Volume II – Tab 6 Section 1 Corporate Experience (p. 188 – 189)

a. Please consider expanding the definition of recent to include five years of experience.

b. Also, can DBEs proposing as a prime utilize a large/key subcontracting activity if such activity was similar in size and scope to a prime opportunity?

Refer to Question 58.

71. A.2 MULTIPLE-AWARD CONTRACTS AND SMALL BUSINESS

Pursuant to FAR 19, the Government intends to award at least five (5) IDIQ contracts to a small business concern under this requirement.

Question: - Will a separate RFP be issued for the five (5) IDIQ contracts to small business mentioned in Section A.2? If not how does small business know the statement of work (SOW)/other requirements?

A separate RPF for will not be issued for the five (5) IDIQ contracts to small business.

72. A.6

SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTIN PLAN (AUG 2018)

FAR 52.219-9

The Department of Transportation/Federal Transit Administration is committed to assuring that maximum practicable opportunity is provided to small, HUBZone small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, veteran- owned, and service-disabled veteran owned small business concerns participate in the performance of this contract consistent with its efficient performance.

DOT/FTA expects all subcontracting plan submitted pursuant to FAR 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, to reflect this commitment. Consequently, an offeror, other than a small business concern, before being awarded contract exceeding $700,000 must demonstrate that its subcontracting plan represents a creative and innovative program for involving small, HUBZone small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, veteran-owned, and service-disabled.

Question: How do large prime contractors reach out to small business to participate in this procurement effort, as subcontractors? Refer to RFP

73. H.14 SUBCONTRACTING GOALS

The Subcontracting Goals for this requirement are as follows and will be assessed on an annual basis in consideration of all Task Orders in effect at that time:

Small Business (SB) 50% Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) 5% Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) 5% Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) 3% HUB Zone 3% How do prime contractors meet the requirements of Section H.14?

No response required

74. L.22 & L.23

Proposal Organization and Preparation: Volume II - Technical/Management Proposal & Proposal Preparation Instructions: Volume II - Tab 2 - Staffing and Recruiting:

Section 2: Resumes of Key Personnel and Mission Critical Personnel (pgs. 162-163, 171)

Please clarify the content of Volume II - Tab 2 - Staffing and Recruiting. Pages 162 and 163 list Section 2 as Staffing and Recruiting with Section 3 as Key Personnel/Mission Critical Personnel Resumes.

If a Staffing and Recruiting section is required, please provide the requested content for that section. Refer to RFP Section L.23

75. L.23 Proposal Preparation Instructions: Volume II: Tab 2 - Staffing and Recruiting: Section 3 Key Personnel (pg. 172) How many resumes are being required for each of the Key Personnel and Mission Critical Personnel positions? Refer to RFP Section L.23

76. L.23 Proposal Preparation Instructions: Volume II: Tab 2 - Staffing and Recruiting: Section 3 Key Personnel (pg. 172) Do resumes need to be submitted for the remaining positions that are not Key Personnel or Mission Critical Personnel? Refer to RFP Section L.23

77. C.6 Labor Categories and Minimum Personnel Requirements (pg.

23) Can an individual proposed as a Civil Engineer II be utilized as a Task Order Manager II later during the life of the contract? Absolutely. As long as they meet the qualifications for each position being proposed for.

78. L.23 Proposal Preparation Instructions: Volume II: Tab 2 - Staffing and Recruiting: Section 3 Key Personnel (pg. 172) Can the same individual be submitted as a Civil Engineer II and a Task Order Manager II as long as the labor rates are the same?

Absolutely. As long as they meet the qualifications for each position being proposed for. Moreover, the rates do not have to be the same. Not a criterion for the category.

79. L.24

Proposal Preparation Instructions: Volume II - Tab 6 - Corporate Experience and Past Performance - Section 2:

Past Performance & Volume II Tab 6 - Corporate Experience and Past Performance: Section 1: Corporate Experience (pgs. 188-191)

Do the Past Performance Questionnaires referenced in Volume II: Tab 6: Section 2: Past Performance need to reflect the project experience provided in Volume II: Tab 6:

Section 1: Corporate Experience? Refer to RFP

80. L.24

Volume II - Tab 6 - Corporate Experience and Past Performance: Section 1: Corporate Experience & Volume II - Tab 6 - Corporate Experience and Past Performance:

Performance History (pgs. 188 & 192) What is the difference between Corporate Experience and Performance History? Refer to RFP

81. L.24 Volume II - Tab 6 - Corporate Experience and Past Performance: Performance History (pgs. 191-192) Are the Performance History Summary Matrix and Performance History different sections? If so, what is the page limitation for Performance History? Refer to Amendment 0003

82. L.24

Volume II - Tab 6 - Corporate Experience and Past Performance: Performance History Summary Matrix, Performance History, Terminations/Debarments (pgs. 188- 192)

In Volume II: Tab 6: Corporate Experience and Past Performance, should the Performance History Summary Matrix be Section 3, Performance History be Section 4, and Terminations/Debarments be Section 5? Refer to RFP

83. L.24 Volume II - Tab 6 - Corporate Experience and Past Performance: Section 1: Corporate Experience If there are no major subcontractors included on a team, can the prime contractor submit all five Corporate Experience examples? Refer to RFP

84. L.24 Volume II - Tab 6 - Corporate Experience and Past Performance: Section 1: Corporate Experience (pg. 188)

If there are no major subcontractors included on our team, do we need to include team member performance history submissions as part of the Performance History Summary Matrix? Yes.

84. L.23

Volume II - Section 4.1 - Organizational Control Plan - (Sub- Section 5 - OCI) & Volume II - Tab 4 - Organizational & Individual Conflicts of Interest (pg. 171 & 187-188) What's the difference between Volume II - Section 4.1 - Sub-Section 5, and Volume II - Tab 4? Do we only need to include Attachment J-11 in Tab 4? Refer to RFP

86. L.23

Volume II - Tab 1 - Section 4.1 - Sub-Section 3 - Key Personnel & Volume II - Tab 2 - Section 3 - Key Personnel (pgs. 170 & 172) What is the difference between Volume II - Tab 1 - Section 4.1 - Sub-Section 3 - Key Personnel and Volume II - Tab 2 - Section 3 - Key Personnel? Refer to RFP

87. L.23 Volume II - Tab 2 - Section 1 (pg. 171) What information should be included in the Commitment Letter for the Program Manager, Task Order Manager 1, and Task Order Manager II? The information was not included in the RFP. Refer to Amendment 0004

88. L.23 Volume II - Tab 1 - Section 4.1 - Sub-Section 1 and Volume II - Tab 5 - Section 1 What's the difference between Volume II - Tab 1 - Section 4.1 - Sub-Section 1 and Volume II - Tab 5 - Section 1? Refer to RFP

89. L.23 Volume II - Tab 1 - Section 4.1 - Sub-Section 5 and Volume II - Tab 4 What is the difference between Volume II - Tab 1 - Section 4.1 - Sub-Section 5 and Volume II - Tab 4 Refer to RFP

90. L.27 Volume III - Tab 2 - Section 2 (pg. 164) Page 164 states to fill in Sections B.8.1, B.8.2, B.14, B.15, B.18., B.19 tables, yet in the Proposal Preparation Instructions, there is no information about tables B8.1 and B8.2. Refer to Question 17

91. L.27 Volume III - Tab 2 - Section 2 (pg. 164) Should we assume B.18 and B.19 as B.28 and B.29? Refer to Amendment 003

92. L.27 Volume III - Tab 2 - Section 2 (pg. 12) On page 12, should B.24 and B.25 be listed as B.14 and B.15? Refer to Amendment 003

93. L.24 Volume II - Tab 6 - Corporate Experience and Past Performance (pg. 191-192)

If our team does not include major subcontractors, do the remaining team members need to submit information for Performance History and the Performance History Matrix? Yes.

94. H.44 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (pg. 132) Section H.44, Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan states "The Contractor shall establish and implement a Quality Assurance Program. The Contractor shall provide a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) as part of their proposal." Does the Contractor need to provide its QA Program?

The Government will remove the language stating the QASP shall be submitted with the proposal and change it to a deliverable to be submitted at Time of Award.

95. H.44 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (pg. 132) Section H.44, Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan states "…The Plan shall be totally integrated into all areas of the Contractor's development and operation, both technical and administrative, including project oversight and non-project related activities." Please define 'non-project related activities'.

Non-Project related activities anticipated for the 2019 PMO Contract include Working Groups, Workshops, Special Tasks, OP Rewrites, and other programmatic activities

96. J-10

Attachment J-10: Operating Procedures OP 1 - Administrative Conditions and Requirements Appendix E - Oversight Procedures (CLIN List) Will the Contractual Responsibilities listed in the CLIN List Table for TPM-HQ and TPM-TRO be assigned at the Task Order level, Work Order level, or OP level?

The Task Order level. The Work Order has been eliminated and an OP cannot trump the authority of the Base Contract or Task Order.

97. J-10

Attachment J-10: Operating Procedures OP 1 - Administrative Conditions and Requirements Appendix E - Oversight Procedures (CLIN List) Will there be Programmatic and Regional Task Orders in the next contract (consistent with the Contractual Responsibilities listed in the table) or no distinction?

Task Orders will be structured to execute the requisite functions of the PMO Program. Presently, we cannot commit to any nomenclature or types.

98. J-10

Attachment J-10: Operating Procedures OP 1 - Administrative Conditions and Requirements Appendix E - Oversight Procedures (CLIN List) Will there be SubCLINs in the next contract or just CLINs?

Just CLINs.

99. J-10

Attachment J-10: Operating Procedures OP 1 - Administrative Conditions and Requirements Appendix E - Oversight Procedures (CLIN List)

The Appendix E table does not indicate which OP's are include in which CLIN, the draft proposal in September provided this information in the body text of the J-10 but that has been removed. The proposer needs to know and understand what OP's are in which CLIN to respond to the work approach in the RFP.

The CLIN structure will be determined at the Task Order level, not the Base Contract level. The Project Oversight Plan and the Task Order Implementation Plan will be used to formulate and execute the oversight activities for each project.

100. J-10

Attachment J-10: Operating Procedures OP 1 - Administrative Conditions and Requirements Appendix E - Oversight Procedures (CLIN List) Will there be Work Orders in the next contract or just Task Orders?

All oversight activities will be executed using a Task Order Contract.

101. B.19 Fee/Profit (pg. 9) Please provide an explanation and FAR or other reference to the following method: DOT/FTA utilizes the "weighted guidelines method to establish a profit rate margin." Profit will be negotiated at the Task Order Level.

102. L.23 Volume I - Tab 2 - Representative, Certifications, and Other Statement of Offerors (pg. 166) Is it okay to include subcontractors that have their SAM registrations pending at the time of submittal?