Compiled Q&A 11-18.pdf

RFP No. 693JJ320R000002 Questions and Answers (duplicates removed)

1. Does the contractor need to have a Secret or Top Secret Clearance? If so, does the Clearance need to be had before proposal submission? Or, as long as the team has the appropriate facility clearances, can we still submit a proposal for consideration?

a. General security requirements are included in Section H of this RFP. Specific facility requirements may be included in the task order proposal requests and would need to be met before task order performance.

2. With reference to pricing spreadsheet, the Wage Determination Tables has a single Administrative Assistant category. What does Administrative I, II, III, and IV refer to?

a. The Administrative Support I (01020 Occupational Code) is the baseline as defined in the Wage Determination listed in the Pricing Spreadsheet. The additional Administrative Support categories (II-IV) are based on the increased level of experience, duties, and responsibilities outlined in the SOW.

3. The technical proposal calls for a Staffing Plan. Given that this is an IDIQ with no specific task order, what is expected of a staffing plan?

a. See Part IV, Page 44 of the RFP.

4. With respect to Part IV, page 46, please clarify the statement "Names and positions of personnel who will work on the project". Since there is no task order, how do we assign contractor personnel to work on the project? Use of contractor/consultant personnel will depend on the Task Order and the level of effort required? please clarify

a. Please provide if known at this time.

5. Sections 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 list the labor categories and the detailed task descriptions for each category. The pricing table provided as an attachment lists these same labor categories by each location and then includes the Dept of Labor Service Contract Act Wage Determination for each location (for each category). Are these labor categories considered hourly or exempt (Non hourly positions)?

a. Hourly

6. Since the Government has provided WD's for each location, does the Service Contract Act apply to this acquisition?

a. Yes

7. Section 33 lists federal holidays (10). Can the Government please provide the list of holidays and other benefits requirements (annual bonus) required for performance in Puerto Rico?

Under our current GSA contract that we perform on in Puerto Rico, there are other mandatory holiday and benefit requirements that are in addition to US CONUS based requirements under Federal Services Contracts.

a. If applicable, these will be listed in the task order proposal request for services in that geographic area.

8. Is this new work? Or is this a re-compete of existing work? If this is a re-compete, can the Government please provide the name (s) of the current Incumbent contractor (s) and the contract number(s) and publicly available awarded value (s) for each awarded contract?

a. There are a number of contracts/orders currently providing these services throughout DOT. Specifics on them are not being released at this time.

9. Vol II Part 3 - Past Performance: Can the Government please advise if Past Performance is restricted to last 3 years or last 5 years?

a. See pages 45 and 46 of the RFP.

10. Vol II Part 3 - Past Performance: Can the Government please advise based on a stated limit of 5 submitted Past Performances, if a Prime has a Subcontractor as a bid team member, how many Past Performances is the Prime required to provide and how many Past Performances is a subcontractor (s)/ team members allowed to provide for evaluation purposes?

a. The maximum Past Performance references for this RFP is 5.

11. Section B. Proposal Content and Configuration - Part IV of the RFP states, “If subcontractors and/or individual consultants will be used in carrying out the requirements of this project, the following minimum information concerning the subcontractor shall be furnished: (b) Names and positions of personnel who will work on the project”. Is this a requirement of the RFP or applicable for future task order(s)?

a. Both the task orders and the RFP (if known).

12. Please clarify that offerors should submit a resume for the off-site Program Manager only.

a. Resumes may be submitted for any of the positions, but are only required for the off-site program manager.

13. Would the government clarify if there is a minimum number of Past Performance references required from the Prime Contractor?

a. No minimum, only a maximum of 5.

14. What security level is required for this contract (secret, top secret, none)?

a. General security requirements are included in Section H of this RFP. Specific facility requirements may be included in the task order proposal requests and would need to be met before task order performance.

15. What is the FTE count for the current contract?

a. The exact FTE count will vary based on the needs of individual OA.

16. The original and amendment 001 do not exist on any search for the document. Can you tell us where to find them?

a. All information and documents are located on Fed Biz Opps.

17. Will an introduction letter be part of the page count?

a. No, that would be considered a cover letter

18. I wanted to clarify that the table of contents, resumes, quality assurance plan and staffing plan will not be a part of the page count?

a. Table of contents and resumes are not included in the page count. Quality assurance plan and staffing plan would be included in the page count.

19. Can you allow at least 30 pages for the page count?

a. No

20. Can you extend the submission of proposals?

21. Also, can you extend the submission of questions?

22. Under FOIA what is the Independent Government Estimate for the master contract and each task order?

a. Independent Government Estimate will not be released.

23. Is the maximum of each task order $50 million dollars?

a. No. A combined total of $50 million in task orders may be awarded.

24. Is this a new contract?

a. This is a new Departmental contract; however, it is a consolidation of smaller contracts from various Operating Administrations (OAs).

25. Will the program manager be equivalent to an Human Resource manager they would need HR experience.

a. Minimum/Required experience is included on pages 5-7.

26. All of the work from the clerical staff will be on site they can’t work remotely?

a. See pages 29 and 30.

27. Will it be 1 hour lunch breaks?

a. Hours will be detailed in the individual task order

28. What are the work hours?

a. Hours will be detailed in the individual task order.

29. How long does it take to process a security clearance?

a. The security clearance processing time varies by candidate.

30. Have you had more than 50 responses to this solicitation?

a. That information will not be released.

31. Can the monthly staff meetings with the contract staff be held at the U.S. Department of

Transportation conference rooms?

a. Meeting location and format will be determined based on the needs of the OA.

32. How many resumes do you want per labor category?

a. Offeror’s discretion. Required for the off-site program manager.

33. I wanted to clarify that the administrative assistant II will drive a vehicle?

a. See page 14, bullet h.

34. In the technical part of the proposal You want a methodology of how each task will be completed and how the Program Manager will ensure that the tasks are done in a timely manner?

a. See pages 44 and 48.

35. You are seeking the best value bid or lowest price technically acceptable?

a. This is a negotiated procurement utilizing best value trade off.

36. Please explain what you are looking for in the staffing plan?

37. Please explain what you are looking for in the quality assurance plan?

38. Do we have to use the same format you for the price sheet? You are only interested in the bill rate?

a. Yes, use of the pricing sheet is required. See pages 44 and 45 for further detail.

39. Will the off-site program manager travel to different cities and how frequent?

a. Any travel requirements will be defined in the specific task order requirement.

40. Do we add travel expenses in the price table?

41. How frequent do the departments need clerical support in Baltimore, MD, Austin, TX, Atlanta, GA or Tallahassee, FL or Washington, DC, Lakewood, CO and what are the departments?

a. This information will be defined in the specific task order and will be based on the needs of the OA.

42. Do we have to staff all 50 states? Can I just staff, DC, Maryland, Texas, Atlanta, and Florida?

When will you add more states?

a. Contractors shall have the capability to support any USDOT facility throughout the United States of America (USA) CONUS and OCONUS as requested.

43. When will the contract be awarded in January 2020?

a. Anticipated no later than the end of the month.

44. Please explain T&M?

a. See FAR Subpart 16.6

45. The payment is net 15 or 30 days?

a. SB NET 30

46. Can I use a finance (factoring) company to finance the contract?

a. Contact your SBA representative.

47. Will it be considered if a company has provided services for DOT for example, Contract Administration or Human Resource Support Service?

a. See pages 46 and 48 on past performance.

48. How many awards does the Government intend to make under this IDIQ?

a. The Government anticipates making 5 awards; however this amount may be adjusted up or down in the best interest of the Government.

49. Will the Government consider revising the set aside status for this opportunity to 8(a) HUBzone? This will afford the Government the opportunity to meets its 8(a) - 5% and HUBZone

– 3% requirements under one program.

50. Can you indicate whether or not SCA/WD wages are included in our price or will this be on a per task order basis?

a. Included in your price.

51. On RFP page 43 of 86, Section 2.A, the RFP states that “footnotes, legends, or labels associated with tables or diagrams and other information that is ancillary to the main text may be presented in a font smaller than 12-point font.” Can the Government confirm that this statement includes the font size used for graphics and tables in the proposal?

a. Font sizes used for graphics and tables can be a font size smaller than 12-point.

52. On RFP page 36 of 86, Section 44(a), the RFP states that “Contractor employees may also be required to obtain security clearances (i.e., Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret) […].” The contractor understands that the security requirement is based on Task Order requirements issued under the IDIQ. Therefore, can the Government confirm that the Prime contractor does not require a facility clearance prior to the award of the contract? If there is a facility clearance requirement, what level would the facility clearance be (i.e.; Secret or Top Secret)?

a. A facility clearance is not required prior to contract award.

53. Each task order under the IDIQ is for 5 years?

a. The period of performance will be defined in each task order requirement.

54. Will the candidates interview for the job?

a. The specific requirements and staffing needs will be specified in the task order proposal requests.

55. A task order will go out to the companies selected and then the vendor will submit a bid?

a. Yes, task order proposal requests will go out to all IDIQ contract holders unless an exception to fair opportunity applies.

56. Can you provide the name of the FOIA officer

a. Contact information can be found here:

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/foia/dot-organizations-and-foia-contacts

57. Who is reviewing the proposals?

a. Federal Government personnel will be reviewing the proposals.

58. Will there at least be 30-40 employees per task order?

59. Will there be training?

a. Contractor staff shall be prepared to meet the requirements of the task orders. Any required training will not be at the expense of the Government.

60. Please confirm that we only must submit a single resume for the Off-Site Program Manager.

a. Correct

61. Per RFP instructions the Past Performance information is supplied as part of Volume II - Business and Price Proposal but it is evaluated separately from Price. Please confirm that it should not be in its own volume or supplied in Volume 1.

a. Past Performance information is supplied as part of Volume II

62. Page 28, Section 32. On-Site Duty Hours: The section states that no overtime is anticipated under this contract. However, it also states that the contractor shall not incur overtime without advance written approval. How will overtime be billed since overtime rates are not included in the pricing table?

a. In the rare event of authorized overtime, contractors shall be paid in accordance with the requirements of the Service Contract Act.

63. Page 44, Section Volume I – Technical Proposal: The offeror shall indicate the writer and their relationship to the offering organization. Is this still a requirement? If so, how do we address multiple proposal writers with equal shares of responsibility for writing the response?

a. The offeror shall indicate under Volume I of the proposal, the name(s) and title(s) of the person(s) who actually writes the proposal and his/her relationship to the offering organization.

64. Page 46, Section Part III – Past Performance: If the proposal includes a teaming partner/subcontractor, can their past performance count towards the “no more than five (5) relevant contracts or subcontracts”?

65. Will the awardees be determined by total technical scores or will another method be used to determine the final number of awardees?

a. See PART V EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/foia/dot-organizations-and-foia-contacts

66. This solicitation notes that the cover page, cover letters, title pages, divider pages, tables of contents, and resumes are not included in the page limits. However, to clarify, are other attachments, such as compliance matrices, included in the official page count?

67. Does the kick-off meeting need to be attended in person or can it be connected over a conference call?

a. To be determined by the Government

68. Page 45, Part II – Other Financial / Organizational, paragraph (c). Can the Government more specifically define the context of how this paragraph relates to the contractor?

a. The offeror shall provide a brief statement in its proposal that describes in a concise manner all past, present or planned organizational, contractual or other interest(s), which may affect the offeror’s ability to perform the proposed contract in an impartial and objective manner.

69. Can the government confirm that “Offeror” as it is referenced in relation to Part III – Past Performance on page 46 references to the prime contractor and its teaming partners?

70. Does Executive Order 13706 (Paid Sick Leave) apply to this solicitation?

a. See the applicable wage determination and page 79 of the RFP. The Service Contract Act is applicable to this solicitation.

71. Is the cost of the off-site Program Manager billable to the Government or will it be considered as overhead?

a. Overall contract management would be overhead. Work specific to a task order should be billed to such order.

72. Solicitation Reference: Page 44, B. PROPOSAL CONTENT AND CONFIGURATION, Volume I – Technical Proposal, Part I – Technical Approach. Question: The solicitation states: “Clearly describe the understanding and plan to accomplish the work defined in each of the tasks.” By “tasks” in this sentence, does the Government specifically mean the tasks described in Section 4 of the Statement of Work? Or would those tasks also include other sections of the SOW, like Section 5, etc.?

a. Includes all sections.

73. Utilization of Small Business is listed as an evaluation criterion for past performance. Is it the Government’s intention to evaluate the offeror’s use of small business, in light of the fact that this RFP is set-aside for 8(a) small businesses?

a. Utilization of Small Business is captured in CPARS and will be considered.

74. Upon notification of a task order award, what is the time-to-fill staff requirement?

75. Part I – Price Information: Shall the pricing table be submitted as a separate excel attachment, or part of the Volume II pdf document?

a. A separate excel attachment.

76. Since offerors who submit past performance information as a subcontractor generally do not have any CO and/or COR information, may offerors submit subcontract contact information for the prime contractor?

a. Yes, if the CO and/or COR information is not available.

77. If an offeror submits relevant experience of its key personnel as past performance, some of the required contract information will be virtually impossible to obtain. Will the Government consider limiting these requirements for key personnel past performance to federal/non-federal, agency or business name, description of the work performed, and period of performance of that individual?

a. Submit as much of the required information as possible.

78. Will the Government please provide the Wage Determination sheet for each location in the solicitation?

a. The wage determination information is from the Department of Labor and is searchable at the following website: https://beta.sam.gov/

79. Should the offer submit a budget for travel?

a. No. If needed, travel shall be proposed at the task order level.

80. What sequence of events determines which geographic areas or positions get filled first?

81. In the on-site Program Managers job description, the government state - (Note, if an on-site PM is required for a TO, an off-site PM shall not be required), Are you implying multiple TO may have their own PMs?

82. Does the similar situated entities clause apply?

a. Yes, Limitations on Subcontracting apply in accordance with 13 CFR 125.6.

83. How quick will the government release the first Task Order?

a. To be determined based on the OA requirements.

84. How many Task Orders do the government anticipates of releasing?

https://beta.sam.gov/

85. Under EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD, 1. Evaluation, B. PAST PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Section the government states “The Government will consider past performance information submitted by the Offeror on its predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience, or its performance as a subcontractor performing major or critical aspects of the requirement.” Are you saying that key personnel must have DOT/transportation experiences, or they just worked on the past performance? Must the key personnel must have it on resume or just send a note?

a. Relevant contracts/subcontractors are those similar in nature to the requirements of the solicitation and performed within the last three years. Past performance should be included in Volume II and include the information prescribed in the RFP.

86. The Off-Site Program Manager (PM) is identified as a contract level key position. Duties of the PM include preparing and submitting monthly reports, even if no task orders have been issued.

Will an initial task order be issued for PM support to allow the contractor to invoice for hours PM effort?

a. No. See response to question 71.

87. Part III, 41, Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12, 42, Contractor Personnel Preprocessing, Background Investigation and Information Security Awareness Training, and 4.1.h, Program Management Support. These clauses describe a detailed process for on-boarding employees and a requirement to backfill positions vacant for more than 2 days. Will the USDOT permit contractors to process additional personnel for security clearances?

a. USDOT security no longer allows contractor staff to be “pre-cleared.”

88. Part III, 23, Payment. Clause references FAR 52.232-1 but that clause is not in the solicitation.

Does this clause apply to this solicitation and resultant contract?

a. Yes it applies. The clause will be added.

89. Part III, 31, Task Order Procedure. Clause references FAR 52.216-18, 52.216-19, and 52.216-22 but those clauses are not in the solicitation. Do these clauses apply to this solicitation and resultant contract?

a. FAR 52.216-18, 52.216-19, and 52.216-22 are in the solicitation and will be in the contract.

90. Part IV, D, Procurement Integrity Act Requirements. Provision references 52.215-1(e) references but that provision is not in the solicitation. Does this clause apply to this solicitation?

a. Yes it applies. The provision will be added.

91. Part VI references several provisions that are also addressed in 52.212-1 or 52.212-3 (52.203-11, 52.204-7, 52.204-17, 52.219-1). Which provisions take precedence in the event of a conflict?

a. 52.212-1 or 52.212-3 take precedence

92. Does 52.212-5 apply to this solicitation?

a. Yes, see page 73.

93. Part VI references several clauses that are also addressed in 52.212-4 or 52.212-5 (52.203-13, 52.203-17, 52.204-25, 52.232-7, 52.232-23, 52.232-25, 52.232-39, 52.243-1, 52.243-3, 52.246-4, and 52.246-6). Which clauses take precedence in the event of a conflict?

a. 52.212-4 or 52.212-5 take precedence

94. Solicitation anticipates T&M and L-H task orders. Does 52.212-4 (Alternate I) apply?

a. 52.212-4 (Alternate I) would apply to T&M and L-H task orders.

95. Pricing table references DOL Wage Determinations for each location but relevant Service

Contract clauses are not included in the solicitation. Do 52.222-41, 52.222-42, 52.222-43, or 52.222-55 apply?

a. Yes, see pages 78 and 79.

96. If personnel have a current CAC or have held a CAC recently/previously, will the process be streamlined to accept JPAS access approvals or will personnel be required to go through the entire USDOT security process?

a. It depends if the current investigation is compatible to our requirements.

97. Is the remote PM position a full time or part-time position?

98. Is the onsite PM position full time or part-time position?

99. Should we submit pricing for all the states? Even though separate task orders will be issued?

a. Price proposals must adhere to the pricing structure established in the “Pricing Table for

Administrative Support.”

100. Will the government consider allowing offerors to include a Proposal Compliance Matrix as an appendix that does not count towards the page limit?

a. It would count towards the page limit.

101. Page 44, Part I – Technical Approach, 2. Subparagraph 2 states “Demonstrate project management controls for the work and define quality deliverables and quality control measures to be used”. Do you have a USDOT Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) that defines your standard deliverables’ performance measurements and metrics for the Department? If so, please provide.

a. Please demonstrate project management controls for the work and define quality deliverables and quality control measures to be used. No USDOT QASP will be provided with this RFP. QASPs may be provided with task order proposal requests.

102. Are we required to give first refusal to current incumbents?

a. 52.222-17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (May 2014)(E.O. 13495) was included in the RFP, but that executive order (E.O.) has since been revoked by another E.O.

effective October 31, 2019.

103. When would a contract employee be required to use a government vehicle for performance of duty? Please provide an example.

a. To be determined based on the OA requirements. See fleet management subtask.

104. Please give an indication of the typical length of assignment for a contract employee.

105. What is the minimum number of contractors on a TO for which an on-site program manager would be required?

a. Required with multiple contractor personnel, and then only at the request of the

Government.

106. Is it necessary for the Admin II and above to have previous work experience in the government or will a working knowledge of the Government Style Manual be sufficient?

a. See Part II of the RFP.

107. Will staff meetings be allowed to take place during normal working hours?

a. Yes, however, timing of the meetings should not adversely impact the required services.

108. The RFP states that “the Contractor shall provide training to any Contractor employee authorized access to sensitive information”- is there any specific training course that DoT would like the contractor to provide our contract staff with?

a. See page 33 of the RFP.

109. Each company selected will provide a Program Manager?

a. Yes, each contractor selected shall provide an Off-site Program Manager.

110. Is it mandatory that the On-Site and Off-Site program managers have Polycom VTC and SQL experience?

a. Yes, see pages 5 and 6 of the RFP.

111. What will SQL be used for? What is Polycom VTC?

a. SQL is used to communicate with a database. Polycom VTC is for video teleconferencing.

112. You want a print out copy to verify that the firm is in the SAM system?

a. Verification of registry in System for Award Management (SAM) is required. Print outs are not being accepted. Electronic proposals only. Note, the Government will verify all SAM registrations are active and valid.

113. You also, want the letter from the SBA verifying that the company is 8(a) certified?

a. The Government requires confirmation that the firm is a Small Business Administration

(SBA) 8(a) certified program participant including entry and exit dates and SBA point of contact (name, telephone, email address).

114. Can the government specify what will be considered 'related work' and is likely to create an Organizational Conflict of Interest (page 40)?

a. Work related to the proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications or work statements, etc.), or evaluation services.

115. Because the contract staff position is Service Contract Act Wage Determination covered, what is the contract anniversary tenure of these incumbents (if applicable)?

a. Required information will be provided during the task order proposal request process.

116. Is the past performance part of the 20 page limit?

a. The 20 page limit is for volume I. Past performance is a part of volume II. Each past performance reference shall not exceed two pages for a total maximum page count of 10 pages.

117. Do Letters of Intent (LOI) need to be included for each of the resumes submitted with the proposal?

a. Not required, but may be submitted.

118. Do the Cover Page, Cover Letter, and Table of Contents count as part of the 20 Page Limit?

119. Ref Part III - Past Performance - In addition to the prime's past performance, can subcontractors on this effort submit past performance references with the proposal?

120. In an effort to help with pricing, please be more specific on the locations which require support.

a. Locations are specified in the “Pricing Table for Administrative Support.”

121. What is the estimated length of the kickoff meeting in hours?

a. To be determined by the Government.

122. Ref: pg19, #12 + #13. Please estimate the frequency of the contractor personnel driving a government vehicle. (e.g.) 3 times per year, 30 times per year. 300 times per year.

123. Ref: pg20 #13(d). Whose vehicle is referred to in this clause? Government vehicle or contractor vehicle?

a. Government vehicle

124. Ref: pg20, #14. Are these Labor Categories subject to SCA fringe benefits?

a. The Service Contract Act applies to this acquisition.

125. Ref: pg27 (d) + (e). What is anticipated timeframe for TOPR responses? (e.g.) five business days, 10 calendar days, one month?

126. Ref: pg28, #32. The two-day window for personnel replacement is overly restrictive. Please relax this requirement to be five days.

a. The Government will take this suggestion into consideration.

127. Ref: pg29, #35. How much Telework is anticipated to be authorized? (e.g.) 10%, 20%, etc.

What are the historical numbers for authorizing Telework as a percentage of total contract?

128. Ref: pg31, #39. "...acquired by Contractor for performance of work...". Are ODCs authorized on this contract? There is no CLIN for ODCs in the workbook.

a. To be determined at the task order level based on the OA requirements.

129. Ref: pg32, #41, fourth paragraph re background checks. a) Who pays for the NACI - w - prints background check?

a. USDOT

130. b) "Higher level positions..." How many higher-level positions does this contract anticipate?

131. Ref: pg33, #42 ISSA training. Who provides this training - contractor or DOT? Who pays for this training time - contractor or DOT?

a. See page 34, paragraph (3). DOT does not pay directly for the training time.

132. Ref: pg40, #46. Will providing staff on this contract create an OCI regarding future contract work for DOT?

133. Ref: pg49 (6) Utilization of SBs. As all offerors must be Small, and there is rarely a requirement for Small Business Utilization on any Set Aside contracts, recommend remove this criterium and the "X" on page 75 on the same clause.

a. Criterium on page 49 will not be removed and 52.219-8 is a required clause.

134. Ref: pg49 (7) "General Trends". Contracting Officers have different approaches to using the CPARS rating system. Some give only a Satisfactory when the contract is completed with no issues. Using a factor of "general trends" seems arbitrary and capricious. Please remove this criterium, or allow for rebuttal to a rating.

a. Criterium will not be removed. Contractors are given an opportunity for rebuttal to all ratings in CPARS before they are finalized.

135. Ref: pg49 Past Performance. a) Are Past Performance citations from Large Business subcontractors considered? If so, how many are allowed and what weight is given?

a. Yes, see page 46 of the RFP.

136. b) Are Past Performance citations from Small-but-not-8a subcontractors considered? If so, how many are allowed and what weight is given?

a. Yes, see page 46 of the RFP

137. c) Might proposals that are overly reliant on subcontractor citations indicate a weakness vis-a-vis the Limitations clause?

a. As an 8(a) set-aside, the 8(a) must complete 50% of the work.

138. Ref: pg49 Price Evaluation. While Price Reasonableness is discussed, there is no mention of Realism. Will Price Realism be considered?

a. The price evaluation will determine whether the proposed prices are complete and reasonable in relation to the solicitation requirements and market rates. Proposed prices must be entirely compatible with the technical proposal and consistent with the pricing requirements listed in this solicitation.

139. Ref: pg78 Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers. This clause when coupled with the SCA rules requires contractors to provide appropriate benefits to the Qualified Workers, and those benefits vary with seniority. Offerors must know what each incumbent person's seniority level is in order to provide and price the benefits. Please provide a count of the Qualified Workers currently on staff at each of these locations and indicate their length of time as well at that job in years.

a. Required information will be provided during the task order proposal request process.

140. Ref: Price Workbook. Here SCA is called out in Col H. The government only requests a Fully Loaded BillRate. There is no way for the government to assess whether that rate includes the SCA minimum Pay and separately H&W benefits required by Exec Order 13706, and separately additional Fringe required by SCA for seniority. Absent some transparency as to how the Fully Loaded Rate is computed, there is significant risk in awarding to flawed Cost/Price proposals.

Suggest asking for Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data.

a. Offerors shall complete the “Pricing Table for Administrative Support” as instructed in the RFP.

141. Ref: pg49 Price Evaluation and Price Workbook. Offerors are to enter Fully Burdened Rates.

There are no Totals calculated across or down. The evaluation methodology on pg49 suggests the government will add factors (such as hours?) to arrive at an evaluated total (but even the factor is not stated). Why will the government not disclose the Factors or Hours to be applied for evaluation purposes only? Some transparency here may reduce misunderstandings, discussions, and disputes.

a. To evaluate prices for award purposes, the Government will apply the offeror’s proposed fully burdened fixed-prices/rates to the Government's estimated quantities of use over the life of the contract as estimated in the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE). The IGCE will not be disclosed to the public.

142. The RFP states that the contractor is responsible for obtaining proper insurance for vehicles that are operated by contractor employs in connection with the applicable contract. Our question is do we need to provide insurance for the cars our Administrative staff drive to work?

a. The contractor needs to provide insurance for when contractor staff operates Government vehicles.

143. The RFP states: General and Administrative Expenses (G&A), etc. Maximum direct labor rates are identified in the attachment entitled, “Pricing Table for Administrative Support. We are unable to identify the maximum direct labor rates in the pricing table, can you clarify?

a. The maximum direct labor rates are proposed by the Offeror.

144. The RFP states: For each T&M TO, allowable materials costs, including travel expenses shall be reimbursed at cost. Inclusion of indirect burden amounts or fee on material costs, including travel expenses, is not allowable. Our question is: are we allowed to bill the travel expenses of the offsite Program Manager?

a. Any travel requirements will be defined in the specific task order requirement and authorized and reimbursed at the task order level.

145. Are there currently any open positions that will need to be filled upon award? If there are open positions, can you tell us how many and the locations?

146. What is the minimum number of past performance references required?

a. There is no minimum. In the case of an Offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the Offeror will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably.

147. Stated in Part I, Proposal requirements, requesting additional business information. Would the Government please confirm that this information should be included in Volume II Business and Price Proposal or in the cover letter?

a. Please include in the Volume II Business and Price Proposal

148. According to Part IV and Part V, the Technical Proposal is divided into Part I and Part II. Would the Government please provide a weight to each Part as to weigh proposal against other offerors? If so, what is the percentage for each Part?

a. See page 48 for information on the technical evaluation.

149. If the size of both Volumes is greater than 8MB, would the Government please allow separation and transmission of the two volumes in two emails?

a. Submission should be limited to 8MB or less

150. Volume II, would the Government please accept and allow offerors to provide GSA pricing for labor categories?

a. GSA pricing is permissible as long as it meets the requirements of the RFP.

151. Can the government validate that the off-site PM does not need to be at or near any specific location? If the PM needs to be at or near a specific location, where is that location?

a. Offerors shall propose the location for their off-site PM.

152. It states that employees may receive proprietary or source selection information while performing on task orders and that “…the Contractor is expressly prohibited from competing on all related work.” Can the Government state what it means by “all related work” because that is a broad statement, i.e. all FAA work or only the specific work related to the proprietary or source selection information that was received by the employee?

a. Only the specific work related to the proprietary or source selection information that was received by the employee.

153. Can offerors place the 2-page off-site PM resume in an appendix at the end of the Technical Proposal, so pages counted toward the 20 page limit are sequential and without a break?

154. Can the Government validate that references from a subcontractor being proposed by the offeror for this RFP can be included as part of the five relevant contracts?

155. RFP page 46 of 86, Volume II, Part VI – Subcontracts / Consultants. Can the Government elaborate on requirement to include: (b) Names and positions of personnel who will work on the project? For a proposed subcontractor, does the Government mean it wants the names and positions of the subcontractor’s PM and other support personnel?

a. Names of subcontract personnel and their intended roles in the contract.

156. Part 1, Section 1: “During the term of each IDIQ contract, the Government shall place orders totaling a minimum of $50,000.” Does the Government intend to guarantee all awarded base IDIQ contracts to receive a minimum of $50,000 in Task Order Awards?

157. Part 2, Section 2.1 of the solicitation, the following is stated for the off-site program manager.

“Ability to quickly become proficient in non-standard software programs required for Department usage”. Can the government elaborate on which non-standard software programs will require proficiency?

a. To be determined based on the OA requirements over the life of the contract.

158. Part 3, Section 12. Contractor Required Licenses/Certifications –What licenses or certifications are required to drive a GOV?

a. Valid driver’s license for the corresponding class of vehicle.

159. Part 3, Section 42. Contractor Personnel Preprocessing, Background Investigation and Information Security Awareness Training – Will the Contractor have the ability to bid a transition period on each task order to allow for adequate processing of the background investigations?

160. Volume II – Business and Price Proposal (Parts I-IV), Part I – Price Information – (a) (iii) Does the application of yearly escalation of 3% for each contract year, negate the contractors ability to seek price adjustments in accordance with 52.222-43 - Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards - Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts)?

a. No, it does not negate the contractors ability to seek price adjustments in accordance with 52.222-43 - Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards - Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts).

161. Paragraph A of Section 7 in Part I states that offers must be SBA certified as 8(a) when submitting our proposal. We plan on responding to this RFP using an SBA Mentor-Protégé joint-venture (MPJV). The current SBA process for approving MPJV’s for 8(a) status is to wait until an award is imminent. As such, our MPJV does not currently show as 8(a) in SAM, but would be quickly approved should we be selected for award. Please confirm the government will accept proposal submissions from an SBA MPJV that is pending its 8(a) status based on an award.

a. Please have the MPJV approved as soon as possible and submit relevant documentation from the SBA with Volume II of your proposal.

162. How many individuals will the off-site and/or on-site program manager need to manage/supervise (minimum, maximum, typical)?

163. Experience to the level of “highly proficient” in MS Access and SQL is part of both PM job descriptions as well as the Administration Support III and IV positions. Since these are programming environments, not just tools like Word or Excel, please explain what “highly proficient” means in this context. What specifically must they be able to do for each of these applications? i.e. just use programs developed by other individuals, be able to modify previously developed programs, be able to develop rudimentary programs, or be able to develop full blown applications, or something else.

a. Highly proficient means in this context working independently to resolve issues or problems. Specifically, they must be able to use programs developed by other individuals and modify previously developed programs, being able to develop rudimentary programs is not required, but is a plus. They are not expected to be able to develop full blown applications.

164. Experience to the level of “sufficient” in MS Access and SQL is part of Administrative Support I position. Since these are programming environments, not just tools like Word or Excel, please explain what “sufficient” means in this context. What specifically must they be able to do for each of these applications? i.e. just use programs developed by other individuals, be able to modify previously developed programs, be able to develop rudimentary programs, or be able to develop full blown applications, or something else.

a. The staff should be able to navigate these administrative applications without having to ask for assistance or guidance. Specifically, they must be able to use programs developed by other individuals and modify previously developed programs, being able to develop rudimentary programs is not required, but is a plus. They are not expected to be able to develop full blown applications.

165. The minimum education requirements do not appear to match the requirement for the person in the position to have MS Access and SQL knowledge. Would the government please explain how these tools are used on this contract?

a. Skilled Admins need to have basic administrative IT application skills to navigate around systems and applications.

166. Experience to the level of “proficient” in MS Access and SQL is part of Administrative Support II position. Since these are programming environments, not just tools like Word or Excel, please explain what “proficient” means in this context. What specifically must they be able to do for each with these applications? i.e. just use programs developed by other individuals, be able to modify previously developed programs, be able to develop rudimentary programs, or be able to develop full blown applications, or something else.

a. The staff should be able to navigate these administrative applications without having to ask for assistance or guidance. Specifically, they must be able to use programs developed by other individuals and modify previously developed programs, being able to develop rudimentary programs is not required, but is a plus. They are not expected to be able to develop full blown applications.

167. May the text within a table or diagram also be presented in a font size smaller than 12-point font, provided that any such smaller font is fully legible?

168. Will the government provide sample Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)? This would help offerors better understand the workflow and address the requirements in Part I – Technical Approach.

a. SOPs will vary based on the OA that has the requirement.

169. The solicitation instructions for Part II of the Business and Price Proposal instruct Offerors to list and explain any terminated contracts or cure notices received. The solicitation evaluation factors (Part V), however, do not state how this information will be used during the evaluation period. Please explain how the information requested in Part II, paragraph (a) of the Business and Price Proposal (Page 45) will impact the evaluation of offerors?

a. This information will be used to assist the Government with completing its evaluation.

170. What is the contract value?

a. During the term of each IDIQ contract, the Government shall place orders totaling a minimum of $50,000. The maximum amount of all Task Orders (TOs) issued against the contracts awarded as a result of this acquisition shall not exceed a ceiling of $50,000,000.

171. Would the government look at the task order specific Off-Site and On-Site PM as part-time staff?

172. On average what is the duration of a Task Order?

173. Will the government require all proposed staff On-Site PM, Administrative I, II, III, & Executive Assistant to operate government owned vehicles?

174. In accordance with the Time and Material Task Order, will the contractor be responsible for upfront cost such as government vehicle fuel?

175. What does the government consider “travel expense”?

a. Expenses in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations incurred to support the requirements of a task order.

176. Will the Government provide vehicle fuel?

a. To be determined based on the OA requirements. With a GSA leased vehicle, a GSA issued Fleet fuel card is attached (with key) to every GSA vehicle). Anyone who’s authorized to drive the GSA vehicle can use the fuel card.

177. On what basis will the Government evaluate and award Task Orders? LPTA, Best Value?

a. Best value trade off.

178. Is Past Performance and the Subcontracts/Consultants information to be included as part of the Business and Price Proposal?

179. Ohio’s WD reference includes 2 different schedule numbers: WD 15-4729 (Rev.-11) and WD

15-4729 (Rev.-10). Will the government please clarify if the WD 15-4729 (Rev.-11) is the correct one WD for all four levels of the Administrative Support (I-IV)?

a. WD 15-4729 (Rev.-11) is the correct one.