NHTSA Response_Questions Answers_Log_Technical CRSS Coding_final.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

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CRSS Coding Operations Resource Center Technical Q&A Listing

Question Number

Solicitation Question NHTSA Response

1. Question: Do we need to provide resumes for key personnel only or for all labor categories including Coders mentioned in the RFP??

1. Please provide resumes for only key personnel.

2. Question: How many subcontractors can we use for this bid?

1. The Government is not in the business of advising offerors how to run their business.

3. Question: Is there any preference for a company having an office in Washington, DC?

1. No.

4. Question: Can the contractor invoice the agency for the Training duration of coders?

1. Yes.

5. Question: What is the duration of training for coders and coding supervisors?

1. The typical NACT training for coders and coding supervisors is two weeks in duration. The SWT training is typically one week of in-person training, held on an annual basis.

The typical in-person coding training will have to be modified to accommodate a complete virtual delivery due to the pandemic.

6. Question: Do the coders need to attend in-person training with the agency?

1. The typical in-person coding training will have to be modified to accommodate a complete virtual delivery due to the pandemic.

7. Question: Considering COVID 19 restrictions, Will the team be allowed to work from home or they need to be present at the contractor facility?

1. The contract allows for remote operations, even outside of the pandemic.

8. Question: Is there a Quality Team assigned at the Agency?

Question: How often will the agency validate and provide feedback for the work delivered by the contractor?

1. There are dedicated CRSS Coding personnel at HQs as well as an independent Quality Control Resource Center.

2. Quality control activities are performed on a quarterly basis. However, ad-hoc quality control is performed as coding anomalies are identified.

9. Question: Do you anticipate a surge in the datasets forecasted for the base year and the option years?

Question: If yes, do you expect the contractor to provide strategy to cover the surge as part of the response?

1. No, we do not anticipate a surge in cases from the base year to the option years. However, the selection algorithm for cases to be coded is determined by our Math Analysis Division and updated annually.

2. N/A

10. Reference: Telework/Remote Operations Clause (page 8 of 90)

The second paragraph of the section states that:

“The Contractor shall submit the telework provided at the kick off meeting. plan to the Contracting Officer for review and approval. The Contractor shall submit the telework/remote operations plan two weeks after the completion of hiring the CRSS Coding Resource Center staff. Contractor staff may not implement its telework plan until it receives the CO’s approval.”

Question: Please clarify this portion. Does the Government mean to say: The contractor shall submit the telework policy at the kick off meeting? The telework plan is to be submitted 2 weeks after completion of hiring staff.

1. Yes, your statement is correct. Please reference Section C.4.1.2 CRSS Coding Center Operations of the amended RFP where the information under the Telework/Remote Operations Clause has been corrected.

11. Reference: M.5.1 Cost Evaluation Sheets

Question: The number of hours for the Project Manager is a consistent 470 hours across the entire Period of Performance. This comes out to 25% of full time. Could the Government increase this to at least 752 hours (40% of full time) for the first year? There is a lot of work to do in setting up the Resource Center and the Project Manager is integral to the successful set up?

1. Section M.5.1 through M.5.6 requires offerors to provide their cost estimate based on the Government Staffing estimate of hours provided in the tables for Evaluation Purposes Only. Additionally, those hours are only “advisory” and are not to be considered the sole basis for the development of your staffing plan.

12. Reference: L.8 Proposal Content

It is stated that the technical proposal is limited to no more than 100 pages, excluding resumes which are limited to 3 pages and are not counted against the total page limit of the Technical proposal.

Question: Are there any page limitations for sections within the technical proposal (Technical Plan and Project Management, Qualifications of Project Personnel, Corporate Experience/Past Performance)?

1. No, there are no page limitations for sections within the technical proposal. Please reference Section L.8 of the amended RFP.

13. Reference: SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR

RESPONDENTS

Question: Are there any formatting instructions for the Technical and/or Business Proposal? For instance, font size, margins, spacing, etc.?

1. Please reference Section L.8 of the amended RFP.

14. Reference: Crash Data Acquisition Network (CDAN) (Page 10 of 90)

Question: Can the Government clarify what equipment will be provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and what equipment will need to be purchased, rented, or leased?

One portion of the section states that: “The Contractor shall acquire (purchase, rent, lease, or received as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) or Contractor Acquired Property (CAP))…” while another section states: “The Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) obtained through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) include laptop computers, monitors, docking stations, keyboards and mice.”

The latter implies that the Government will provide all of the listed equipment for each of the personnel under the contract, whereas the first implies that GFE may not be provided for every employee.

1. Please reference Section C.4.1.2 CRSS Coding Center Operations, and the subsection entitled “Crash Data Acquisition Network (CDAN)” for a listing of GFE.

Additionally, detailed GFE and CAP information will be provided after contract award.

15. Reference: L.9.3 Qualifications of Project Personnel

Question: 1 Are resumes required for only the Key Personnel, or for all personnel proposed (Key and Non- Key)?

1. Resumes are required for only key personnel.

16. Question: Who is the incumbent on this contract?

1. Please submit a FOIA request for this information.

17. Question: How many FTEs are currently supporting this work?

1. Please use the estimated level of effort and the expectation of coding two cases to determine the number of FTEs needed to support this effort.

18. Reference: C.1 Background

Question: The last line in paragraph 4 states “Sixty (60) PSUs were selected from 24 PSU strata as noted in Table 1”, can you please provide this Table 1?

1. The reference for Table 1 is not required and has been removed. Please reference Section C.1 Background of the amended RFP.

19. Reference: C.4.5.1 CRSS Case Coding

Question: Please let us know if the selected 57,000 Police Crash Reports that need to be coded is the count based on 57 PSUs or 60 PSUs?

1. The estimated 57,000 selected crash reports are from 60 PSUs. However, 94% of the selected cases were from the 57 PSUs.

20. Reference: L.8 Proposal Content

Question: Can you please confirm the page limit on the Technical Proposal as 100 pages?

1. Yes. Please reference Section L.8 Proposal Content of the amended RFP.

21. Reference: L.8 Proposal Content

Question: Is there a specific page limit on the Business Management Proposal?

1. Please reference Section L.8, Proposal Content of the amended RFP.

22. Reference: L.8 Proposal Content

Question: Can you please clarify if the 3-page limit is for each resume that we submit?

1. Yes, the 3-page limit is for each resume that is submitted.

23. Reference: Technical Plan and Project Management

Question: This section asks for “Discussion of the role and responsibilities of the proposed project director;” but section B.5 “Labor Categories” does not list “Project Director”.

Please confirm if the Project Director is same as the Project Manager?

1. Yes, the Project Director and Project Manager are the same. Please reference Section L.9.2, TECHNICAL PLAN AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT of the amended RFP.

24. Reference: Qualifications of Project Personnel

Question: Can you please confirm that we need to submit resumes for only the Key Personnel i.e. Project Manager and Coding Supervisor(s)??

1. Yes, please submit resumes for only the key-personnel.

25. Reference: Qualifications of Project Personnel

Question: Can you please confirm that we don’t need to submit the resumes of non-key personnel staff?

1. Yes. Please do not submit the resumes of non-key personnel staff.