Attachment S-3_Question and Comments - Government Response.pdf

Attachment S-3 693KA9-22-R-00016

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FORM

OFFEROR’S NAME: Not applicable, this is a consolidated response GOV’T REVIEWER/DATE: Contracting Officer 11/20/2023

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1 Attachment S-

SOAR

Statement of Objectives

11 Reference: C.2.2 QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE, C.2.2.1 Monitoring Performance, C.2.2.2 Improving Performance Questions:

1. Does the government expect content to be included within Volume I for Monitoring and Improving Performance, or are these simply requirements that the contractor needs to meet during execution?

2. If content is required (other than the QCP as identified in C.2.2.1.4), can the government please confirm how it will be evaluated?

1. Please refer to L.14.3.1.2 Preparation Instructions Section B and SOO C.2.2.1 Monitoring Performance for instructions on how to address Performance Monitoring.

2 please refer to Part IV Section M Evaluation Factors for Award for an explanation of how the evaluations will be conducted.

2 I.5 3.2.4-16

ORDERING

(OCTOBER

2019)

23 Reference: 3.2.4-15 states, “(a) Any supplies and services to be furnished under this contract must be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the contract.”

Question:

Will the Awardee be expected to submit a TO/DO proposal in response to detailed specifications prior to issuance of Delivery Orders or Task Orders?

X

3 L.13.1 General

Reference: Section (e), “Maximum Page Count”.

Question:

Will the FAA exclude Volume Cover sheets, tab dividers, tables of content, lists of figures, glossaries, Add statement to SIR, “Volume Cover Sheets, Tab Dividers, Table of Content, Lists of Figures, Glossaries, Acronyms, Abbreviation lists, and Index

X See L.13.1 (e)

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acronyms, and abbreviation lists, Index pages from the maximum page count referenced for all Volumes?

pages are excluded from any page count.”

4 L.14.3.1.2 56 Given the detailed nature of the SOO, would the government consider excluding the PWS itself from the 100-page limit in Volume I?

X

5 L.14.3.1.2 M.3.4

Reference: In Section L the SIR states: “The Offeror must submit a detailed PWS in response to the attachment S-1 Statement of Objectives that addresses the Offeror’s understanding and ability to meet or exceed the SOO.”

In Section M, the RFP states: “Technical Approach will be evaluated based on the extent to which it demonstrates a likelihood of successful performance of the requirements of the PWS and the overall organization approach.”

In Q&A dated 10/25/2023: The government specified that a PWS should include: “1) work stated in terms of outcome or results, rather than methods of performance; and (2) measurable performance standards and a method of assessing contractor performance against those standards.”

In lieu of these statements, it appears that the government is expecting interested bidders to define a set of requirements, in the form of a PWS (as defined above) which will then be used by the government as the basis to evaluate the bidder’s Technical Approach (i.e., likelihood of successful performance of said requirements). Can the government confirm that this interpretation is correct?

X please refer to Part IV Section M Evaluation Factors for Award for an explanation of how the evaluations will be conducted.

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6 L.14.3.1.2, Section A.2

57 References: Section A2 states, “…The Offeror must identify key personnel associated with each of the major functions that comprise the Offeror’s functional response to the government’s requirements.”

Section A2 also states, “The Offeror must submit resumes describing the professional training and work experience for all key personnel. The government will evaluate the key personnel training and experience against the government’s requirements listed in the labor category descriptions.”

Questions:

1. Can the government confirm whether Offerors are required to submit the requirements for the labor category descriptions?

2. If labor category descriptions are to be submitted to the FAA by Offerors, can the information be included as an Appendix and therefore not count against Volume page counts?

Labor cat description are not required.

7 L.14.3.1.2 Preparation Instructions

57 References:

a. L.13.1, Section (e), “Maximum Page Count”.

b. A.1 states, “Each Offeror that is a large business must provide a detailed subcontracting plan that fulfills all requirements contained within FAA AMS Clause 3.6.1-4, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (October 2022).”

c. A.1 also states “…Teaming agreements for subcontractors are to be submitted with this volume.”

Add statement to SIR, “Subcontracting Plan and Teaming Agreements are excluded from any page count”.

X L.13.1, (e) has been revised.

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Question:

1. Will the FAA consider excluding the

Subcontracting Plan from the page count under Volume 1? The Subcontracting Plan can be more than 40 pages for Offerors with robust approved Master Plans.

2. Will the FAA consider excluding the Subcontractor Teaming Agreements from the page count?

Teaming Agreements can be more than 20 pages each and Offerors with multiple subcontractors will be disadvantaged in that very few pages (if any) will be remaining in the Volume to provide a compliant and comprehensive technical solution.

8 L.14.3.1.2 Preparation Instructions, A.1, Subcontractin g Goals

57 Will Subcontracting Plans be acceptable if the goals reflected in the SIR Section A-1 are expressed as percentage of total planned subcontracting dollars?

X Per the AMS clause 3.6.1-4 Small Business Subcontracting Plan, all goals should be expressed in dollars.

9 L.14.3.1.2, A.2 57 Will the government consider allowing the resumes to reside in an Appendix and not be included in the 100-count page limit for Volume I?

X

10 L.14.3.1.2, A.2 57 Section A, “Performance Work Statement”, Paragraph A.3. “Understanding of Scope” states: “The Offerors’ technical proposal must respond to all SOW requirements describing how the proposed solution meets the government’s technical requirements”.

Given that a SOW does not exists, does the government mean that “The Offerors’ technical

“The Offerors’ technical proposal must respond to all of the requirements in PWS describing how the proposed solution meets the technical requirements”

X L.14.3.1.2, A.3 has been revised.

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proposal must respond to all of the requirements defined in the PWS?”

11 L.14.3.2.2.1.1 60

Section B Workbook – Section B.4 Option Period 1.

This tab is for pricing the two-year option period 1 (2025-2027). However, the non-editable values in Column F ‘QTY’ are only 12 resulting in only a single year’s worth of pricing being calculated.

the ‘QTY’ values have been updated in Column F on Section B.4 Option period 1 from 12 to 24 (to match Section B.5 and B.6).

12 L.14.3.2.2.1.2 Cost Type CLINs Detail

– Section B Workbook

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Section B Workbook, TABs: “CLIN 0007 Transf.

and Migrate” and TAB

“CLIN 1007

Tranf. And Migrate”

61 Reference: L.14.3.2.2.1.2 states, “Offerors and each subcontractor must provide details of cost/pricing in accordance with their pricing methodologies/models for all cost type CLINs.”

Questions:

1. For those small business subcontractors who do not have approved accounting systems and therefore cannot perform under cost reimbursement type except for T&M and Labor hour arrangements, will the FAA accept Fixed Hourly Labor Rates if substantiated by the Subcontractor with historical invoice/payment data with the Federal Government, commercial pricelists, or comparison to GSA pricelists.

2. If the answer is yes, may subcontractors insert their fixed price labor rates in Column E “Direct Labor Rate”, without a breakdown of cost elements?

X 1 Since the FAA does not have privity of contract with subcontractors, the FAA cannot dictate the type of contract arrangement between a prime and a subcontractor.

2 The CPFF CLIN tabs have a space for subcontractor costs that is separate from the Direct Labor Rate section.

13 L.13.1 General AND L.14.3.2.2

61 Reference: Volume II B, Item b states, “…Offeror is to annotate this inclusion accordingly and submit its most recent CAS Disclosure Statement and provide a certification IAW AMS 3.2.3-1.”

X CAS Disclosure Statement and Certification may be submitted as an Appendix to

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Question: CAS Disclosure Statements can be up to 100+ pages depending on the size of Contractor and complexity of data. Will the FAA allow Offerors to provide its CAS Disclosure Statement and Certification as an Appendix to the Volume and be excluded from the Volume page count?

Volume II B and not be included in the page count.

14 L.14.3.2.2.1.1 Direct Labor Rates and Hours

62 Reference: Item c. “The Offeror must provide a mapping/crosswalk between the Government labor categories and its own labor categories, if applicable.”

Question:

1. If Government labor categories will not be provided in the SIR, will the FAA please remove this requirement from the SIR?

X L.14.3.2.2.2.1 (c) has been deleted.

15 L.14.3.3 Past Performance Volume, L.14.3.3.1

References:

a. Item (1) states, “A complete response to AMS clause 3.10.4-20 Software Measures Proposal Requirement. Historical data must include at a minimum, list of all contracts that are at least 3 years duration and averaging at least 5 million per year, completed during the past five years or in progress for at least three years prior to this SIR date. Include the following information for each contract and subcontract:

• Name of contracting activity

• Contract number

• Contract type

• Total contract value

• Contract work/description

• Contracting Officer and telephone

(1) L.14.3.3.1 (1) has been revised.

(2) see L.14.3.3.1 (3).

(3) yes, one reference per contract.

(4) The Offeror shall provide historical data regarding software development from at least three prime contracts or subcontracts awarded to and completed by the Offeror to demonstrate the Offeror’s capability to perform the software requirements of the contract.

(5) yes.

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• Program manager and telephone

• List of major subcontractors”

b. Item (2) states, “The Offeror must submit a copy of their most recent CPARS performance assessment report.”

c. Item (3) states, “In lieu of CPARS performance assessment reports, Offerors may submit a list of at least three references and send each listed reference the Client Authorization Letter provided in Part III

– SECTION J as Attachment S-4 authorizing the reference to provide past performance information to the government.”

d. Item (3) also states, “The questionnaire is to be completed by the reference and returned in accordance with the instructions contained thereupon.”

Questions:

1. With regards to (a), due to Volume page count maximums stipulated in the SIR (and taking into consideration potential Contractor system limitations for capturing the entire universe of “all contracts” with the requested data in the bullet points), will the FAA limit the number of contracts up to “5 contracts” as opposed to “all contracts”?

This puts undue burden on Offerors and subcontractors with extensive Past Performance experience and with large client portfolios/history as they’d be in a position of submitting hundreds of contracts to comply with the stipulated “all contracts” requirement.

(6) see L.13.1 (a).

(7) no.

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2. With regards to (b), will the FAA please confirm that CPARS reports are only required for a minimum of 3 contracts and not required for “all contracts” as defined in (a)?

3. With regards to (c), will the FAA please confirm that, “may submit a list of at least three references” is to be interpreted as one reference per contract and not three references per contract?

4. Can the government confirm they are looking for a CPARS report for each of the submitted past performance references, per AMS clause 3.10.4-20 Software Measures Proposal Requirement?

5. Can subcontractors submit their response to the AMS clause 3.10.4-20 Software Measures Proposal Requirement. (L.14.3.3.1 (1)) and L.14.3.3.1 (2) or

(3) directly to the CO in their sealed package? Some companies deem this information proprietary.

6. Please confirm that the completed Past Performance Questionnaires are to be submitted to Curtis.fields@faa.gov and Khoshboo.F.Siddiqi@faa.gov Not Later Than 4:00 PM, E.S.T. on Monday 12/4/2023.

7. Can the government confirm that CPARS reports do not count toward the 50-page count in Volume III (e.g., included in Appendix)?

16 L.14.3.1.2 Proposal Instructions M.3.4 Technical

67 References: Factor 3 is the most important factor. … Sub-factor 3d is the most important sub-factor. Sub-factor 3c is the second most important sub-factor but not as important as subfactor 3d. Sub-factor 3b is the third most important sub-factor but not as important as 3c.

Sub-factor 3a is the least important sub-factor.

M.3.4.3 FACTOR 3:

PERFORMANCE WORK

STATEMENT

This Factor will be evaluated on the technical

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Evaluation Factors and Order of Importance

Factor 3 – Performance Work Statement (PWS) 3a – Small Business Subcontracting Plan 3b – Organizational Approach and Personnel 3c – Understanding of Scope 3d – Work Area Solutions

Question: Based on the evaluation criteria above, can the government please confirm how the PWS is evaluated, and specifically how it relates to 3d, 3c, 3b, and 3a?

approach for accomplishing the type of work to be performed and the extent to which it demonstrates specific plans, methods, tools, and techniques that will benefit the Government and are likely to be efficient and effective in accomplishing task activities and contract objectives.

17 M.3.4.3

FACTOR 3:

Performance Work Statement

68 Reference: The SIR states: “This Factor will be evaluated on the technical approach for accomplishing the type of work to be performed and the extent to which it demonstrates specific plans, methods, tools, and techniques that will benefit the Government and are likely to be efficient and effective in accomplishing task activities and contract objectives.”

Questions:

1. Can the government clarify how it will evaluate the component of the proposal (Volume 1, Section A) that provides a traditional PWS consisting of: “(1) work stated in terms of outcome or results, rather than methods of performance; and (2) measurable performance standards and a method of assessing contractor performance against those standards”?

Please refer to Part IV Section M Evaluation Factors for Award for an explanation of how the evaluations will be conducted.

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18 Section B Workbook.

Section B.7 and B.8 Summary

L.14.3.2.2.1.1 Base and Option Periods – Section B Workbook base of page

N/A References: B.8 Ceiling Price states, “The contractor is not authorized to exceed this ceiling without the authorization of the Contractor Officer.”

States, “Cost and prices submitted in the Section B Workbook are binding and will be incorporated into Section B of this contract.”

Question:

Will the FAA please confirm that any reference to ceiling within the SIR only refers to the overall ceiling of the IDIQ?

B.8 has been revised to change the label from Ceiling Price to Total Price.

This cell automatically captures the proposed price once Offerors input data in the required cells. Currently, it is only capturing the Government Provided NTEs for CLINs X008. The $TBD will be updated to reflect the award amount.

19 Attachment S-

7, SOO

Artifacts

N/A

Reference: Tab D Deliverables require the following three (3) deliverables to be submitted as draft with the solicitation/proposal response:

a. Quality Control Plan (QCP),

b. Transition-In Plan,

c. Resource Management Plan.

Questions:

1. Will the FAA allow the artifacts listed above to reside in the Appendix and be excluded from page count?

X

20 GENERAL N/A Can the government please provide an assumed contract start date?

X The government assumed contract start date is anticipated to be within 1 to 2 weeks of contract award.

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21 GENERAL N/A Can the government please confirm when they intend to make an Award?

X The government currently anticipates contract award by the 3rd qtr. of FY 24

22 GENERAL N/A Due to the proposal response effort falling over a major national holiday, would the government consider a one-week extension to the proposal due date?

X The government is currently monitoring external activities that could potentially impact the proposal due dates. If the necessity to extend the proposal due date arises, the government will act accordingly.

23 Section + B Workbook

Tab B.7 and B.8

B.8 The Ceiling Price is mentioned as $515,879.32, and the description “The ceiling price for this contract, inclusive of options is $TBD.”

Could you please explain?

B.8 has been revised to change the label from Ceiling Price to Total Price.

This cell automatically captures the proposed price once Offerors input data in the required cells. Currently, it is only capturing the Government Provided NTEs for CLINs X008. The $TBD will be updated to reflect the award amount.

N/A

The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 541511. The business size standard for this NAICS is $34M.

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Is this solicitation set aside for small businesses?