A0001_Phase I - Questions.xlsx
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- Attached to
- ICE Medical Staffing Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 70CDCR21R00000008
- Issued by
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement
About this file
This federal solicitation seeks proposals for on-site medical staffing services to be provided at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Health Service Corps clinic sites. Prospective offerors must provide health care services including medical, dental, and mental health services to ICE residents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract. Key details include that the incumbent contractor is STG International, Inc., the period of performance is 9 years including options, proposals are due on specified dates with oral presentations and scenario responses required, and the goal is to award 5-7 IDIQ contracts along with 4 associated task orders in fiscal year 2022. Attachments include staffing plans, position descriptions, and performance metrics.
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Sheet1
| # | Document | Section | Page | Contract/Tech. | Question | Response |
| 1 | RFP | Attachment 13 | Contract | In review of the documents, it appears Attachment 13 ‘IHSC CP and PA Agreement – template’ is missing. Can you please provide the missing attachment? | Attachment 13 is now posted with A0001 on www.sam.gov. | |
| 2 | RFP | L.6 | 87 | Contract | The offeror shall go into more detail about the information submitted on their Corporate Experience Questionnaire, discussing a maximum of three (3) past contracts/orders that are most similar in size (i.e., the # of estimated FTEs performing the requirement and/or the estimated dollar value of the contract) and scope to the work of this RFP. |
| The requirement states that respondents must discuss a maximum of three past performance contracts. What is the minimum number of contracts a respondent can discuss? | There is no minimum number of corporate experience or past performance contracts. | ||||||
| 3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Contract | Who is the incumbent contractor? | STG International, Inc. | |
| 4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Contract | What is the current cost on each of the task order awards? | The current contract is a single nationwide contract. The task orders are expected to vary depending on a lot of factors, including geographic area, amount of facilities, expected patients in each facility. | |
| 5 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Contract | Are each of the current contracts fully staffed with incumbent employees? | The current staffing level is around 85% (as of 10/13/2021). | |
| 6 | RFP | L5 | Pg. 85-86 | Technical | Notational Schedule indicates that the team will be notified of the presentation the week of 11/1/2012 (estimated) How much advance notice will we have for the Oral presentation? | The Government will give at least 48 hours notice prior to the presentation. Please note, the presentation will already have been submitted on the Phase I, Volume I due date. | |
| 7 | RFP | Attach 4 | Pg. 2 | Technical | There is a request for GSA Contract #:, FSS Schedule #: Is it mandatory to have contracts under a GSA/FSS schedule or can we just indicate N/A for our projects? | If applicable include the GSA schedule and associated task order number. It is not mandatory to have a GSA schedule number, however each vendor shall include a contact number for every reference if there is one. | |
| 8 | RFP | Attach 4 | Pg. 1 | Technical | Even though we will have subcontractors on our team, may we submit all corporate experience as a Prime alone, or do you need each subcontractor corporate experience to be listed here? | If a subcontractor will be performing major or critical aspects of the requirements then the presentation shall include 1 experience (no more) of the subcontractor. | |
| 9 | PWS | 5.2.4.6, 5.2.4.6, and 5.6 | pages 5 and 8 | Staffing | For changes in staffing levels, Government fill requirements, and surge support for crisis/emergency requirements, will the Government be providing the contractor additional information through a contract modification which defines the scope of work, specific locations, and timeframe for needed services and afford the contractor the opportunity to submit pricing? | For changes in staffing levels, the Government will advise the contractor of such a change via technical direction or contract modification and in the case of reduction or discontinuation of a filled position, will provide 30 calendar days post modification signature or as per any applicable transition plan. For changes in staffing levels, the contractor is not afforded the opportunity to submit new pricing as pricing will be established for all labor categories at each site. For surge support for crisis/emergency, the PWS at 5.6 confirms the same scope of services for emergencies. The contractor shall provide the COR with labor, travel, and per diem cost information for personnel deployed in support of special event and/or surge operations for approval prior to the event. If any requests for surge requirements are outside of the scope, the Government will provide the modified scope of work, specific locations, timeframe, and the contractor will be afford opportunity to submit pricing pending Government approval and proper justification. | |
| 10 | RFP | Section L, Oral Presentation | Oral Presentation | Will oral presentations be through video teleconferencing or over the phone? | Per Section L.6 of the RFP "All oral presentations will be conducted via Microsoft Teams (due to IT and firewall limitations, ICE cannot use other elements which require installation of software onto Government computers, such as Zoom)." | ||
| 11 | RFP | Section L, Oral Presentation | Oral Presentation | Can the Government please share the software platform that will be used for the oral presentations (e.g., Teams; Zoom; etc.? | Per Section L.6 of the RFP "All oral presentations will be conducted via Microsoft Teams (due to IT and firewall limitations, ICE cannot use other elements which require installation of software onto Government computers, such as Zoom)." | ||
| 12 | PWS | 5.3, Competency Assessment, Attachment 8 | page 6 | Competency Assessment | Can the Government please provide a copy of Attachment 8, Competency Assessment by Position Description | This document is attached in the posting on www.sam.gov. | |
| 13 | PWS | 12.1, Off-Site Key Personnel | page 15 | Key Personnel | Can the Government please provide a description of duties for the key position, Lead Contract Services Administrator (third bullet on page 15, paragraph 12.1)? | This is provided in Section 12.1.2 of the PWS. The position title has been updated in the PWS. | |
| 14 | PWS | PWS 12.1 and 12.2, Off-Site Key Personnel | page 15 | Key Personnel | Can the Government confirm whether the title Lead Contract Services Administrator in paragraph 12.1 is the same as the Lead Contract Services Manager in PWS 12.1.2? | The position title has been updated in the PWS. The position is 'Lead Contract Services Manager'. | |
| 15 | PWS | 20.3 Background Investigations | page 24 | U.S. Citizenship | The PWS states U.S. Citizenship and Legal Permanent Residence are required for employment on contracts requiring access to DHA sensitive information unless an exception is granted. Can the Government confirm whether contractors will have access to DHA sensitive information and if so, can the Government please identify which positions require a U.S. Citizenship and Legal Permanent Residence without a waiver? | Contractors will have access to DHS sensitive information. All contractors require a U.S. Citizenship and legal permanent residence. There is no waiver process. | |
| 16 | N/A | Union | Union | Can the Government please let us know if there have been any union/organized labor efforts at any of the worksites or whether any of the sites have/are in negotiations with a union? | No current positions are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. As far as if there have been efforts, the Government cannot speak to this question. | ||
| 17 | PWS | Section H.12, Privacy Lead Requirements | Staffing | The language states “If the contract involves an IT system build or substantial development or changes to an IT system that may require privacy documentation, the Contractor shall assign or procure a Privacy Lead, to be listed under the PWS’s required Contractor Personnel section”. Can the Government please confirm whether a Privacy Lead is required? | The PWS does not involve an IT system build or substantial development to an IT system lead. A Privacy Lead is not required. | ||
| 18 | PWS | F.4, Place of Performance | page 7 | Place of Performance | Section F.4, Place of Performance does not list Dilley - South Texas Family Residential Center; however, it is listed in Attachment 1, Site Staffing Plan. Can the Government please confirm whether Dilley, Texas is a place of performance? | The South Texas Family Residential Center ("Dilley") is a place of performance for this requirement. Section F.4 has been updated. | |
| 19 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Medical Records | Can the Government please confirm whether medical records at each site are paper or is there an electronic system in place? | The Government has an electronic health records. However, if the system is to go down, contractors will be required to maintain paper files for a temporary time period. | |
| 20 | PWS | 5.0.1 Vaccine for Children Program | page 13 | Contract | This section inspired a related question regarding vaccination requirements for contract staff. What are the specific mandates to include the COVID-19 vaccine? | This amendment has included FAR Deviation 22-01 - Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors which addresses COVID 19 requirements. | |
| 21 | RFP | Section H.3 Limitation of Medical Staffing Levels | Page 23 | Contract | Reference: No contractor with an active task order shall subcontract more than 10% of the labor required for any other active task order under all Medical Staffing IDIQ contracts. | ||
| Question: Can the government please clarify? | The Government is unsure of what to further clarify. The statement is clear. Also, please review the responses to Pre/Post Industry Day questions on this topic. | ||||||
| 22 | RFP | Section H.14 Security Requirements for Unclassified IT Resources | Page 38 | Contract | Reference: The Contractor shall be responsible for IT security for all systems connected to a DHS network or operated by the Contractor for DHS, regardless of location. | ||
| Question: What access to DHS Systems is required? | All contractor personnel will be using DHS computers which are connected to DHS systems. All contractors will have access to the electronic health records. Other positions may require additional information to other systems as appropriate to their duties as required in their position descriptions (generally, no more than 2 or 3 systems). | ||||||
| 23 | RFP | Section L.7, Volume IV – Past Performance (FACTOR 5) | Page 92 | Contract | Will the government consider offeror submissions of current CPARs in lieu of Past Performance Questionnaires on this solicitation? | The offeror shall provide questionnaires as required in Section L.7. Additionally the Government may use CPARs in accordance with Section M.7 Factor 5. | |
| 24 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Contract | Is this a new RFP or renewal of an existing contract? | This RFP is a recompete of an existing requirement however the acquisition and program strategy are very different from the previous iteration. | |
| 25 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Contract | If there is an existing contract, could you please share the name of the Current Vendors (who are currently providing services to the IHSC)? | STG International, Inc. | |
| 26 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Contract | Could you please share the current vendors' pricing and Proposals? | No. | |
| 27 | RFP | 5) Subcontracting Plan Proposal Content | Page 94 | Technical | Is subcontracting mandatory to bid on this RFP? | If an offeror is a large business for the associated NAICs code, then per FAR 52.219-9, the contractor is required to provide a Small Business Subcontracting Plan with their proposal (see FAR 52.219-9, Sections H.2 and H.7 and L.7 bullet 5). | |
| 28 | RFP | 5) Subcontracting Plan Proposal Content | Page 94 | Technical | If we will be partnering with small business firm in order to achieve 42.5% goal. So do we still need to achieve all other goals i.e. Small Disadvantaged Business 5% , HUB Zone Small Business 3%, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business 3% and Women-Owned Small Business 5%. Please confirm. | Please refer to FAR 52.219-9. Among other things, the Offeror's subcontracting plan shall include separate goals for each socioeconomic category. The Offeror should strive to meet all goals for each required socioeconomic category as required by the clause. | |
| 29 | RFP | 5) Subcontracting Plan Proposal Content | Page 94 | Technical | Do we need to provide the Past Projects Information from Subcontractors? | Per Section L.6 of the RFP "If offerors are including any subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirements shall address a maximum of one (1) experience. This experience will count as one of the three required experiences for this factor." | |
| 30 | RFP | 5) Subcontracting Plan Proposal Content | Page 94 | Technical | What all information is required from Teaming Partners/Subcontractors? | This information is provided in Section L.7 of the RFP. | |
| 31 | RFP | M.7 EVALUATION FACTORS; Factor 1: Corporate Experience (Volume I) | Page 100 | Technical | We have experience in providing the Time & Labor contracts. So would IHSC be accepting the references for such contracts? | The Government has not specified the specific type of contract to be submitted for Corporate Experience. Please refer to Section L.6 and requirements of corporate experience contracts (i.e. most similar in size and scope to the work of this RFP). | |
| 32 | RFP | M.7 EVALUATION FACTORS; Factor 1: Corporate Experience (Volume I) | Page 100 | Technical | Is it mandatory to have past experience in servicing FFP contracts only? Please confirm. | The Government has not specified the specific type of contract to be submitted for Corporate Experience. Please refer to Section L.6 and requirements of corporate experience contracts (i.e. most similar in size and scope to the work of this RFP). | |
| 33 | PWS | 12.0 – KEY PERSONNEL | Page 15 | Key Personnel | Can one person be assigned as PM, DPM and LCSM if meeting all educational and licenses criterion? | It is at the offeror's discretion on proposing one person for the PM, DPM, and LCSM. However, this would likely be too much work for a single individual unless for a very small task order (small in both in size and scope). The offeror would need to provide justification for the combination and the Government will rate accordingly. | |
| 34 | PWS | 12.0 – KEY PERSONNEL | Page 15 | Key Personnel | Do we need to hire LCSM for each site? | The Government anticipates a single LCSM for all task order sites, however an offeror can proposal a solution they think is the best to meet the requirements in the PWS and associated task orders. | |
| 35 | PWS | 12.0 – KEY PERSONNEL | Page 15 | Key Personnel | Can one LCSM travel across all sites? | Yes, as long as the offeror supports this in their technical approach. | |
| 36 | PWS | 20.7 - SECURITY MANAGEMENT | Page 25 | Security Management | Does this Corporate Security officer need to be Onsite Or Officer can work virtually? | This position can work virtually. | |
| 37 | PWS | 5.2.4.5 | Page 5 | Travel/Site Visits | 5.2.4.5 of the PWS requires site visits for qualified candidates prior to submitting a request for an e-QIP. | ||
| a. | Will the government reimburse for travel where a candidate plans to relocate to the site to take a position? | ||||||
| b. | Will the site visit requirement apply to temporary travelers used to backfill positions until permanently filled? | a) No |
b) Yes
| 38 | PWS | 11 | Page 15 | Licensure | Will contracted medical professionals need to be licensed in the state where the care is delivered, or, similar to other federal agencies, will ICE accept any state license? | There is a current DHS legislative proposal to enact portability of licensure for contractors working under Federal medical service contracts. However, that has not been enacted as of yet. Therefore, contractors should ensure that the medical professionals are licensed appropriately by the state in which the care is delivered. |
| 39 | PWS | 5.4 | Page 7 | Credentialing | Does each location have their own set of privileges or is it standard across all locations? | Privileges are issued by IHSC HQ and is a standard process across all locations. |
| 40 | PWS | 5.4 | Page 7 | Collaborative Practice Agreements | Is this per location or is the Clinical Services Manager the Authorizing Representative and standard across all locations? Who is going to give them their agreement? | Please refer to PWS 5.3.2. Collaborate practice agreements are applicable to each contractor APP. The contractor is wholly responsible for this process. |
| 41 | RFP | Section L | Pages 87 & 91 | Experience / Past Performance | The language "shall address a maximum of one (1)" is used. Does "shall" constitute that it is a requirement to present one qualifying experience/PP of any major subcontractor? Or does "a maximum of" allow this to be optional? | If a subcontractor will be performing major or critical aspects of the requirements then the presentation shall include 1 experience (no more) of the subcontractor. |
| 42 | RFP | Section L.6 Volume IV | Page 87 | Technical | States that if offerors are including any subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of requirements, shall address a maximum of one experience. Question: Can the USG confirm how it determines major or critical aspects? | The Government would expect the offeror to define what they would consider "major or critical" aspects of performance in their approach. |
Each approach is different, however for these services, critical aspects could include staffing of important positions/categories, recruitment, onboarding, licensure management, etc.
| 43 | RFP | Section L.4 | Page 86 | Technical | Question: Can the USG confirm if any submission files are to be also submitted to Ian Somppi at the email address on the SF 33 or do all submission files only go to the email address OAQDCRSW@ice.dhs.gov? | The official submissions only go to OAQDCRSW@ice.dhs.gov. It is a shared email box by the acquisition parties involved in the evaluation. Sending only to Ian Somppi does not meet the requirements of the RFP. |
| 44 | RFP | Section J | Page 58 | Technical | Question: Can the USG please provide Attachment 13 - IHSC CP and PA Agreement? | Attachment 13 is now posted with A0001 on www.sam.gov. |
| 45 | RFP | Section L.6. 6) | Page 94 | Contract | While this question is in the Phase 2 section, it has implications upon teaming and Phase 1. Question: Can the USG confirm that copies of Teaming Arrangements are only required for any major subcontractors, and not required for all subcontractors? | Please refer to the updated PWS. Joint Venture documents outlining the structure and arrangement of the arrangement/venture is required, if applicable. |
| 46 | RFP | Attachment 01 ("Site Staffing Plan – IDIQ") | Technical | Attachment 01 includes 19 facilities around the country. Are offerors required to demonstrate the capability to fully service each of these facilities, or will a regional or site-by-site approach be acceptable to the Government? | A large regional approach would be acceptable. A site by site approach would be acceptable as well, however the Government's requirements for task orders will generally be regionalized and therefore should constitute the bulk of the demonstration/approach. | |
| 47 | RFP | Attachment 01 ("Site Staffing Plan – IDIQ") | Technical | Attachment 01 lists a variety of labor categories that vary by facility. Will task orders permit awardees to fill certain labor categories, but not all (for example, in the event an awardee is unable to staff a particular labor category)? | This was provided for offerors to have an idea (informative only) of the current staffing levels at each sites currently in operation. The task orders will have the staffing requirements per applicable locations on that task order. | |
| 48 | RFP | Attachment 01 ("Site Staffing Plan – IDIQ") | Technical | Does the RFP require offerors to commit to the availability of labor categories for particular periods of time, or will commitments be set forth in task orders? | This will be established at the task order level. | |
| 49 | RFP | Attachment 04 Corporate Experience | Contracting | If an offeror is proposing multiple teaming partners (e.g., small business subcontracting plan), does ICE want them all listed in the questionnaire? | The RFP limits the submission for teaming partners/subcontractors to subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirements. | |
| 50 | RFP | Attachment 04 Corporate Experience | Contracting | Please confirm that there is not a page limit for the Corporate Experience Questionnaire, and if there is, can it please be lifted? | There is no page limit, however this attachment is only intended as a guide/supplement to the presentation where the vendor will address the required topics outlined in Section L.6. | |
| 51 | General | Technical | We have seen different verbiage for the individuals detained: principally "detainees" but sometimes "non-citizens" or "non-residents" on occasion. Would ICE confirm that "detainees" remains the official terminology of the detained individuals. | Detainee is a term for an individual within ICE Custody. Non-Citizen/non-resident is a term relating to a citizenship status. The two are mutually exclusive. An individual could be a non-citizen and not in ICE custody and therefore not a detainee. | ||
| 52 | PWS | Section 11 | p. 15 | Technical | Several of the jurisdictions in which ICE facilities are located have outlawed running credit checks for employment. Will ICE permit contractors to find other ways to screen for financial issues that would lead to a candidate receiving an adverse security disposition? | Yes. The minimum requirement is to prescreen for credit worthiness. It is at the offeror's discretion on how they make a financial responsibility determination. |
The purpose of this requirement is to ensure the contractor is vetting their workforce before submitting their names to the Government for the background/security process. If a vendor does not do this, then the background investigation process bogs down for the entire agency and slows onboarding and recruitment impacting the mission.
It is noted in CPARs when a vendor has a higher than normal failure rate. Generally this is due to inadequate vetting of employees by the vendor and is very apparent to the Government when it occurs.
| 53 | PWS | Section 12.1 | p. 15 | Technical | May offerors propose a different configuration of offsite key personnel? Rationale: based on ICE's draft Regionalization plan presented during the industry day, the PWS's three-person model with its separation of duties as determined by ICE is not how industry necessarily would structure its KMP. | Offeror's may propose a different configuration of offsite key personnel. The offeror would need to provide justification and the Government will rate accordingly. |
| 54 | PWS | Section 20.7 | p. 25 | Technical | On average, how long after a candidate's e-QIP packet is submitted to PSU will an investigation take to return a prelum determination (assuming it's favorable)? | There is no real answer to this. |
This is HIGHLY dependent on the vendor and the candidate being submitted. It is dependent on the quality of pre-employment screening, the completeness of the package, and the background of the individual. For example if an individual has moved and had many jobs and addresses within the vetting period that greatly impacts the speed of the submission.
| 55 | PWS | Section 5.2.4.5 | p.5 | Contracting | Site visits by qualified candidates are a prerequisite to submitting a request for e-QIP initiation. What is the rationale for this requirement, and will this be required due to the current COVID-19 conditions? Can the cognizant COR waive this requirement in special cases where the contractor is relocating the individual from a different region of the country? Our concern is the avoidance of unnecessary delay in processing these candidates, especially in difficult-to-staff regions. | The rationale is to ensure the candidate sees and experiences the environment before they begin the onboarding process. This prevents individuals from dropping out after a short period of employment after the expense of resources in the onboarding process. An on-site visit is required for all candidates. If someone is relocating from a completely different region, a site visit can be set up for a facility that is close. On a case-by-case basis, a phone/video call can be set up. |
| 56 | PWS | Section 5.6 | p.8 | Technical | If there is an unanticipated surge need that requires immediate mobilization, does ICE have the discretion to allow contractor personnel to EOD while PSU investigation is still pending? | No. |
| 57 | PWS | Section 5.6 | p.8 | Contracting | Costs for staffing surge personnel are *very* different from long-term contract staff when new, locum tenens clinicians are required. Will ICE be able to accommodate the price of these services separately from the CLINs it will establish for contract staffing? | All surge requirements will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If warranted, surge and travel CLINs will be utilized at the task order level. |
| 58 | PWS | Section 8.0 9.1 | p.11 & p.13 | Technical | Will the contractor be able to download/export timeclock entries for its personnel? | No. The Government does not have timecards in electronic format to download. Contract staff are required to complete monthly e-timesheets in addition to their paper timecards. The CSM will have access to the e-timesheets. |
| 59 | PWS | Section 9.1 & 9.2 | p. 13 | Technical | How are these deliverables different from each other? | Hours worked list is a contractor generated report indicating the people they intend to invoice the Government for the previous month. The preliminary hours worked verification report is a Government generated report with authorized and verified hours for each employee. |
| 60 | RFP | Section F.4 | p. 11 | Technical | Please confirm that York will not be serviced by the resultant contract and Tos. | Confirmed. |
| 61 | RFP | Section FAR 52 52.237 | p.52 | Technical | $5M/$10M professional liability insurance limits are far outside the norm for policy limits in detention settings and requires a very significant premium increase, which contractors will pass on to the government. If ICE believes that it, indeed, wants to the contractor to carry $5M/$10M coverage, consider putting that in the task order instead of the basic contract so that other DHS components who order off this vehicle (see B.6) may set their orders with the more common and less costly $1M/$3M limits. | Please refer to updated clause in RFP. The minimum coverage has been updated to $1 million per incident and $3 million per aggregate. |
| 62 | RFP | Section H.3 | p. 23 | Contracting | There appears to be a limitation on subcontracting such that the prime contractor is prohibited from subcontracting more than 10% of the labor on a task order. If this is targeted at avoiding a single point of failure, please clarify that by limiting such subcontracting *to* a subcontractor who would exceed the 66% ceiling by receipt of such a task order. If this restriction is not related to a single point of failure, please remove it because it severely restricts industry's ability to form teaming arrangements. | The purpose of this limitation is to prevent a previous prime vendor from maintaining control/oversight of the workforce at a facility which they are now a subcontractor. (i.e. they lose the contract but then continue to maintain the workforce under the new contractor). Thus creating a situation where vendors circumvent the limitations intended to reduce the reliance on a single contractor. |
| 63 | RFP | Section L.6 | p. 87 | Contracting | If performing as a joint venture, will the venturers' experience be treated as the prime offeror's experience, or does ICE consider only projects performed by the joint venture itself to constitute prime offeror's experience? | The Government will consider past performance of each partner to a joint venture as well as any work done by the joint venture itself previously. |
| 64 | RFP | Section L.6 | p. 87 | Contracting | Presentation header states "due on submission deadline". Can the government please clarify what the presentation deliverable is that is due at the Phase I deadline (prior to the oral presentation)? | Please see updated RFP. Phase I submission requirements include: the Corporate Experience Questionnaire, the Presentation (whether a PowerPoint or whatever MSFT Teams compatible format chosen), and Volume II Capability proposal. |
This ensures fairness of a single deadline for all vendor presentations despite the constraint of presentations being held on different days.
| 65 | RFP | Section L.7 | p. 94 | Contracting | Please confirm that the subcontracting goals for other than small businesses are the goals for dollars that are subcontracted (and not requirements to subcontract). | Per FAR 52.219-9, the offeror's subcontracting plan shall include separate goals, expressed in terms of total dollar subcontractors, and as a percentage of total planned subcontracting dollars. |
| 66 | RFP | Section L.7 | P. 94 | Contracting | Teaming agreements are not being evaluated, per Section M. As these agreements tend to be highly confidential internal documents and are not being evaluated, please consider removing this requirement and replacing instead with a consent letter to discuss sub past performance with the prime. | Please see updated RFP. Documents are required for joint venturer's only. The Government needs this information to ensure the proposed JV arrangement is in place and is accurately reflected in the proposals |
| 67 | RFP | SF 1449 | p.2 | Contracting | The PoP is listed as running for eight years instead of five. Is this correct? We understood FAR 17.204(e) to authorize five years. | ICE has authority to enter into contracts exceeding 5 years. See HSAR 3017.204-90 |
Also note that the PoP is for a total of nine years (including options), not eight
| 68 | QASP | Overall Staffing/Methods of Surveillance | Contract | The Government indicated Staffing Threshold Levels to be 100% for field site positions. Information on the current contract indicates a much lower threshold level and due to the recent pandemic and shortage in healthcare professionals. | |
| Question: Would the Government consider an incentive system as opposed to a deduction structure to allow contractors to be innovative on meeting the requirements (e.g. an incentive structure that would apply as an increasing scale for fill rates at all locations above 80%, 85%, 90% and 95% )? Alternatively, would there be a way for the Government to allow contractors to mitigate through reasonable application of cure periods prior to imposing the deductions? | The Government evaluated the use of an incentive system prior to release of the solicitation and found it impractical and administratively difficult. Additionally, the Government's requirement is 100% so it would be incentivizing the contractor for achieving less than the requirement. Finally, with the contract type as Labor Hour, the contractor is naturally incentivized to increase staffing levels as the higher the staff the more profit the contractor is getting from each hour worked. |
The deduction system has been an effective tool to affect change in contractor behavior to meet the requirements. In the past there was no enforcement mechanism for the contractor to not meet the contractual requirements. This ensures the contractor is properly incentivized to perform the services required and the contractor stated they would meet.
| 69 | RFP | Section H | Page 23 | Contract | This section states "No contractor with an active task order shall subcontract more than 10% of the labor required for any other active task order under all Medical Staffing IDIQ contracts." Can the Government please clarify this statement? Is it intended to mean that the contractor itself shall not perform as a subcontractor to another prime contractor in an amount of more than 10% of the labor required for any other active task order under all Medical Staffing IDIQ contracts? | Yes. See response to question #62. |
| 70 | PWS | Attachment 01 - Performance Work Statement | Contract | What type of detainee allegation could result in a contract staff member being placed on administrative leave, (e.g., PREA, SAAPI, physical abuse, racism)? | Please refer to the codes of conduct in the PWS. This is also highly dependent on the contractor but generally, anything that jeopardizes the patient safety and the provision of health care. | |
| 71 | PWS | Attachment 01 - Performance Work Statement | Contract | Does the Government anticipate that investigations of detainee allegations will be handled in a timely manner? | Yes, the Government anticipates they will be handled in a timely manner. Timelines will vary based on circumstances. | |
| 72 | PWS | Attachment 01 - Performance Work Statement | Contract | What type of allegation could result in a contract staff member receiving a “no contact order” by ICE, (e.g., verbal abuse, failure to provide desired services)? | The Government is unable to provide a specific list of potential allegations but generally, any type of inappropriate conduct. | |
| 73 | PWS | Attachment 01 - Performance Work Statement | Contract | Does a “no contact order” by ICE for an individual detainee, necessarily lead to a contract staff member being placed on administrative leave? | No. | |
| 74 | QASP | Site Staffing/Method of Surveillance | Contract | Regarding the "Overall Staffing " method of surveillance. Question: Will the surveillance be taken at the beginning or end of the month, or will it be an average of the filled positions during the whole month? | All QASP metrics will be measured using the Attachment 11 – Site Status Report (SSR) which includes the last day of the measuring period within the SSR’s week period | |
| 75 | QASP | Site Staffing/Method of Surveillance | Contract | Regarding the "Site Staffing " method of surveillance. Question: Will the surveillance be taken for any given day in the month when the metric is not met, therefore impacting the whole month, or will it be the combination of all the days of the month and then averaged? | All QASP metrics will be measured using the Attachment 11 – Site Status Report (SSR) which includes the last day of the measuring period within the SSR’s week period | |
| 76 | QASP | Site Staffing/Method of Surveillance | Contract | Regarding the "Site Staffing " method of surveillance. Question: Will the surveillance be taken per site per labor category or will it be a combination of all labor categories across all sites (i.e., all large site RNs)? | The measurement of the QASP metric referenced will be taken per site and measured against the Threshold/AQL associated with the size. Examination of Attachment 11 QASP Summary should clarify how it is measured. | |
| 77 | RFP | Section F.3 | Contract | F.3 TASK ORDER PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Question: Will the Government be including one or multiple Task Order(s) in Phase II? | The goal is to have multiple TO's out in Phase II as soon as possible, however they will not be released until Phase II. |
The Phase II evaluation of the IDIQ is entirely independent of the TO evaluations.
| 78 | RFP | Section F.3 | Contract | F.3 TASK ORDER PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE states that Task Orders may be issued during base and option period. Question: Is it still the intent of the Government to issue four (4) Tasks Orders in the groupings as shown at Industry Day? | At this time yes, however everything is subject to change. The final task order solicitations will reflect the Government's requirements and may be different than today. |
| 79 | RFP | Phase II | Contract | Question: In general, will the Government be providing a Task Order or just additional documentation and instructions regarding Phase II if you receive an Advisory Down Select Notification? | See response to Question #77 |
It is unlikely that the TO RFPs will be released at the exact same time as the Advisory Down Select Notifications.
| 80 | Industry Day Q&A | Contract | In the announcement regarding this solicitation, the Government references the previous number ICE-DCR-2021-02 - ICE Medical Staffing Industry Day. Question: Are the Q&A from ICE-DCR-2021-02 - ICE Medical Staffing Industry Day applicable to this solicitation? | In general, yes. Some questions in the Industry Day responses may be overcome by events (OBE) from changes made in the final RFP as released under this solicitation. This solicitation and responses take precedence over what was provided in the Industry Day. | |||
| 81 | RFP | L.6 /Orals Team/Scenario | Contract | The Orals Team is comprised of five (5) members. Since the scenario is unknown, it might require a skill set that is not part of the team but would naturally be called in to assist. Question: Will the team have the ability to reach out to a corporate resource to assist if needed during the " Offeror prepares response to scenario" time? | The offeror may reach out to corporate resources for assistance during the "Offeror prepares response to a scenario time". | ||
| 82 | RFP | L.6 /Orals Team/Scenario | Contract | Can we change out Oral Presentation participants between the initial presentation and the Scenario response? | No. The same participants shall be used for the initial presentation and the scenario response. | ||
| 83 | RFP | L.6 /Orals Team/Scenario | Contract | Will the Oral Presentation slide deck be evaluated? | Please refer to the updated RFP. Only the oral presentation will be evaluated. The slides will be used as information only and will not be evaluated by the Government. | ||
| 84 | RFP | L.5/ Advisory Down Select Notification | Contract | Question: What is the anticipated number of contractors to receive a Down Select Notification? | Without knowing the number of proposals this is hard to determine, however the Government is aiming for 5-7 IDIQ awardees. | ||
| 85 | RFP | Section F.4 and Attachment 05 - IHSC Locations – IDIQ, | F.4, p. 9-10; RFP Attachment 05 - IHSC Locations page 1, row 6 | Contract | Section F.4 does not list an IHSC location in Dilley, TX; however, Attachment 5 lists “Dilley - South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley TX 78017” as an IHSC location. Please confirm that the Dilley, TX location is within scope of the contract. | The South Texas Family Residential Center ("Dilley") is a place of performance for this requirement. Section F.4 has been updated. | |
| 86 | RFP | Section F.6 and H.14 | page 12-13; page 41 | Contract | H.14 indicates that the Contractor must submit an IT Security Plan within 60 days after contract award; however, no IT Security Plan appears in the F.6 Deliverables table. Please add the deliverable to the table in Section F.6. | Please refer to the updated RFP. | |
| 87 | PWS | Section | page 3 | Contract | In 5.2 Task 2: Continuity of Medical Staffing Support, the Government references "Task Order Attachment 01." Question: Will the Government please provide the referenced document. | This will be provided with the task order solicitation. This document is not applicable to the IDIQ proposal. For informational purposes the Government provided RFP Only Attachment 01 to give a general idea of what would be in that document. | |
| 88 | PWS | Section | page 3 | Contract | In 5.2 Task 2: Continuity of Medical Staffing Support, the Government references "Task Order - Attachment 02." Question: Will the Government please provide the referenced document. | This will be provided with the task order solicitation. This document is not applicable to the IDIQ proposal. For informational purposes the Government provided RFP Only Attachment 01 to give a general idea of what would be in that document. | |
| 89 | PWS | Section | page 3 | Technical | In 5.2 Task 2: Continuity of Medical Staffing Support, the Government references "Task Order Attachment 01". Question: Will the Government please provide the referenced document. | This will be provided with the task order solicitation. This document is not applicable to the IDIQ proposal. For informational purposes the Government provided RFP Only Attachment 01 to give a general idea of what would be in that document. | |
| 90 | PWS | Section | page 3 | Technical | In 5.2 Task 2: Continuity of Medical Staffing Support, the Government references "Task Order - Attachment 02" Shift Requirements Document. Question: Will the Government please provide the referenced document. | This will be provided with the task order solicitation. This document is not applicable to the IDIQ proposal. For informational purposes the Government provided RFP Only Attachment 01 to give a general idea of what would be in that document. | |
| 91 | RFP | Section L.6 | page 88, table and bullet 2 under table | Contract | The table on page 88 indicates that Scenario presentations are 15 minutes. Two bullets below the table, it states that the Government will stop the response at the 15-minute mark. However, the same bullet also indicates that the response "shall not exceed 10 minutes." Please clarify if the Response to Scenario is a maximum of 10 or 15 minutes. | Please refer to the updated RFP. Maximum of 10 minutes. | |
| 92 | Section L.6 | page 88 | Contract | The tables list "Introductions" with a time of N/A. Please clarify if the presenting team will be given time during this period to introduce themselves. | Yes and it will not count against a time limit, but should be limited to no more than names, titles, and prospective titles (if applicable). | ||
| 93 | Industry Q&A | Section M.7 | page 100 | Contract | The Industry Day Q&A indicated in several questions that the "Government will not evaluate the slides, but the presentation. The slides will be used as a guide/reference." This is not indicated in the final RFP. Please clarify if the slides themselves will be evaluated. | Please refer to the updated RFP. | |
| 94 | H.3 page 22 | Contract | Can a company bid a specific type of staffing? Or are you looking for companies that provide all of the types of staffing? | The IDIQ's evaluation is looking at meeting all PWS requirements. Generally the Government wants to avoid having multiple contractors at a single location to maintain clear lines of responsibly. While it is impossible to say this will not happen, it remains highly avoidable. | |||
| 95 | Section 11 | General | Contract | Who is the incumbent currently on this contract? | STG International, Inc. | ||
| 96 | Section 11 | General | Technical | What kind of documentation or EMR (Electronic Medical Record) is the medical staff going to be utilizing at these sites? | The EMR currently in use is eClinicalWorks. | ||
| 97 | Section 11 | General | Technical | I didn't see any interpreters on the staffing list. What does that look like per site/clinic? | Interpretation services are provided via a telephonic interpretation service provided by the Government. However, it is highly encouraged for offerors to recruit and use staff that are multi-lingual, especially Spanish speakers. | ||
| 98 | RFP | L.6 Proposal Instructions - Phase I (Volumes I and II) | Technical | The presentation instructions state "If offerors are including any subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirements shall address a maximum of one (1) experience. This experience will count as one of the three required experiences for this factor". | |||
| If the contractor is using a subcontractor but they will not be performing major or critical aspects of the contract, do we still need to provide one of their past performance profiles? | That is at the discretion of the contractor and their definition of major. The purpose of the presentation is to demonstrate the prime offeror and any major subcontractors have the experience at providing the required services. | ||||||
| 99 | RFP | L.6 Proposal Instructions - Phase I (Volumes I and II), Process | Technical | The presentation process instructions state "All oral presentations will be conducted via Microsoft Teams (due to IT and firewall limitations, ICE cannot use other elements which require installation of software onto Government computers, such as Zoom). A link to the Microsoft Teams meeting will be provided by the Government with the presentation invite scheduled". | |||
| Will the presenters of the oral presentation have an opportunity to introduce themselves prior to their delivery, or is the presentation purely screen sharing of our Oral Presentation? Also, does the Government intend for presenters to present on video or on audio only? | Yes, introductions are permissible. See Question #92 |
The Government will likely not be using video, beyond the CO coordinating and introducing themselves; however, the presentation should be shared on screen to facilitate following along with the presentation. It is at the offeror's discretion if they present on video, audio, or both.
| 100 | PWS | Section 5.2.4.7 - Addition or Removal of Facilities | pg. 6 | C & T | How does ICE intend on handling the recent Ban on For-Profit Detention Centers? Tacoma WA has been slated to close, is this true or will ICE lease the facility from the current owner GEO or will this facility be closing? | This is not a relevant question to the requirement. |
| 101 | PWS | Section 5.2.4.7 - Addition or Removal of Facilities | pg. 6 | C & T | Reference to Q.1, Will the privately held detention centers have any impact; positive or negative on the performance of the contract personnel for newly awarded contractors? | This question is unclear, and is not relevant to the requirement. |
| 102 | Attachment #4 | Position Descriptions, Contract Services Manager | page 26 | Will each site CSM be completing Attachment #11 to include the majority of the reporting, staffing and backfilling? If so, can you please confirm if the CSM is the onsite responsible for all reporting, with the exception of invoicing? | One Attachment 11 is completed for each task order. The method (who, how, when) of completing Attachment 11 is at the discretion of the offeror. The Government only requires it is completed accurately on time. | |
| 103 | Attachment #4 | Position Descriptions, Contract Services Manager | page 26 | Contract | Since this is a Key Personnel position, can you confirm if there are currently incumbents secured in this position at all facilities? | The Government cannot provide this information as we cannot predict what individual staff may choose to do six months from now. |
| 104 | Attachment #4 | Position Descriptions, Contract Services Manager | page 26 | Contract | If an extended leave is requested from the CSM, will ICE approve the position being backfilled with a qualified RN III during an unexpected leave? | The RN III labor category does not exist, however a qualified person from the site can backfill as long as there is a plan to ensure adequate coverage as approved by the COR and GTM. |
| 105 | RFP ONLY Attachment #1 | Contract | Can we only bid on 3 locations? | A vendor can bid on any, or all, task orders (not individual sites within an order). Awards are limited by constraints outlined in Section H.3. | ||
| 106 | RFP | Section L.7 | 88 | Contract | It states for the oral presentation that 5 people must present, however it also states a minimum of 3. If we are proposing to be the Prime with NO subcontractors how many people must be present for the oral presentation? | The RFP states at L.7. that the participation is limited to 5. It does not require 5 people must be present. If at least three people are present, they must be current employees of the prime contractor. |
| 107 | RFP | i3 Call Center | page 33 | Contract | My assumption is we would only be required to maintain a call center for the required period of time ONLY if there were a security breach of information. Is my assumption correct? | The clause states "In the event that a sensitive information incident involves PII or SPII, the Contractor may be directed to, as directed by the Contracting Officer,...establish a dedicated call center." Under this clause, the contractor is not required to establish a call center if there is not a sensitive information incident that involves PII or SPII. |
| 108 | RFP | Volume V, 4. Contingency Pricing | page 93 | Contract | Can you kindly provide the locations where Collective Bargaining Agreements are currently in place? | No current positions are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. |
| 109 | RFP | Volume V, 4. Contingency Pricing | page 94 | Contract | If there are Collection Bargaining Agreements in place, will copies of the CBA's be provided to the proposer prior to Phase II? | No current positions are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. |
| 110 | RFP | H.10, E 1) (ii) Independent Assessment | page 29 | T | Does ICE intend to implement CMMC (Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model) in addition to NIST requirements? | The security requirements for this program/contract are within the document. Anything outside that is outside the scope of this IDIQ. |
| 111 | RFP | H.10, E 1) (ii) Independent Assessment | page 30 | T | If yes to question 11, can you please provide the timeline and CMMC level required? | See above. |
| 112 | Attachment #3 | Contract | The Federal Wage Determination provides the minimum required hourly rate and fringe. With the shortage of HCP's (health care professionals), is ICE expecting to award to the lowest bidders or will the supply and demand of HCP's be considered when reviewing proposed pricing? | The award decision will be best value and the Government will make the assessment through the tradeoff analysis of perceived benefits and probability of successful contract performance. The purpose of this IDIQ is to establish ceiling labor rates for the awardees who receive an IDIQ award. Specific pricing will be established at the task order level and the associated solicitation will have the evaluation criteria therein. | ||
| 113 | Attachment #3 | Contract | If facilities do not currently list all of the labor categories, is it the preference of ICE to provide pricing for all labor categories to ensure pricing is documented for any future positions/vacancies? | Yes, offerors are to price all positions for all categories at the IDIQ level | ||
| 114 | RFP | B.1 Purpose | Page 3 | Contract | Will task orders be issued by location or clinic? | Generally, they will be issued regionally. There is a potential a single facility may have its own task order. That will be determined on a case by case basis, solely by the Government. |
| 115 | RFP | Contract | There appears to be multiple awardees for this hybrid firm fixed price/labor hour IDIQ. Therefore, will each task order have to be bid on? If no bidding, then can the awardee of a task order pass on the award without impact to future performance? | There is expected to be four task orders awarded in CY22. Not bidding will not have a negative impact on performance, however after 5 years if a vendor does not participate the Government may not exercise the option period to reduce the administrative burden on the agency. | ||
| 116 | RFP | H.7 Designated Backup | Page 24 | Contract | How does the Government intended to determine who is the contractor back up? | This will be made at time of award for the respective task order. |
| 117 | RFP | Contingency Pricing Page 93 | Contract | What locations and positions are currently covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement | No current positions are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. | |
| 118 | RFP | H.6 Deductions | Page 23 | Contract | Financial deductions are based QASP. How are deductions being calculated? What formula is being used? Will there be any consideration if the delay in staffing is a direct result of ICE security or credentialing delays? | All of this information is provided in the QASP, H.6 and Attachment 11. The calculations/formulas are already in Attachment 11 for the Government's use. |
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