Attach_12_-_Gov._Responses_to_Questions.pdf

RFQ# 70FA2019Q00000005 Amend 00003 Attachment 11

Questions Template – NETC Library Support Services

Government Responses in red.

Solicitation Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

1 n/a n/a n/a

Does a current contract exist for this work? Yes. If so, who is the incumbent and the total contract award? The current contract was originally awarded to Calique Management Solutions, Inc. at a value of $2,148,023.40. The DHS APFS record for the recompete of this requirement is F2018040660.

2 n/a n/a n/a

Will the Government confirm whether the size standard for this requirement will be calculated using the 3-year method or the 5-year method in accordance with the December 17, 2018 Small Business Extension Act of 2018? Size standard will be calculated using the 3-year method based on SBA’s guidance that the 5-year calculation period will not become effective until its regulations are revised.

Attachment 1

– RFQ-Clauses-

Provisions- Addenda

C.2.5 FEMA

Clauses, Wage Determination

When referencing, “The Service Contract Labor Standards”, is the Government referring to the Service Contract Act (SCA)? Yes…formerly Service Contract Act of 1965…reference FAR 22.1000.

Attachment 1

– RFQ-Clauses-

Provisions- Addenda

C.2.5 FEMA

Clauses/ 2nd and 3rd paragraphs

This section states that the contractor must comply with the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) that “require specified sick and vacation leave obligations among other requirements”. Can you please provide instructions or information regarding the incumbent staff’s years of service so that bidders can be sure to include enough funding for adequate leave amounts to ensure compliance with SCLS’ requirements in our pricing for any incumbent staff? The Seniority List will be provided at the required time to the prospective awardee, but for pricing response purposes this is not deemed necessary.

Solicitation Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 1

– RFQ-Clauses-

Provisions- Addenda

E. 2.4 Offer Prep & Submission

Instruct, Vol. II – Bus. & Pricing

Response Limitations & Instructions, Questions Submission & Offer

Submission

Questions related to the proposal are due by 8 AM on Thursday December 27th.

The proposal is due by 10 AM Monday January 7th. With the relatively quick turnaround time on questions, i.e. less than seven (7) business days from the due date for questions), will the Government consider revising the proposal due date?

Additionally, will the Government consider a delay in the proposal due date because of the government shutdown? These questions are no longer applicable.

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.1 Library

Operations/1st paragraph

Please clarify whether bidders must bid a minimum of 245 total staff hours per week for each week in which the Library is open. Would bidding less than 245 staff hours per week be considered unresponsive? Reference 1st sentence of Section

2.1. of the PWS and please note the minimum number of hours on average per week has changed.

Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.1 Library

Operations / 1st paragraph

2.2 Regular Hours

Based on the average hours per week listed and the hours of operation in Section

2.2 (Reg Hours), it appears both Full Time and Part Time personnel will be required. Is this assumption correct?

Based on the hours of operation it appears that the staffing would heavily consist of part time employees. Is this true? Can you provide the Level of Effort breakdown for this contract?

It is the Offeror’s responsibility to propose a viable approach for successful performance of the work. The PWS in the beginning of Section 2.1. sets a “floor” for staffing of “no less than two hundred and forty-two (242) total hours on average per week in which the Library is open, excluding additional hours per week to account for the EMI Research Papers task.” “On average” means a typical week where all Contractor staff are present to provide support e.g. no one is on vacation leave, sick leave, etc. In weeks where the Contractor provides leave to its employees required in accordance with SCLS, the Government’s expectation is not that these leave hours absolutely need to be “made up” by other employees to meet the minimum hours per week requirement. However and at the same time, it is the Contractor’s responsibility for situations like this to be taken into consideration concerning the required effective management of this requirement so that all PWS requirements are met and tasks sufficiently performed.

Additionally, the PWS sets minimum staffing requirements for certain positions in sections 2.2.1 and 2.3.1.

Finally and per the U.S. DoL, "The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full-time employment or part-time employment. This is a matter generally to be determined by the employer. Whether an employee is considered full-time or part-time does not change the application of the FLSA, nor does it affect application of Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) [formerly the Service Contract Act of 1965]...”

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/full-time https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/full-time https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/full-time https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/full-time https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/full-time https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/full-time

Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.1 Library

Operations

What if weekend work hours are more than 24 weekends, per year? How should offerors price? Is there a cost adjustment? No cost adjustment will be made nor considered necessary as having weekend hours means the minimum hours are spread out over seven (7) days as opposed to five (5) days. Offerors must propose a firm fixed price in accordance with the PWS and solicitation, and responses will be evaluated as submitted and in accordance with the solicitation.

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.1 Library

Operations

Can the Government provide an example number of NFA State Weekends? An estimate from the most recent year would be helpful in planning weekend staffing requirements. Historically over the past decade, the Library has been open 20 – 24 weekends per year whether it is for a NFA State Weekend and/or for a holdover 10-day class.

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.1 Library

Operations/4th paragraph

In order to provide responsive pricing, can the Government provide estimates or additional guidance regarding holiday Library closures, or estimates regarding how many weeks, in addition to 4th of July week, the Library is expected to be closed each Option Period? The Government’s opinion is that this is adequately explained in this section of the PWS.

Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.1 Library

Operations

We understand that the library has two separate work week schedules, one that is 7 days and one that is less than 7 days.

For the work week that are 7 days:

A. Can you clarify how many hours the library is open? As specified in

Sections 2.1 – through 2.3.

B. How many hours are required by the contractor to complete the tasks in the PWS? Offerors must propose staff mix, level of effort, and schedule based on the PWS and solicitation.

For the work week that is less than 7 days:

A. Can you clarify how many hours the library is open? As specified in

Sections 2.1 – through 2.3.

B. How many hours are required by the contractor to complete the tasks in the PWS? Offerors must propose staff mix, level of effort, and schedule based on the PWS and solicitation.

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.1 Library

Operations

How many of the current contracted employees have a Master of Library Science (MLS) or Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree? This is inappropriate for the Government to respond as Personnel Minimum Qualifications may or may not change from an existing requirement to its recompete, and prospective Offerors are responsible for having the necessary technical skills or ability to obtain them in order to successfully perform the services the Government requires.

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.1 Library

Operations

Contractor staffing shall be no less than two hundred and forty-five (245) total hours on average per week in which the Library is open. Does the EFO new curriculum increases the Level of Effort over the current contract? This minimum hours requirement from Section 2.1 has been changed, but the impact of the EFO new curriculum to Library support is reflected by the minimum staffing changes outlined in Section 2.3.1.

Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.1 Library

Operations

What are the library staffing needs on weekends and after hours? Minimum staffing requirements are addressed in Sections 2.2.1 and 2.3.1. of the PWS. What type of librarian support is needed? More reference? More cataloging support?

The type of Librarian support needed is that required to meet the scope of this requirement as outlined in Section 2 of the PWS and in accordance with the other requirements outlined throughout the PWS.

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.2.1 Minimum

Staffing

Requirements

Are there any minimum staffing requirements for the Monday – Friday regular hours of operation? Section 2.2.1. outlines the minimum staffing requirements for the regular hours of operation stated in Section 2.2. of the PWS.

Attachment 2

– PWS

4-5

Sections 2.2 and 2.3

Regular Hours and Adjusted Hours for Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program. Is the new EFO new curriculum hours in addition to the Regular 245 Hours per week? Or will the EFO require more hours beyond the Regular hours? Section 2.1 is applicable to the duration of the requirement. Section 2.2. Regular Hours would be applicable up until new curriculum for the EFO Program is implemented (currently planned for 2020). Accordingly, Section 2.3. Adjusted Hours for EFO Program Weeks would be applicable when the new curriculum for the EFO Program is implemented.

Attachment 2

– PWS

4-5

2.3 Adjusted Hours

for Executive Fire

Officer (EFO) Program Weeks

The table shows adjusted library business hours of 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. The minimum staffing hours during this adjusted schedule show staff must be there from 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM, Monday through Thursday.

Can the Government confirm that staff is also expected to be in the library from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, presumably before EFO students have library access? Section

2.3 outlines the Library’s hours of operation, and Section 2.3.1 outlines the minimum staffing for certain hours within the Library’s hours of operation.

Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 2

– PWS

4-5

2.3 Adjusted Hours

for Executive Fire

Officer (EFO) Program Weeks

In order to be compliant and to ensure adequate staffing, can the Government please specify when bidders should assume the adjusted hours for the EFO Program would start? Should bidders assume the EFO Program begins October 1, 2019, and continues throughout the term of the contract? This question reflects a misunderstanding of the requirement. The total minimum support hours don’t change, they would just require adjustments to the shifts on the Contractor’s staffing schedule. Regardless of when the new EFO Program curriculum starts in FY2020 or if it starts sooner or later than currently planned, the PWS is structured to make this a cost neutral impact.

Attachment 2

– PWS

2.3 Adjusted Hours

for Executive Fire

Officer (EFO) Program Weeks

Can the Government provide any insight into the new Executive Fire Officer training being implemented in FY2020? What are the changes in course requirements that may affect library services? Besides the new staffing schedule, are there other changes in curriculum that the library contractor staff should be aware of and prepared for? The new EFO curriculum will involve a more robust research component and grading rubric that are presumed to result in an increase on Library resources. This impact to the Library is accounted for in the PWS via the difference in Minimum Staffing Requirements as respectively outlined in Sections

2.2.1 and 2.2.2.

Attachment 2

– PWS

4-5

2.3 Adjusted Hours

for Executive Fire

Officer (EFO) Program Weeks

How many EFO classes are scheduled monthly and what is the duration and hours of each class? Generally, these classes are approximately 8:00 AM – 4:30 or 5:00 PM. The current EFO curriculum consists of ten (10) day classes, and the new curriculum is currently planned to be a combination of six (6) and ten (10) day classes. The frequency i.e. how many classes are scheduled monthly will change once the new curriculum is implemented, and there will be some overlap from “grandfathered-in” students through 2023, but the lack of these specifics and anticipated impact concerning their relationship to a Library Contractor staffing standpoint are already accounted for in the PWS via the different Minimum Staffing Requirements respectively outlined in Sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.2.

Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 2

– PWS

6.3 Minimum

Personnel

Requirements

Since the Government included minimum qualifications and requirements for only 3 labor categories (Project Manager, Librarian, and Library Technician), should bidders assume that these are the only 3 labor categories that can be used on this contract? May bidders propose other labor categories if we believe they are appropriate? Would proposals that include additional labor categories be considered unresponsive by the Government? This is all Offeror discretion based on how their understanding of the requirement translates to a proposed technically acceptable plan and overall compliant response at the lowest price to the Government.

Attachment 2

– PWS

6.3 Personnel

Minimum

Qualifications

Does the Government want the Offeror to offer “right of first refusal” for the current incumbent staff? As this contract is subject to SCLS / FAR Subpart 22.10, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts / FAR Subpart

22.12 applies.

Should Offeror include a transition plan for incumbent staff in their proposal?

Offerors may include within the page limitations of their response to the Work Plan evaluation factor if desired.

Attachment 2

– PWS

7 Section 6.3.2

Will the government confirm the “Librarian” labor category provided in the PWS is to be mapped to the WD for 13047 – Librarian? Yes…confirmed.

Attachment 2

– PWS

6.0 Contractor

Personnel

How many FTE’s are on the current contract and is the current incumbent PM working Fulltime? The Government is not permitted to share the exact staffing levels of incumbent Contractors. Concerning whether or not the incumbent PM is full time, reference latter part of Government response to Question 7. Can the Government also provide the work schedule currently being performed? No, this is not considered permissible information to share.

Attachment 2

– PWS

6.0 Contractor

Personnel

How does the current incumbent staff the Library today with a full work week that requires no weekend support and with weekend support? This is proprietary to the incumbent Contractor.

Attachment 2

– PWS

6.3 Personnel Min

Quals, 6.3.1 Project

Manager (PM)

Can the Government confirm that the term “Project Officer” is the same as “Project Manager” in the second bullet point? Yes. PWS updated.

Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 2

– PWS

7.1 Project

Administration

Is the Project Officer the same as the Project Manager? Yes. PWS updated.

Attachment 2

– PWS

7.3 Market /

Promote & Provide

Orientations on behalf of Library

Will the Government accept an appendix of additional, example products from similar type work? Example marketing materials for library promotion, example documents for teaching research techniques. Offerors shall submit the documents/information as specified in the PWS/solicitation.

Attachment 2

– PWS

7.7 Reference /

Public Services

The text states, “The Contractor shall provide scanned photocopies of up to three

(3) articles per EFO student per year.” Can the Government confirm that these articles are based on EFO student requests? Yes, based on student requests. If these articles are not based on student requests, can the Government please clarify the sources and scope and topic for providing three articles per EFO student? N/A.

Attachment 2

– PWS

12 Section 7.11.2

Could the Government define the difference between “routinely” and “periodically”? Also, how many of each type of session is the Contractor required to support each month? Bullet point one i.e. the “routinely” reference in this PWS section means currently an hour with these students in their classroom / computer lab. Bullet point two i.e. the “periodically” reference in this PWS section means often invited but not set firm like with the NFA Education Development course referenced in bullet point one. Reference slight PWS update to this section.

Attachment 2

– PWS

13 7.12.1 Initial Intake

Regarding the initial intake of the EMI Papers, will the Government provide details on the accessioning process? I.e. the standards used by the NETC library? The Library maintains an accessions list whereby the title, publisher, and source of acquisition for each item added to the Library’s collection is recorded. An accession number to each new item is assigned from the accessions list and that number is also recorded on the inside back cover of each item.

Additionally, is the Library contractor staff expected to complete the spiral binding process of the materials, as part of their duties on this process? This is answered in 7.12.1.

Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 2

– PWS

9. Security, FEMA Standard Security

Language, BIs, Background Investigation

Process

Does the Government have an estimated turnaround time for completion of background investigations? It is helpful for the Offeror to have an understanding of potential turnaround times in order to plan staffing and scheduling, including initial on-boarding of new contractor staff. No, but Government expectation is that this impact would be minimal to non-existent given this requirement being subject to SCLS / FAR Subpart 22.10 and Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts / FAR Subpart 22.12.

Attachment 4

Pricing Template n/a Line item X002

Does the Government expect to a reduction in the template if the Library is closed for one of the Holiday weeks identified in the PWS? Tab 3 (NETC Library Support Services) assumes 51 weeks of operations, so pricing out X002 separately for a week of work will inflate the price. This is accounted for via formulas for the XXX1 CLINs backing out the three (3) Optional Holiday Weeks associated with the XXX2 CLINs. Also, please note this Attachment has undergone additional changes to account for a ten (10) month Base PoP.

Attachment 4

Pricing Template n/a Line item X003 What is the anticipated volume for the Optional Task to support EMI Papers? 230 per PoP as reflected on Library Support – EMI AA Papers tab of this document and in the Offer Assumptions section of Attachment 1.

Attachment 9

– Eval Factor

Response Instruct &

Procedures

1 n/a

Will the Government consider the past performance of a teammate to fulfill the required Corporate Experience? If the Offeror is a JV, then the Corporate experience of either JV partner will suffice. If the Offeror is responding as a Prime / Sub arrangement, then the Corporate Experience cited must be from the Prime Contractor.

Attachment 9

– Eval Factor

Response Instruct &

Procedures

Vol. I – Technical Acceptability

Evaluation Factor – Corp. Exp. / 1st Para under Instructions

If the Prime Contractor company founder brings this project from his/her prior company where he/she had full oversight for that work, will that be considered acceptable? No. The Government requires Offeror Corporate Experience at the company level (not the personal, work, and/or project oversight level).

Document

Page #

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Government Response

Attachment 9

– Eval Factor

Response Instruct &

Procedures

Staffing Table

Instructions/1st paragraph

Please clarify what is expected in the Staffing Table described in the first paragraph. Is this to represent the overall contract organization? Should it reflect regular or EFO Program Week staffing? Should bidders use job titles to represent staff? The Government’s opinion is that this is adequately explained in the solicitation.

Attachment 9 –Eval Factor

Response Instruct &

Procedures

Evaluation Factor – Past Performance

If the Prime Contractor company founder brings projects from his/her prior company where he/she had full oversight for that work, will that be considered acceptable past performance? The solicitation states evaluation of Past Performance is based on how well an Offeror performed on the project cited in the Offeror’s response to the Corporate Experience Evaluation Factor. The Government may also take into consideration Offeror performance on other recent and similar projects.