Attachment 5 - QandA - Amend A00001.pdf

RFQ# 70FA2021Q00000015

Attachment 5

Questions & Answers (Q&A) – IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS INSERT IN CORRECT ROWShaded rows are additional questions received after solicitation posting.

Solicitation

Document

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Gov Response

Is there an incumbent, and if so, can the

Government name the incumbent?

Is this a recompete of an existing contract? If so, can the Government please provide incumbent contract information?

This has publicly available information since late August 2020 via DHS APFS…The DHS APFS record # for this requirement is the

Related Notice “F” # associated with this solicitation on beta.sam.gov.

- - - What is the anticipated award date?

Prior to the target effective / start date of 10/01/21…hopefully NLT sometime in September 2021.

C-P-Addenda

70FA2021Q00000015

Section B –

Continuation Blocks from SF 1449

Should the SF 1449 be included in Volume II –

Business and Pricing?

NO. There’s no SF 1449 associated with the solicitation [FAR

12.603(b)]. A SF 1449 will be used for award i.e. the Government will send to the awardee.

C-P-Addenda

70FA2021Q00000015

Key Personnel under this Contract

Resumes Required: Is the only resume required the

Key personnel, The Project Manager.

Yes.

Solicitation

Document

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Gov Response

C-P-Addenda

70FA2021Q00000015

47 Offer Assumptions

This sections states that for “Government evaluation efficiency purposes, Offerors may assume a minimum of twelve (12) Full-Time

Equivalents (FTEs) are needed to perform this requirement.”

Since this is a Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) Contract and

Offerors are only requested to submit a single FFP for each contract year, does the Government intend to negotiate with the awardee post award and modify price based on actual FTE count if the offeror is able to perform the requirements with fewer FTEs?

This type of scenario is not anticipated.

C-P-Addenda

70FA2021Q00000015

E.4 52.212-3

Offerors Reps &

Certs

Should the Reps and Certs be completed and included in Volume II – Business and Pricing?

Yes, but excerpts permissible (per

Section E.2.5 Offer Prep &

Submission Instructions / Offer

Organization on p.47). For example, if Offeror’s Reps and Certs in SAM are current, accurate, complete, and applicable to this solicitation response as of offer submission, then an excerpt of paragraph

52.212-3(b)(2) with “n/a” response.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

1.2

What is the current length or duration of the existing courses that need to be converted?

Number of hours? And are they all the same length or do they vary in length?

Courses vary in length. Online self-study courses are “page-turner” courses taken at the student’s timeframe. Blended courses vary from 2 days to 8 weeks.

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Gov Response

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

4-5

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

1.2

Are you currently using an LMS and if so which one? Are there any software compatibility concerns that come to mind that we should be aware of?

The NFA will be using Blackboard.

No, there are no software compatibility concerns.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

4-5

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

1.2

How do you plan to deploy the new courses? LMS?

Internal Youtube access? SharePoint site? LMS.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

4-5

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

1.2

In thinking about the exams and question types, should these include level 3 or level 4 questions?

Do your course objectives already support the question types that you need? Or do the course objectives need to be realigned as well?

The Contractor does not develop the exam questions under this contract.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

1.2.3

What are the expectations in terms of the new online course format? Should animations be included and if so, to what extent? A few animations versus many?

No, the Contractor will not perform work associated with animations.

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

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Question or Comment Gov Response

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

1.2

What software do you currently use to deploy these trainings? And for online format, what software do you expect to use? Will you be providing the software or is that something the

Contractor needs to provide?

As stated in the PWS, NFA is currently using the Adobe Web

Standard CS6Package (Suite) software. Courses are currently developed in a 508 compliant, SCORM 1.2 Dreamweaver or HTML web template, which will be provided to the Contractor, along with a development guide for each.

For NFA Online self-study and mediated courses, an approved course template along with a user/development guide will also be provided.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

Are vendors required to provide the database management system reference in this section or is this to be maintained in an existing NFA database?

Maintained in existing NFA database.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

Task 1.6 States, “The Contractor shall maintain a database of all courses that includes, but is not limited to: course title, course code, course contents, printing edition, and the responsible GPM in a shared environment.” Can the Government share which database is currently in use? Will this database need to be shared on a Government intra-site or shared drive? Will the Government permit use of an external listing, such as Google

Documents? Or will the Government allow use of a

Government SharePoint site?

Microsoft Office Suite programs such as Access, Excel, etc. and

Sharepoint. External listings are not used.

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Gov Response

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

Task 2.2.7 states, “It is recommended that the contract employer provide the employees with a half face reusable respirator and the associated medical screening, fit test, required for use under

OSHA regulations.” Will the Government allow for these costs to be included as reimbursables within the pricing?

No.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

2.4

Please identify the frequency of the training activities scheduled by month and weeks.

Is there any seasonality to activities? Specifically, are the training events being clustered or evenly divided.

There is no set number of training activities by month/weeks. Each state may choose up to 9 deliveries throughout the year. Not all states participate. The training is scheduled as each state requests.

No, the training is not clustered or divided. The training is scheduled as each state requests.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

2.4.3

Is shipping cost covered as an Agency / Department cost? or this a reimbursable expense to the awarded contractor?

No, USFA/NFA covers shipping costs as stated in the last sentence of that task.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

Does NFA have an existing computerized inventory management system or is the vendor expected to provide one? If the offeror is expected to provide the software, can the Government share the current software solution the incumbent is using?

NFA has an existing computerized inventory management system i.e.

Microsoft Office Suite programs such as Access, Excel, etc. and

Sharepoint.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

6 – SOPs

Will the awardee be provided with the SOPs currently in use upon award or will we be expected to work with the Government to draft new SOPs?

Awardee will be provided w/existing.

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Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

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Question or Comment Gov Response

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 5. Tasks /

Requirements, Task

6 SOPs

Can the Government clarify who maintains ownership of the SOPs? Can the Government confirm when the contractor will receive copies of the current SOPs?

The Government maintains ownership, and SOPs will be accessible to the Contractor NLT the effective / start date of the contract.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 7. Place of

Performance &

Support/Coverage

Are the current contractor staff working on-site during the global pandemic? If so, what business continuity plans are in place for a return to the work site?

As stated in PWS Section 7, onsite support typically the norm and typically only required during standard business hours, but

Contractor employees have telework (TW) capability. Whether individual Contractor employees are currently teleworking is dependent upon the combination of NETC operational guidance and

Contractor management of their employees.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 11.

Personnel

Requirements

Can the Government share the average time for obtaining a Public Trust background for this position?

In addition to other factors, this is dependent on a position applicant’s responsiveness and responses.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 11.

Personnel

Requirements

Will the Government permit staff to work onsite with interim status while background checks are being performed?

Reference responses to previous two (2) questions, but this is also dependent upon Security’s initial adjudication of individual applicant responses, the latter of which are unpredictable and thereby a yes or no response cannot be provided.

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Gov Response

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 11.

Personnel

Requirements

Is there an approximate timeframe estimate for completion of a Public Trust security clearance with

Department of Homeland Security? Will the

Government allow contractor staff to work on-site as a visitor while their security clearance is in progress?

Reference previous responses to similar questions.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

Section 11.

Personnel

Requirements

Can the Government clarify other training requirements for contractors performing on this contract? For example, DHS IT Security Training?

Or other location specific training requirements?

What is the timeframe for completing these training requirements, post-award?

Responses to these questions are not necessary as they do not materially impact an Offeror’s ability to submit an offer.

Attachment 1 –

Performance Work

Statement

508 Compliance –

Instructions to

Offerors

Are vendors required to include a Voluntary

Product Accessibility Template in the Technical

Volume and is this excluded from word count?

No.

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. I, Technical

Response Evaluation

Factor – Work Plan -

Instructions and

Evaluation

Is a letter of commitment required for Key

Personnel if they are not currently employed with the contractor?

No.

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures– Work

Plan

Volume I – Technical

Response Evaluation

Factor – Work Plan

The response to this evaluation factor shall not exceed ten (10) pages [excludes KP resume(s)].

For ease of page numbering, and since key personnel resumes are excluded from the page limitation, would the Government please confirm we can include our key personnel resume as an appendix?

Yes.

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Gov Response

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. I, Technical

Response Evaluation

Factor – Past

Performance -

Instructions and

Evaluation

If no CPARS is submitted, what is the content to be submitted for the write-up? Would the

Government consider the following content for the write-up; scope of work, relevancy, and applicability to requirements under this RFQ?

Would the Government consider making the write-up a combined four (4) pages, including the sections on problems encountered and corrective actions taken?

The content is as stated in

Attachment 3 → “all applicable info from a CPARS/PPIRS record”. This content is publicly available between FAR Subpart 42.15 and cpars.gov Learning Center transcripts.

Attachment 3 outlines referenced work stipulations.

Attachment 3 states an additional one (1) page can be provided for problems encountered and corrective actions taken so this would be four (4) pages total.

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. I, Technical

Response Evaluation

Factor – Past

Performance -

Instructions and

Evaluation

Can the Government validate that if CPARS is submitted as one of the references the page limit for that reference is the total of that CPARS pages and is not restricted to 3 pages only?

Correct…the three (3) page limit is not applicable to a CPARS record.

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. I, Technical

Response Evaluation

Factor – Past

Performance -

Instructions and

Evaluation

Can the Government validate that if CPARS is submitted for one of the references that a 1 page write up for problems encountered and corrective actions taken can also be submitted for that CPARS reference?

Yes…that is fine.

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

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Question or Comment Gov Response

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. I, Technical

Response Evaluation

Factor – Past

Performance -

Instructions and

Evaluation

If not submitting a CPAR, please clarify if the past performance write-ups need to be sent from the

Government customer providing the write-up or if the Government customer needs to send it to the offeror and the offeror will include with the proposal response.

Write-ups and CPARS must be submitted within / as part of Vol. I

Technical Response in accordance with solicitation instructions.

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. I, Technical

Response Evaluation

Factor – Past

Performance -

Instructions and

Evaluation

If two (2) subcontractors would be proposed…

1. Can work be assigned/proposed to a subcontractor that has no past performance (PP) reference because of limit of two (2) PP references?

2. If answer to Question 1 is “No”, then would Government consider three (3) PP references i.e. one (1) for Prime and one (1) for each of the two (2) subcontractors?

1. Yes, in a situation like this you can still propose work being assigned to one (1) subcontractor with no past performance reference because of the limit of two (2) past performance (PP) references.

2. No response necessary due to response to Question 1.

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Gov Response

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. II, Business &

Pricing Response

Evaluation Factor

Volume II seems to only require the Pricing on

Attachment 5, an excel spreadsheet. Can the

Government specify what goes in Volume II, for example:

▪ Do offerors include the representations and certifications that the RFP has highlighted in yellow within Vol II?

▪ Can offerors include a price narrative in Vol

II?

For 1st bullet point question reference C-P-Addenda –

70FA2021Q00000015 attachment, Section E.2.5 Offer Prep &

Submission Instructions / Offer

Organization on p.47 and Vol II. –

Business & Pricing Response

Limitations & Instructions on p.48.

Offer Submission on p.48 outlines attachment submissions.

For 2nd bullet point question, yes but keep to no more than two (2) pages.

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. II, Business &

Pricing Response

Evaluation

What is the Validity Period that offerors should put within their proposals?

09/30/21 as stated within Section

E.2.1 Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 of the C-P-Addenda –

70FA2021Q00000015 attachment.

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. II, Business &

Pricing Response

Evaluation Factor –

Price - Instructions and Evaluation

Does reformatted pricing consistent with the

Reformatted tab in Attachment 4 have to be completed with response to this solicitation?

Please confirm Offerors do not need to complete the Reformatted Tab in Attachment 4 in this first submission. The Reformatted Tab is only for post-award.

Should the Contractor also submit reformatted pricing with our proposal?

Reformatted tab is post award for awardee…do NOT submit with your response to the solicitation.

Page

Section, Subsection, Paragraph #, Bullet

Point (BP) #, etc.

Question or Comment Gov Response

Attachment 3 – Eval.

Factors Response

Instructions and Eval.

Procedures

Vol. II, Business &

Pricing Response

Evaluation Factor –

Price - Instructions and Evaluation

Is the Government evaluating the proposal for price realism?

Price will be evaluated as outlined in the solicitation.

Attachment 4 – RFQ

Response Pricing

Template

Detailed Tab

Can the Government confirm the hours to be used in column C should be 2,080 which will match the hours the Government provided in column E /

Reformatted tab?

It’s Offeror discretion for how

Offerors want to price the hours e.g. 1880, 1920, 2080, etc. within column C of the Detailed tab, but reformatted is intended to be based on 2,080.