70FA4022R00000002 FEMA Question Submission (220120-1220).pdf

FEMA Pre-Retirement and Mid-Career Seminars Questions

Solicitation Number: 70FA4022R00000002

1. Question: Is there an incumbent currently performing this work? If so, please provide the name of the contractor, the contract number, and the total contract value.

Response: There is no incumbent. Previous contract expired during FY-21.

2. Question: Can the government please provide historical workload data for all positions?

Response: The historical workload is what we are requesting – 10 Retirement and 7 Mid-Career

Seminars per year.

3. Question: What are the labor categories the government is requiring for this effort?

Response: There are no specific labor categories being requested.

4. Question: What are the specific qualifications for the necessary personnel?

Response: See PWS Para 1.5.8

5. Reference: Government Furnished Property/Equipment

Question: Will the government be providing all contract personnel computers, workstations, etc.

for contractor personnel to accomplish these tasks?

Response: PWS Para 3.1 states no government furnished equipment will be provided at any other location, e.g., contractor’s facility.

6. Question: Can the government please provide all updates in red or a highlighted font within the amended solicitation to clearly demonstrate the exact changes made?

Response: The responses are in blue text and are preceded with the word “Response.”

7. Reference 5.1 Basic Services

Question: Across the 17 already developed/created seminars, can the government please provide the breakdown of the number of seminars per type?

Response: Not sure what 17 developed/created seminars you are referring to. There are only two seminars – one for retirement and one for mid-career.

8. Reference: Factor 2 – Prior Demonstrated Experience/Past Performance

Question: Can the government please advise if a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) is required to be submitted for each reference provided if a CPAR is unavailable?

Response: There is not sufficient time to submit PPQs to previous customers, and get them returned. The government’s intent was to check CPARSs. If you – the offeror – does not

CPARS assessments, the offeror may have previous customers provide a short email on your behalf to the contracting officer at shawn.smith@fema.dhs.gov The email should address the contract number, the period of performance of the contracts, the work the offeror provided for the customer, the dollar value of the contract(s), and whether they would offer you work again.

9. Reference: Factor 2 – Prior Demonstrated Experience/Past Performance

Question: Does the government want industry to provide a copy of the CPAR report within the

Factor 2 proposal if one is available?

Response: If the offeror has a CPARS report, yes provide that report in your Past Performance

Volume.

10. Reference: Factor 2 – Prior Demonstrated Experience/Past Performance

Question: If the CPARs are required to be submitted within the proposal, are they subject to the page limitation? Please note some CPAR reports are 5 pages in length each which would be over the current page limit constraints.

Response: If the CPARS reports are 5 pages, the limit of CPARS to submit in the Past

Performance Volume is 3 reports – will accept the 15 pages versus the 12 pages limit.

11. Question: Can the government please provide the staffing matrix?

mailto:shawn.smith@fema.dhs.gov

Response: As there are no specific labor category, there is no staffing matrix. Propose what you believe it will take to provide these seminars.

12. Reference: SF1449 section 10 – Set aside.

Question: Is this a WOSB or EDWOSB set aside? The SF1449 currently states this is

“unrestricted”.

Response: It was stated on the Description section of the betaSAM posting to disregard the

“unrestricted” category on the solicitation document. In rushing to get the solicitation released, it was an administrative error. It further stated in the Description section that this is a set-aside for

WOSB. If you look at FAR Clause 52.212-5 in the solicitation, you will see that 52.219-30

[Notice of Set-Aside for, or Sole Source Award to, Women-Owned Small Business Concerns

Eligible Under the Woman-Owned Small Business Program (SEP 2021)

13. Question: Is the government requiring resumes to be submitted for the proposal response? If so, which positions require one to be submitted? No, however the proposal should include how long the company and speakers have provide mid-career and retirement seminars to

Federal employees. Company and speakers must be extremely knowledgeable with the

Federal retirement and benefit programs.

14. Reference: Page 70 of 72 – Proposal Organization Table

Question: Volume 1 – Proposal Summary and Documents is not referenced within section L instructions, is this volume required to be submitted? If so, what is supposed to go in this volume?

Response: Great Catch. The Volume 1 is requesting a document stating the solicitation number, date submitting the proposal, the offeror’s name, offeror’s contract manager contact information, all proposed subcontractor(s) (as applicable), proposal validity date, organizational conflict of interest (OCI) Plan or Negative Affirmation (PWS 1.5.13), and a Quality Control Plan

15. Question: Will the audience contain employees under the Special Provisions retirement category? Response: There will be at least one seminar specific to police officers and firefighters retirement systems.

16. Question: Will spouses be able to attend the presentations?

Response: Yes, spouses of attendees are eligible to attend as no extra cost.

17. Question: What will be the tenure status of the Planning for Retirement attendees (i.e., within 5 years of retirement or 10 years from retirement)? What will the tenure status be for Mid-career classes?

Response: Retirement seminar attendees will be employees within 5-10 years of retirement.

Mid-career attendees will be employees with 5-20 years of service.

18. Question: What are the criteria for the Financial Planner or Estate Planner?

Response: Financial planning as it related to Federal employees – establishing financial goals, managing debt-credit cards and equity lines of credit, funding college, IRS’s – traditional and Roth – transfers vs. rollovers.

Response: Estate Planning – Lifetime documents, Powers of Attorney, health care directives, testamentary planning, transfer of assets, beneficiary designations

19. Question: Of course, we follow the topics of interest, but do we have the flexibility on flow of information for day 1 and day 2?

Response: Yes

20. Question: Social Security is a broad topic. Can the client be more specific on what topics are to be covered under the Social Security Section?

Response: Social Security eligibility/calculation/claiming strategies/ when to apply/widow(er) & family benefits

21. Medicare is a broad topic. Can the client be more specific on what topics are to be covered under the Medicare Section?

Response: Medicare A&B how it works with FEHB, how/when to qualify, when/how to apply.

22. Question: In order to affectively respond to the solicitation, can the government please provide an extension once the Q/As are posted?

Response: The Offer Due Date will be extended to 31-JAN-2022.