Questions_and_Answers_from_Sources_Sought_Notice.pdf

Questions from Sources Sought Notice – CERC Services

1. Will our responses to the Sources Sought Notification questions be kept confidential and not shared outside of FEMA?

A. All responses will be kept confidential and not shared outside of FEMA.

2. Task 7 of the draft PWS, “Provide CERC support for insurance activities at the Regional level” appears to be similar to the FEMA Customer-Centered Communications (C3) Contract. Is Task 7 on the draft CERC PWS intended to replace what is currently being done through the C3 Contract or is it meant to complement it? If neither of these possibilities is correct, please describe its intended relationship with the C3 Contract.

A. This task, as currently crafted, complements the existing C3 contract. It would provide an avenue for traditional communications and engagement support, as opposed to marketing support, to FEMA Regions.

3. Please confirm that the “capability statement” requirement in the Sources Sought Notice (page

2) at the end of “A. Company Information…” will be satisfied by the vendor’s response to “B.

Summarization of projects…” on that same page and that the government is not looking for a separate capability statement in addition to the vendor’s response to B.

A. The Government requests an answer to both A and B on page two of the Sources Sought notice. Part A refers to the company’s information and Part B is a request for projects that the company has performed on in the past that are relevant to CERC.

4. Does the government intend to release a revised draft PWS based on responses to the 4 RFI questions?

A. At this time, the government does not intend to release a revised draft PWS in this phase of research.

5. Who is the incumbent for the services provided?

A. This information is publicly available. The Award ID is HSFE6015C0007.

6. When does the government intend to issue a formal solicitation?

A. A solicitation is forthcoming and will be posted on either GSA or FBO.

7. With respect to the recent Sources Sought, is FEMA considering using OASIS as the procurement strategy?

A. This has not yet been determined. Further information will be determined based on the results of the Sources Sought.

8. Can the government please provide the percentage level of effort estimate for each PWS task statement listed as “The approximate level of effort estimated for this Objective is X% based on total estimated value of the requirement. This estimate is for solicitation purposes only.”?

A. These numbers are continuously being updated as revisions are made to the draft PWS, they will change prior to the solicitation. At this point, the government estimates the following: Task 1 – 25%; Task 2 – 25%; Task 3 – 16%; Task 4 – 12%; Task 5 – 7.5%; Task 6

– 5%; Task 7 – 7.5%; Task 8 – 2%.

9. Can the government please provide an update on how they used the previous responses from the Request for Information (70FA6019I00000002) submitted on November 26, 2018, including if any recommendations from the responses received were or will be incorporated into the procurement strategy and documents?

A. All responses were reviewed, they informed revisions to the draft PWS and some remain under consideration. All feedback was informative. The government will review all responses received in this phase as well for potential revisions and consideration.

10. Can the government please provide an anticipated timeframe they expect to reach out to interested vendors for one-on-one telephone due diligence discussions?

A. At this point, the government is evaluating the week of January 28th, 2019 for potential due diligence sessions. Contracting will be setting up any One on One meeting.

11. Can the government please provide details around the milestones of this procurement, including the period of performance for the incumbent and solicitation release, due, and award dates?

A. The current procurement will end on January 25th, 2020. No further milestones are available at this time.

12. Can the government please clarify if there will be a down select process using a capability statement?

A. This has not yet been determined. The Government will use a best value trade off evaluation to determine the most highly qualified contractor.

13. It is our understanding that some communications are delivered directly by other program partners. Can the government please provide a list of communication services or products that are provided by CERC and PTS contractors, along with communication services or products that are not provided by CERC or PTS contractors?

A. Background information on interaction of providers in the communication space is available in the draft PWS.

14. It is our understanding that not all regions leverage CERC services. Can the government please provide a list of regions that are AND are not using CERC?

A. All FEMA Regions use CERC services.

15. For planning purposes related to transition, can the government please provide the number of companies that are part of the CERC support service team?

A. Information on current contract is publicly available. The Award ID is HSFE6015C0007.

16. Regarding Question 1 in the Sources Sought Notice (Discuss the value added and risks posed if mapping specific communications are provided by PTS as opposed to CERC), can the government please clarify what is meant by the word “provided”? Is this question referring to PTS delivery of the communications or development AND delivery of communications?

A. Yes. Please discuss the potential impact of the following scenarios:

1) PTS has the lead on flood hazard mapping communications development and delivery with support from CERC to ensure consistent RMD messaging and alignment.

2) CERC has lead on all communications development and delivery to include flood hazard mapping. PTS supports flood hazard mapping communications as appropriate.

17. Regarding Question 2 in the Sources Sought Notice (What recommendations do you have for scope performance requirements outcomes/results that could be incorporated into the PWS, or provided as supporting solicitation information, related to practices and structures that can be used to manage standardized support across this geographic dispersion, taking into account these considerations?), can the government please clarify what is meant by “performance requirements outcomes / results” by providing an example to allow industry to develop appropriate recommendations?

A. This question is a solicitation of ideas, examples do not currently exist. The government is seeking ideas on how to replicate best practices, share innovations, and communicate projects across the FEMA Regions to leverage efficiencies and eliminate duplication.