Questions and Answers Update.pdf

Questions and Answers 5.7.25 Transportation

1. Can you send an unlocked SF1449 which allows more room to extend pricing electronically and have the same structure and format as the RFP. We would like a clean copy so we don’t have to use a typewriter to extend the pricing on the form provided in the RFP PDF.

Answer: Up to each offeror see SF 1449 updated.

2. Does FLETC provide a waiver for New Mexico Gross Receipts tax to this subcontract.

Typically Federal sites flow down the waiver since they pay the tax directly. Answer:

Answer: Reference FAR 52.229-3 Federal, State, and Local Taxes (FEB 2013).

Reference FAR 52.222-43 Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act-Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (MAY 2014) for adjustment. This will be an annual adjustment only.

3. The section on Contractor furnished equipment specifies that buses can not be more than 8 years old or exceed 100,000 miles. The use of Motor Coach’s for the airport, recreational, sports and VIP transportation would be cost prohibitive since Motor Coach’s are much different than the shuttles or school bus types for campus transports. This requirement seems excessive considering that long distance Motor Coach’s are just getting broken in at 100,000(would be cost prohibitive since these transports run $500,000 or more for newer unused equipment and used on highway for airport pickup would have to be replaced yearly); accordingly does the milage limitation of 100,000 apply to the Motor Coach type of transport or just the EV school bus type.

Answer: Please refer to C.1.5

4. It is unclear from the instructions if the Resumes, Service Plan and QC plan that are required to be included with the Proposal submission are counted in the Volume II - Management Plan 15 page limitation or can be submitted under separate Attachment not part of the 15 page limitation.

Answer: Please read Phase 2 Volume Factor 2 Management approach. The Government will only evaluate 15 pages. If the vendor wishes to submit resumes to take up the 15 page limitation, up to the contractor. Resumes would be received after award for approval. Please read the requirements on Quality Control plan and Service Plan.

5. Key Personnel are defined on page 39 of the PWS to include PM, APM, QA/Qc manager, Bus Drivers, and Lead Bus Driver. However on page 53 under section C.1.7.1 Key Personnel reference three labor classification only and are identified as PM, APM, and QC/Qa Mgr. We assume page 53 has the correct identification of Key Personnel

Answer: Yes, page 53 is correct for key personnel, other positions require key certifications/licenses. See Key Personnel under Clauses and provisions R1 Amendment 4.

6.

Section C.1.7.2 Project Management states "Project Management staff shall not serve multiples positions and be compensated for all positions." Please clarify how the Government will adjust the contractors FFP Project Management CLINS?

Answer: Offeror shall adhere PWS under Key personnel C.1.7.1. C.1.8 is for the rest of the workforce for the contractor to staff as needed. If the contractor does not adhere to C.1.7.1 Key personnel, the remedies would be at the Government’s discretion. See C.1.7.1 1, 2, and 3. See question 4 on key personnel resumes.

7.

Section C.1.7.1 Key Personnel states "NOTE: The contractor shall structure his workforce to the level of work stated in these specifications." Section C.1.8 Specifications states that "Furthermore, as this is a performance specification, and the Government will measure the result and not the effort or level of effort.""

Sections C.1.7.1 and C.1.8 appear to present conflicting guidance. Please provide clarification on whether the contract is intended to be level-of-effort or performance-based.

Answer: Performance-based contract. See question 6 on remedies.

8. Section C.1.8 Specifications states that "Performance specifications describe the service and provide the Contractor with the service's quantities, limits, or areas. The Contractor shall be responsible for achieving the results described in the specification.

Furthermore, as this is a performance specification, the Government will measure the result. No effort or level of effort; there is no required answer or preferred approach as to staffing levels. Offerors are free to propose staffing levels as they see fit to take advantage of efficiencies and different approaches."

If the Prime, during contract performance, determines to merge the Quality Control (QC) and Alternate Project Manager (APM) roles into a single position, leading to increased efficiency without any detriment to the contracted services, would the Government then reduce compensation (see questions above) based on the reduced staffing? This seems to conflict with the stated intent of a performance-based contract, where the Government should not dictate or penalize efficient staffing decisions that achieve the required results. where staffing levels are left to the Contractor's discretion to achieve the required performance.

Answer: See question 7 and 8. Adherence to key personnel and terms and conditions of the PWS. Doing otherwise would result in remedies at the Government’s discretion.

9.

Section C.1.7 Key Personnel, For Contractors responding to multiple solicitations [Student Support, Training Support, Transportation], can we put the same Key Personnel/Resumes in each solicitation?

Answer: Each offeror would need to read the PWS and requirements for each requirement.

It would be a prudent decision to have a backup with commensurate experience fitting the PWS and Key Personnel. That is up to each offeror. See question 4.