Final QA_Instructional Services Jun 2021.xlsx

XLSX spreadsheet 24 KB Posted Jun 29, 2021

Attached to: Instructional Services Federal contract opportunity
Solicitation number: 70US0921R70090039
Issued by: Department of Homeland Security US Secret Service

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Written by GovTribe AI · Dec 30, 2023

This document contains a pre-solicitation notice and question matrix for an instructional services contract opportunity with the United States Secret Service. The incumbent contractor is Cellebrite USA Inc under contract number HSSS01-16-D-0002. The solicitation seeks to provide twenty-one training courses on computer and mobile forensics at the National Computer Forensics Institute in Hoover, Alabama and other domestic and international locations. Required services include instruction, course development and updates. Instructors must have experience in law enforcement, digital forensics practice, and instruction. Legal instructors require additional qualifications. The Program Manager and Alternate must have experience managing government contracts. A two-phase evaluation process will use best value procedures under a full and open competition. The final solicitation is expected in June 2021 with proposals due within 21 days and contract award anticipated in August 2021. The contract will have a five-year ordering period and performance is required to begin by late September or early October 2021.

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Other files for this federal contract opportunity

Other files attached to Instructional Services, newest first.
File	Type	Posted
(3) RFP 70US0921R70090039 Atch 2 QASP.docx	DOCX document	Jun 2, 2021
(4) RFP 70US0921R70090039 Atch 4 QA Matrix.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Jun 2, 2021
(1) RFP 70US0921R70090039.pdf	PDF	Jun 2, 2021
(2) RFP 70US0921R70090039.docx	DOCX document	Jun 2, 2021

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Sheet1 United States Secret Service (USSS), Instructional Services RFP # 70US0921R70090039, Attachment 4, Question and Comment Matrix

Question Number	Attachment	Section	Paragraph	Page Number	Questions and Comments	Response
1					Will there be further opportunities for questions before the solicitation is released?	There will be opportunity for Q&A after the formal solicitation is released.
2					Do you anticipate the estimated solicitation release date will change based on the questions asked during this exercise?	Yes, we anticipate the formal solicitation to be released on July 6th.
3					What is the current contract number and name of the incumbent?	The incumbent is Cellebrite USA Inc and the contract number is HSSS01-16-D-0002
4					Is this work unclassified and would only require a standard EOD for USSS and BI? Or is this Secret or TS level?	The work is LEO sensitive, Public Trust required. No Secret/TS required

5 SF 1449, RFP Pages 1-2 10 1 1 On March 30, 2021 - During the USSS Virtual Small Business Industry Day and on slide 29 of the PPT presented, this RFP was marked listed as a small business set aside. Did it change to unrestricted as marked on the SF 1449? Yes, based on the February 2020 RFI and Market Research the best acquisition strategy was determined to be a full and open competition (unrestricted).

6	RFP, pages 3 - 59	7. General Proposal Content, Tab E	7.TabE.(d)(2)	51	Evidence of Personnel Availability: do all instructors (current employees or not yet employed) need to be identified prior to proposal submission?	Yes, resumes for all instructors that will be utilized must be submitted at time of the proposal to demonstrate the prime contractor w/major subcontractor(s) has sufficient capability to perform the contract.
7	RFP Pages 3-59 and Pricing Schedule	Contract Clauses Section III.17 3052.215-70 and Pricing Sheet / Schedule	Key Personnel or Facilities (DEC 2003)	34	The solicitation identifies two Key Personnel positions under the contract: Program Manager and Alternate Program Manager, but the pricing sheet identifies only two distinct labor categories: “Content Subject Matter Expert/Instructor 3” and “Lawyer, Senior.”

(a) The two Key Personnel are direct charge requirements under the contract. Request the Agency modify the pricing sheet to account for these positions.

(b) How does the Agency intend for offerors to charge and account for other traditionally direct-charge labor categories, such as contract administration, that are not listed in the pricing sheet?	The RFP is going to be revised to demonstrate Key Personnel are: Program Manager and Instructors. The Program Manager will serve as the Hoover, AL, on-site manager when three or more classes are being held simultaneously at that location. Should the program manager not be available, the contractor must have an alternate program manager available. Should three or more classes be held simultaneously at another location, then at that time and on-site manager must be available at that location and the on-site manager (while it can be someone from the instructor pool) it cannot be one of the three instructors teaching those three classes. The RFP will be revised to add a CLIN for a Program Manager (key position). The RFP will be revised to add a CLIN for the on-site manager (when one is required outside the Alabama location; this CLIN is not for the on-site management role in Alabama as the Program Manager will be serving that function). All your overhead, G&A, etc, for all positions should take into account your overhead functions such as contract administration and build that into your wrap rate or labor rate.
	8	RFP, pages 3 - 59	7. General Proposal Content, Tab E	7.TabE.(e), Section I, Factor 2	51	There is concern that the specific language, "The information provided shall pertain to the offeror’s own experience, not the experience of any proposed subcontractors or teaming partners.", greatly diminishes the competiveness of this opportunity, and limits the amount of highly-qualified applicants to the government.

Solution: Change the verbiage in the RFP to allow corporate experience to come from the prime and/or subcontractors or teaming partner.

This provides for greater small business opportunities and a greater level of qualified providers for evaluation and selection.	The RFP will be revised to allow for experience at both the Prime and Major Subcontractor level. The Prime contractor must perform 50+% of the work and shall provide experience to demonstrate experience in managing a contract of this size and technical capability. Major Subcontractors will be defined as subcontractors performing 20% or more of the work and the RFP will require their experience be provided as well. If a prime is utilizing a major subcontractor then the Phase II process will also be revised to account for the subcontractor instructors to participate as well. Thus both Phase I and Phase II of the proposal submission will be revised to include the Prime contractors credentials and will also now account for subcontractor participation in this manner.
	9	RFP, pages 3 - 59	7. General Proposal Content, Tab E	7.TabE.(e), Section I, Factor 2	51	Issue: By excluding sub-contracting experience it limits the number of qualified competitors who collectively bring a wider field of qualified competition to the government.

Solution for Consideration: Change wording in the RFP to provide for a greater level of qualified providers for evaluation and selection.

Words needed to be changed:

Offerors must include at least three and no more than five examples of its own corporate experience as a prime contractor within the last five (5) years (of the RFP release date) in which the Offeror performed work of a similar nature to this effort. The information provided shall pertain to the offeror’s own experience, not the experience of any proposed subcontractors or teaming partners. The examples provided should be listed in chronological order, beginning with the most recent project, and shall include the following information:

Proposed New Words Offerors must include at least three and no more than five examples of corporate experience within the last five (5) years (of the RFP release date) in which the Offeror performed work of a similar nature to this effort. Corporate experience examples may come from prime and/or subcontractors. The examples provided should be listed in chronological order, beginning with the most recent project, and shall include the following information:

Results and Benefits for DHS USS:

•	Enhanced competition.
•	Less risk and better value.
•	Enhanced Small Businesses Opportunities	See response to question #8 above. The revised RFP will require a minimum of three and no more than five experiences for the Prime. And if major subcontractors are used will include a minimum of two experiences per subcontractor. The prime contractor must submit resumes for all subcontractor instructors, regardless if they are a major subcontractor or not, as the government must review and approve all resumes submitted to include subcontractors.

10	PWS	1.2	Would you consider leveraging COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) course material within the USSS Schoolhouse curriculum? This will give you the opportunity to incorporate course material written and vetted by top practitioners and taught by very experienced instructors to numerous types of learners. Implementing COTS where feasible, can also provide required training at a higher quality but lower cost.	The government will not allow for COTS. The government shall own all training material and intellectual property.
11	PWS	1.2	If you would consider COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) would the provider be allowed to keep the intellectual property? This will give the vendor the ability to pass on the savings to the customer through shared development costs, curriculum updates, and incorporation of new material and cutting edge topics into the schoolhouse within a shorter timeframe.	See answer to question #10 above.
12	PWS	1.2	Would you consider course material that is available in a asynchronous format to help when travel may not be possible, offer training options for the agents who may learn better outside of the classroom, offer supplemental material to agents who need it outside of the curriculum, or to save on costs?	An online platform for training opportunities is provided by USSS and NCFI if needed. Classroom training is necessary for the types of classes taught.
13	PWS	1.4.13	This section states that an On-Site Manager must be physically present at any training location where 3 or more classes are occurring simultaneously. Can the On-Site Manager be one of the Instructors teaching a course or does the On-Site manager need to be an individual who is not actively teaching a course?	See the answer to question #7 above.
14	PWS	1.4.13	If the On-Site Manager cannot be an active instructor, is that person’s time billable in any form (Instructor hours or as a Time & Materials expense)?	See the answer to question #7 above.
15	PWS	1.2.6.1.1 and 1.2.6.1.2	Would USSS consider adding industry certifications, which have been approved for degree or higher education certificate programs, to the schoolhouse curriculum?	Only the legal instructors have degree and certification requirements and these will not be relaxed. For all other instructors the qualifications only require experience levels; there are no certifications or degree requirements.

16 Attachment 3 Pricing Sheet / Schedule N/A N/A This is a T&M contract, under which the Contractor may be expected to provide a supplemental coursework material such as a legal dictionary as part of its course delivery. The contract ceiling and structure, however, do not account for any ODCs besides travel.

(a) Please provide guidance as to how these costs will be captured and reimbursed in the contract.

(b) While contractors may not put profit on ODCs under a T&M contract, ODCs may bear applied overhead/G&A. Request the Agency to modify the pricing sheet to allow offerors to account for potential burdening factors. Alternatively, please provide guidance as to how these costs will be captured and reimbursed under the contract.	See answer to question #7 above. In addition, the government is adding a CLIN to support curriculum refresh and development.
	17	Attachment 3	Pricing Sheet / Schedule	N/A	N/A	The hours for each course are pre-populated and fixed in the pricing sheet, and reflect the number of hours for course delivery only (i.e., “classroom hours”); no time is allotted for course/instructor preparation or travel. The total pricing sheet hours also appear to form the basis for the awarded contract ceiling.

Request the Agency to modify the pricing sheet to allow offerors to account for course/instructor preparation and travel time. Alternatively, please provide guidance as to how this time will be captured and reimbursed under the contract.	The travel CLIN is where you will account for travel related expenses such as time for travel (labor), airline tickets, etc. The revised RFP will incorporate the process for accounting for travel expenses and reimbursement under the travel CLIN. There is no reimbursement for course preparation time.
	18	Attachment 3	Pricing Sheet / Schedule	N/A	N/A	Would you consider pricing based on a fixed cost per student cost which could make it easier for current and future budgeting purposes?	The government is not considering this pricing structure.

File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated Jun 29, 2021.