Questionsandanswers.pdf

1. QUESTION: Please confirm that a company that can satisfy the requirements for acting as an advisor to a Special Entity set forth at 17 CFR 23.440 and 23.450 is eligible for award, even if the company is not a swap dealer as defined at 17 CFR 23.401.

ANSWER: The Contractor need not be a swap dealer but must meet the requirements of a qualified independent representative within the meaning of 17 CFR 23.450.

AMEND RFQ: Yes

2. QUESTION: The various pricing provisions in the RFQ are confusing and internally \ inconsistent. At Section III, Paragraph 3.1 (page 7) and Section VI, Paragraph 6.14 (page 21), OPIC requests pricing for the entire 5-year period of the BPA. However, at Section IV, Paragraphs 5 and 6 (page 9), OPIC states that pricing will be updated on an annual basis. Please clarify.

ANSWER: The pricing has been updated to reflect a time-materials type contract. The BPA will be reviewed annually to determine need and to ensure cost are fair and reasonable.

AMEND RFQ: Yes

3. QUESTION: In Section IV, Paragraph 6 (page 9), OPIC states that “Prices shall not escalate during the term of the BPA.” Please explain the meaning of this provision, given that the same paragraph (as well as Paragraph 5) states that prices can be updated on an annual basis.

ANSWER: This is a 5 year BPA that will be reviewed annually to determine need and to ensure costs are fair and reasonable.

AMEND RFQ: Yes

4. QUESTION: In Section VI, Paragraph 6.14, OPIC requests rates for the Base Period and

Option Periods. However, the RFQ does not elsewhere define the Base Period and Option Period. Please clarify.

ANSWER: This is a 5 year BPA. The reference to Option Period has been removed.

5. QUESTION: On page 27, the RFQ states that companies responding to the RFQ can propose exceptions to the terms and conditions. Please explain how OPIC plans to handle such exceptions. Will there be an opportunity for a company proposing exceptions to negotiate or withdraw any exceptions with which OPIC does not agree?

ANSWER: Yes. OPIC will handle exceptions on a case by case basis.

AMEND RFQ: No.

6. QUESTION: The RFQ includes at Section 6.2 several information security requirements that are difficult for commercial companies and non-traditional contractors to satisfy. Would the Government consider adding language to the RFQ allowing companies to propose alternative information security plans that could be evaluated for adequacy by the Government during the proposal process? This would be more consistent with a Part 12 commercial item procurement.

ANSWER: No. The Information Security requirements are OPIC’s standard language.

AMEND RFQ: No

7. QUESTION: On page 16 of the RFQ, under the requirements for Other than Cloud-based

Contractor-Owned Systems and Services, OPIC states that OPIC-specific control parameters and supplemental guidance is provided in Appendix A to the RFQ. Please provide a copy of Appendix A.

ANSWER: The entire NIST 800-53 document and appendices can be found here:

https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/specialpublications/nist.sp.800-53ar4.pdf

AMEND RFQ: No

8. QUESTION: In Section IV, Paragraph 11, the RFQ states that “a BPA call order will be awarded to the BPA holder that is technically acceptable with no conflict of interest; non related factors are more important than price….” Later on page 12, the RFQ states: “In addition to general factors, each task order award decision will have a unique evaluation plan that will be developed by the Contracting Officer and detailed in each request.” We are unclear regarding the meaning of the terms “non related factors” and “general factors,” and also regarding whether individual call orders will be awarded on a lowest-price, technically acceptable basis or on a best value basis that includes a comparison of the BPA holders on non-price evaluation factors. Please clarify.

ANSWER: All evaluation factors other than cost/price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. As technical differences narrow, cost/price will become more important. If there are no significant technical differences, cost/price may be the determining factors for selection. This is a best-value procurement. The Government may or may not award to the lowest priced BPA holder or highest technically rated BPA holder.

9. QUESTION: In Section VI, Paragraph 6.24 (page 23), the RFQ states that Emily McLaughlin is the Contracting Officer for “this call order.” Did OPIC intend to say “this BPA”?

ANSWER: Yes, Emily McLaughlin is the Contracting Officer for this BPA.

10. QUESTION: In Section VII, Paragraph 7.2 (page 26), OPIC states that resumes are required for all Key Personnel. Later, on that same page, OPIC states “Resumes shall be provided for all individual providing services on this BPA.” Please clarify the resume submission requirement. If resumes are required only for Key Personnel, please define who qualifies as Key Personnel. If the requirement is to provide resumes for all individuals providing services, OPIC may want to reconsider the requirement, as this could include a large quantity of individuals.

ANSWER: Resumes shall be provided for Senior Consultant/Manager, Technical/Functional

Specialists, and Partner or its equivalent.

AMEND RFQ: Yes

11. QUESTION: Is it possible to set up a call so that we can get a better understanding from you on the Scope of Work, including how you have executed hedges in the past (e.g., I saw only one ZAR swap in your financials over the past several years) and your intent/thoughts moving forward (e.g., back-to-back hedges with the dealers, arranging hedges with the projects themselves and banks). A conversation will help address some of the RFP questions and requirements as accurately as possible.

ANSWER: No, calls will not be accepted for this requirement.

12. QUESTION: Is it possible to base pricing on title per employee whereby junior employees (i.e., associates) have lower billing rates than partners? Can certain task descriptions be priced based on size and tenor of the trade executed?

ANSWER: Please see section III for pricing format.

13. QUESTION: Would any provisions in this section preclude us from disclosing that OPIC is a client? Many of our clients/prospects get comfort from the broad range of clients, and we would like to be able to reference OPIC.

ANSWER: Vendors are free to disclose information that is readily available in the public domain (e.g. contract number, award date, contract type, etc.)

AMEND RFQ: No

14. QUESTION: Will detailed bios suffice instead of traditional resumes for the Partners

ANSWER: No.

AMEND RFQ: No.

15. QUESTION: We certainly qualify as an independent advisor to a Special Entity that the Dealers can rely upon to adhere to the Business Conduct Rules under Dodd-Frank, and we can make a representation to that effect. However, we want to make sure that your intent is not to award only Dealers relying on the Safe Harbor provisions under the sections you referred to in the proposal for the BPA. (Admittedly this would be unusual for a Special Entity, but we are asking for certainty.)

ANSWER: See question #1.

16. QUESTION: I saw that there was an amendment on March 29, 2019, but I can't tell what was amended. Can you let me know as this is a very long document?

ANSWER: Amendment 1 updated the website links on page 2 of the RFQ.

AMEND RFQ: No

17. QUESTION: Is this a replacement or new contract? If so who is the incumbent and what is the contract number?

ANSWER: This is a follow-on contract OPIC13C0018. The incumbent is Chatham Financial.

AMEND RFQ: No

18. QUESTION: Will OPIC consider the design, use and implementation of hedging strategies based on currency futures, forwards and off exchange Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer contracts? If so, will OPIC consider establishing accounts with external custodians that support these methods and deposit cash for margin usage?

ANSWER: No, OPIC does not anticipate a portfolio wide implementation of a hedging strategy with a non-federal entity.

AMEND RFQ: No

19. QUESTION: Has OPIC determined a level of risk, (unhedged) portion it will accept?

ANSWER: No, OPIC and in the future the DFC has yet to determine the parameters of its portfolio level.

20. QUESTION: If ISDA based swaps are the only tool, will OPIC want counterparts risk assessments and reports prior to entering any such contract?

ANSWER: OPIC acknowledges that ISDA are not the only base swap tools. Yes OPIC would want counterpart risks assessments and reports per the scope of this BPA.

AMEND RFQ: No

21. QUESTION: Will OPIC avoid investments in countries and their respective currencies that do not have viable currency hedging risk transfer strategies available?

ANSWER: No

AMEND RFQ: No

22. QUESTION: The pricing table in section 3.1 includes a column for Est. QTY per year that shows

0/100 hours. Is this OPIC’s estimate for the hours for each area or is this a placeholder and bidders should update this with their own estimates?

ANSWER: The chart has been revised.