Past Performance Q&A Final.pdf

November 27, 2019

Subject: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 7200AA19R00019, Past Performance Questions and Answers (Amendment #1)

Title: EVAL ME II – Monitoring Evaluation Learning Services

Dear Potential Offerors, The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) issued the subject RFP on November 12, 2019. After review, potential offerors were asked to submit questions regarding the RFP by November 22, 2019, 12:00 pm Eastern Time. Attached are the questions received from potential offerors regarding submission of past performance. The responses provided by USAID are written in red.

A revised solicitation and Amendment #1 have been posted at https://beta.sam.gov/ to reflect the revisions described in USAID’s responses below. Some areas in the solicitation have been highlighted in yellow to reflect those revisions. Responses to questions received in reference to other sections of the solicitation will be forthcoming at a later date.

Submission dates for Volumes 1, 2 and 3 have been changed to the following:

Volume 1 (Past Performance Information): December 13, 2019, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Volume 2 (Technical Proposal): January 8, 2020, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Volume 3 (Cost/Price Proposal): January 8, 2020, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Please note: If Past Performance Information is not submitted by the due date and time listed above, the offeror’s proposal will not be considered for evaluation.

USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.

USAID advises to regularly check the above website for future amendments.

Sincerely, /s/

Ashlee Tuck, Contracting Officer https://beta.sam.gov/

Past Performance Questions and Answers

1. Should offerors submit “Volume 1: Past Performance Information” along with the Volume 2 and Volume 3 by December 13, 2019 in addition to submitting Volume 1 on December 6, 2019?

Proposal due dates have changed.

Volume 1 (Past Performance) should be submitted by December 13, 2019, 12:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

Volumes 2 (Technical Proposal) and 3 (Cost/Price Proposal) should be submitted by January 8, 2019, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

2. Section L.8 (pg. 95) directs past performance information to be submitted on Dec. 6 as separate volume. Is USAID expecting on Dec. 6 the Past Performance Matrix using the template referred to in Section J, or is this deliverable expected to be separate from the matrix? If yes, does USAID has a specific format?

USAID expects offerors to submit the Past Performance Matrix (Attachment J.4) for ALL past performance references. The Contractor Performance Report - Short Form (Attachment J.7) should be submitted in addition to the matrix only when contracts listed are not in CPARS.

3. Section L.8 of the RFP states: “(a) The offeror (including all partners of a joint venture) must provide performance information for itself, the contractor teaming arrangements, if any, and each major subcontractor (one whose proposed cost exceeds 25% of the offeror’s total proposed cost) in accordance with the following: 1. List in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal. The most relevant indicators of performance are contracts of similar size, scope, and complexity.”

a. Would USAID clarify and confirm that the offeror must submit up to three past performance references for the offeror AND up to three past performance references for EACH major subcontractor?

Yes, offerors should submit up to three recent and relevant past performance references each for itself, any joint venture partners, contractor teaming arrangements and each major subcontractor (one whose proposed costs exceed 25% of the offeror’s total proposed cost.)

For example, if an offeror has one major subcontractor, the offeror could submit up to six past performance references (up to three for itself as the prime and up to three for its subcontractor).

b. In addition to contracts, would USAID allow offerors to submit past performances for cooperative agreements of similar size, scope and complexity?

Cooperative Agreements will not be considered for past performance references.

c. Tied up to this requirement is the definition of the major subcontractor. Can USAID clarify if the 25% threshold for major subcontractors apply to the total EVAL-ME II contract or if it applies at the task order level?

The 25% threshold for major subcontractors applies to the total EVAL ME II contract.

4. Can USAID clarify the required format for “Volume 1 – Past Performance Information”?

Should Volume 1 be submitted as the “Past Performance Matrix” included as Attachment J.4?

USAID expects offerors to submit the Past Performance Matrix (Attachment J.4) for ALL contracts and in addition to the Past Performance Matrix, offerors should submit the Contractor Performance Report - Short Form (Attachment J.7) only when contracts listed in the matrix that are not in CPARS.

5. RFP Section L.8(a).1 states “List in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal.” What format should this past performance information be submitted in?

Please use Attachments J.4 and J.7 to submit past performance information. See the response to question #4.

6. The RFP states that Technical, Cost and Past Performance should each be kept separate, yet page 95 refers to including up to 3 contract past performance examples as an annex to the Technical. Should this be included with Vol 1 Past Performance or as an annex to the Technical?

Yes, up to three past performance examples should be submitted in Volume 1 for the prime contractor. Additional references should be submitted in accordance with Section L.8. The solicitation has been updated to reflect this change.

7. L.8 refers to what is required to be included in past performance and states that “(a) The offeror (including all partners of a joint venture) must provide performance information for itself, the contractor teaming arrangements, if any, and each major subcontractor (one whose proposed cost exceeds 25% of the offeror’s total proposed cost) in accordance with the following:

a. Does this mean the offeror should provide copies of teaming arrangements with subcontractors?

Yes, copies of teaming arrangements should be provided.

b. Does this mean that the 3 past performance to be provided are inclusive of both the offeror and the major subcontractor or 3 each (separate)?

Separate submissions are required. Please see the response to Question #3a.

8. Section L.8 (page 95) notes that past performance information "should be prepared and presented as a separate volume." However, page 95 notes "list in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts" and page 93 also requests a past performance matrix as an annex to the technical proposal. Please clarify.

See response to question #6.

9. Can USAID confirm that the ‘Past performance matrix’ referred to in L.6.1 is the same as ‘CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE INFORMATION’ referred to in L.8?

See Section L.8 for specific submission instructions. Sections L.6.1 and L.8 have been revised.

10. In L.8, the RFP states both that past performance should be prepared as a separate volume and sent to Ms. Ashlee Tuck (atuck@usaid.gov) by December 6, 2019 and that offerors must list in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 examples of past performance. Should offerors submit the same past performance examples twice? Once in an email before December 6th to Ms. Ashlee Tuck, and once as an annex to the technical proposal? Should offerors use the past performance matrix provided in attachment J.4 for both submissions of past performance?

Past Performance should be submitted once as Volume 1 using the Past Performance Matrix (Attachment J.4) and the Contractor Performance Report - Short Form (Attachment J.7), in accordance with instructions in Section L.8 by December 13, 2019, 12:00 pm Eastern Time.

11. Section L.8 Content of past performance information. Under Factor 3 Past Performance, the RFP states to list in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal. Please confirm if we our consortium should submit 3 past projects in total, or whether we can submit up to 3 per organization in the consortium.

mailto:atuck@usaid.gov

12. Section L.8, Content of Past Performance Information, page 95, includes the following language: “[For any high-risk award, as defined in Appendix II of this guidance, CO must also request point of contact information for the CO, COR, or Project Manager of the offeror’s two largest, most recently awarded Federal contracts or orders. Please refer to Appendix V for more details.]”. Could you please clarify the relevance of this sentence to the RFP?

This sentence has been deleted in the revised solicitation.

13. Can USAID please confirm that the 15-page limit is for Factors 1 and 2 and does not include past performance in Factor 3?

Yes, the 15-page limit is reserved for Volume 2. Volume 1 does not have a page limit.

14. Regarding RFP Section L.8, for Past Performance Information, can USAID please clarify if the information required in this Section should be presented in a “Contractor Performance Report - Short Form”?

The information required in this section should be presented using Attachments J.4 and J.7, in accordance with instructions provided in Section L.8.

15. Section L.6.1, Page 93: The RFP lists the following Past Performance related documents as not counting towards the page limitation: Contractor Performance Report- Short Form (from CPARS) and Past performance matrix (per Section J). Can USAID please confirm that Past Performance Information is only to be included in Volume 1- Past Performance Information and not in Volume 2- Technical Proposal?

Confirmed.

16. Section L, page 94 of the RFP states “All information from appendices must be referenced in the technical proposal and summarized and included in the annex section.”

Is this inclusive of the past performance matrix even though it will be submitted separately as Volume 1 at an earlier date? Should we still include the matrix as an appendix?

The Past Performance Matrix (Attachment J.4) and the Contractor Performance Report - Short Form (Attachment J.7) are not considered annexes and do not have page limits.

Offerors should follow the instructions listed in Section L.8 for submission. Please also see the response to question #3a.

Both forms should be submitted in accordance with Section L.8 as a part of Volume 1.

17. Please confirm that the Contractor Performance Report-Short Form (from CPARS) and the Past Performance Matrix (per Section J), both listed in Section L.6.1 as the documents not included in the page limitation for the technical proposal, are to be submitted as Volume 1: Past Performance Information due to USAID on December 6th , and not as part of Volume 2: Technical Proposal due on December 13th , per Section L.8.

Confirmed; however, the due dates for all volumes have been revised in accordance with the above.

18. The required components for Factor 3 – Past Performance are unclear in the RFP. Can you please explain what are the exact components required to be included in this section beyond the Past Performance Matrix, Attachment J and List of 3 most recent contracts to be provided in an Annex? Does this Volume count against the 15 page limit?

Please see Section L.8 for instructions. Volume 1 does not have a page limit and does not count against the 15-page limit of Volume 2.

19. Is Attachment J the same as the list of 3 most recent contracts or should this be provided separately?

Please use Attachments J.4 and J.7 for submission of Volume 1. See Section L.8 of the solicitation for instructions.

20. In Section L.6.1 “Organization of technical proposal” it states “that the technical proposal must be submitted in three-ring binders…”- In Section L.5, it states that offerors must submit electronic copies of each of the following documents in separate emails to Ms.

Ashlee Tuck (atuck@usaid.gov) and will be titled as such: Volume 1: Past Performance Information (one copy) Volume 2: Technical Proposal (one copy) Volume 3: Cost and Pricing Information (one copy). Please confirm if “in a three-ring” binders refers to a hard copy submission, whether a hard copy submission of the proposal is required, and if yes, address where this proposal needs to be submitted.

Offerors should submit all required volumes electronically to Ms. Ashlee Tuck (atuck@usaid.gov) by specified due dates. The reference to three-ring binders does not apply and has been deleted from the solicitation.

21. The RFP includes the Past Performance Matrix and Contractor Performance Report-Short Forms in the list of items that are not included in the page limitation of the "Technical mailto:atuck@usaid.gov

Proposal.” Please clarify if the matrix and CPR forms are to be included with Volume 1 Past Performance Information or Volume 2 Technical Proposal?

The Past Performance Matrix and Contractor Performance Report - Short Form should be submitted as Volume 1. They are NOT to be included in Volume 2: Technical Proposal.

22. Section L.8, Content of Past Performance Information, page 95, includes guidance that would appear to be inconsistent. For instance, under the heading “FACTOR 3 Past Performance, CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE INFORMATION (See Section M.2.3), paragraph (a),#1 states, “List in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal.”

However, according to the introductory paragraph of Section L.8, Offerors are required to submit past performance information in a separate volume on December 6 th and not as an annex of the technical proposal.

In either case, it is unclear whether these 3 contracts should be included in the Past Performance Matrix (section J), or submitted in the form of a Contractor Performance Report-Short Form (from CPARS), or, if not in CPARS, submitted in another format that includes information listed in paragraph (b)#2 (job titles, mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, explanation of relevance to the proposed acquisition and a description of the performance to include: ● Scope of work or complexity/diversity of tasks, ● Primary location(s) of work, ● Term of performance, ● Dollar value, and ● Contract type, i.e., fixed-price, and cost reimbursement.).

Please clarify the following related to this submission requirement:

a. Which of the following documents should be included in Volume 1: Past Performance Information, to be submitted to USAID on December 6th :

● Past Performance Matrix (Section J)

● Contractor Performance Report-Short Form (from CPARS)

● A form listing the contracts not in CPARS that includes information from paragraph (b)#2

Volume 1 should include the Past Performance Matrix (Attachment J.4) and the Contractor Performance Report - Short Form (Attachment J.7), in accordance with instructions provided in Section L.8.

b. Should any of these documents also be included as annexes to the technical proposal, due to USAID on December 13th?

No, past performance documents should NOT be included as annexes to the technical proposal when submitted.

c. Should the Past Performance Matrix include relevant contracts from CPARS? If not, is the matrix required if all three relevant contracts are included in CPARS?

The Past Performance Matrix (Attachment J.4) should include all relevant contracts for evaluation. The Contractor Performance Report - Short Form (Attachment J.7) should be completed only for contracts not listed in CPARS. See full submission instructions at Section L.8 of the solicitation.

23. It is unclear if the information on relevant contracts requested in L.8, Factor 3 (a) 1 & 2 should be included in the Past Performance matrix or as separate forms (e.g. CPR Short Forms), or both. Please clarify.

Please see the response to question #22.

24. The Attachment J.4, Past Performance Matrix, is not listed as a requirement under Factor 3 Past Performance. Please confirm where this should be included and if more than 3 projects can be included in the matrix.

The solicitation has been revised to include the Past Performance Matrix (and the Contractor Performance Report - Short Form) in Section L.8. No more than three relevant contracts should be included for each organization included in the proposal, in accordance with Section L.8 and the response to question #3a.

25. Please clarify that past performance information is required only for the offeror, joint venture partners, and major sub-contractors (if any)?

In accordance with Section L.8, past performance information is required for the prime contractor, any organization in a joint venture or contractor teaming arrangement, and each major subcontractor. Please also see the response to question #3a.

26. The RFP states "For all contracts listed above that are not in CPARS, www.CPARS.gov provide a list of contact names, job titles, mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, explanation of relevance to the proposed acquisition and a description of the performance to include:

· Scope of work or complexity/diversity of tasks,

· Primary location(s) of work,

· Term of performance,

· Dollar value, and

· Contract type, i.e., fixed-price, and cost reimbursement."

Please confirm that the information we provide on these contracts may be included as part of Volume 1: Past Performance and are not subject to any page limitations? For those not in CPARS, please confirm if this information is required in a separate format/ in addition to the Past Performance matrix (e.g. in a Contractor Performance Report Short form)?

Yes, this information will be a part of Volume 1 and is not subject to any page limitations.

For contracts not in CPARS, offerors should submit the Contractor Performance Report - Short Form (Attachment J.7) in accordance with Section L.8.

27. Please confirm that the requirement to complete Column M is the only additional requirement for contracts without available CPARS? If this is not the case, please clarify if any further information is needed for those contracts without CPARS.

All past performance references should be listed in the Past Performance Matrix (Attachment J.4). For contracts without CPARS, offerors should also submit the Contractor Performance Report - Short Form and include the required information listed in Section L.8.

28. In the past performance Annex, USAID requests up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to work in the subject proposal. Given the vast range of contracts that have been awarded under this mechanism, what is the size, scope and complexity that USAID would like to see?

The solicitation states that USAID anticipates an aggregate ceiling amount of all awards resulting from this RFP to be approximately $655 million dollars over the five-year ordering period. The services under these awards require skills in monitoring, evaluation research design (including qualitative methods, quantitative impact evaluation methods, experimental and quasi-experimental design), data collection, analysis, and synthesis, report writing, and planning. The offeror should submit past performance references that are relevant to the information provided.

29. Kindly confirm that each contractor and sub-contractor in a consortium may submit up to three past performance references in one file in order to illustrate the breadth of a consortium’s experience.

Offerors should submit up to three past performance references each for itself, any major subcontractor, joint venture partner, or each organization in a contractor teaming arrangement.

30. How should past performance matrix (J.4), with “3 of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal” be submitted? Only as separate volume (Volume 1) on December 6, 2019, individually (L.8) only? L.6.1 indicates that past performance information should be submitted as annex to the technical proposal (Volume 2). Please clarify.

The solicitation has been revised. Volume 1 (Attachments J.4 and J.7) should be submitted by December 13, 2019, 12:00 pm Eastern Time. No past performance information is to be included with Volume 2.

31. L.8 CONTENT OF PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION “(a) The offeror (including all partners of a joint venture) must provide performance information for itself, the contractor teaming arrangements, if any, and each major subcontractor… 1. “ 1. List in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts.”

Confirm that a total of 3 past performance examples must be listed (for the Offeror and major subcontractor(s) combined)?

See response to question #3a.

32. L.8 CONTENT OF PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION “(a) The offeror (including all partners of a joint venture) must provide performance information for itself, the contractor teaming arrangements, if any, and each major subcontractor…”

If a Consortium does not include any major subcontractors, may the Offeror include one past performance reference for a subcontractor? If so, please elaborate what is allowed.

Past performance should only be submitted for the offeror, any major subcontractor, each organization in a contractor teaming arrangement or joint venture. See response to question #29.

33. L.8 Past Performance Information, “1. List in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal. The most relevant indicators of performance are contracts of similar size, scope, and complexity.”

Please provide USAID’s definition of “recent” with regards to allowable past performances? For example, would projects completed within the last five years qualify as “recent”?

USAID will accept references from projects completed within the last five years.

34. USAID defines major subcontractor as 25% of the work completed, however this is an IDIQ and these percentages will not be known in advance. How should a respondent address this in the past performance information? Should all subcontractors who may perform 25% or more of the contract submit information in addition to the prime contractor?

Yes, the prime and all subcontractors who may perform 25% or more of the contract should submit up to three past performance references each to be considered for evaluation in accordance with Sections L.8 and M.2.3.

35. Section L.8 states that offerors should list in an annex up to three of the most recent and relevant contracts as part of their past performance submission. Does this limit of three apply to the entire contractor teaming arrangement? Or may each subcontractor submit up to three contracts for evaluation?

See response to question #3a and others throughout this document.

36. L.8 Content of Past Performance Information on page 95 states “List in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal.” It is unclear whether any past performance information should be included in the Technical Proposal. It is understood that the Factor 3 Past Performance is to be submitted separately.

Will the government please confirm that the annex referred to above is in the separate Volume 1: Factor 3 – Past Performance Information? Will the government please consider revising the language in the solicitation document to state that no past performance information should be included in the Technical Proposal?

The solicitation has been revised to explicitly state that no past performance information should be included in the Technical Proposal. Please also see the responses to questions throughout this document.

37. L.6.1 Organization of Technical Proposal on page 93 states that the "Contractor Performance Report - Short-Form (from CPARS)" is not included in page count: Does this imply that we must include CPARS for contracts that have them in the past performance volume? What does "Short-Form" mean?

See instructions in Section L.8 of the solicitation. The Contractor Performance Report - Short Form is Attachment J.7.

38. It is unclear how Volume 2 Past Performance should be structured. What is the page limit for Volume 2 Past Performance? Should it be answered in narrative form or utilizing the government's "Past Performance Matrix" (reference question below)? The government also requested that the respondents "List in an annex to the technical proposal up to 3 of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts, similar to the work in the subject proposal". This instruction appears to conduct the government's request to prepare and submit Past Performance in a separate volume. Please clarify.

Volume 1 is Past Performance Information, per Sections L.5 and L.8. There is no page limit for past performance and it should be submitted in accordance with Section L.8. The solicitation has been updated to reflect revised submission instructions.

39. Should the PAST PERFORMANCE MATRIX be included in the Past Performance Volume 2 or submitted as separate document? Also, how many contracts would does the government want listed in the Matrix?

Per Section L.8, the offeror can submit up to three contracts for past performance references. If the offeror has a major subcontractor, is a part of a joint venture or contractor teaming arrangement, each organization should submit up to three past performance references to be included as a part of Volume 1.