BRICC_Amendment_No._2_-_Q&A.pdf

August 12, 2019

Subject: Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 72027819R00006

Building Resilient and Inclusive Communities in Conflict (BRICC) Activity Amendment #2

The purpose of this Amendment is:

A. The RFP is amended as follows: All amendments to the RFP are highlighted in green in the RFP Amendment 2 document on fbo.gov. Any highlighted strikethrough (i.e., strikethrough)text has been removed from the RFP. Changes to the RFP are noted below in the responses to questions.

B. Answers to Question received from various offerors via email:

Question No. 1: In the amended RFP USAID provided a revised attachment J.2

“Cost/Pricing Evaluation Matrix” which states, “the overall price resulting from the attached matrix from the Offeror’s proposal will be used for evaluation purposes.” The instructions direct offerors to use their proposed unburdened ceiling rates reflected in Section B.6.1 Table 1 and the proposed ceilings for indirect rates and fixed fee. There are no assumptions for level-of-effort or ODC plug figures, and USAID responded in Q&A that

“that offerors should propose labor days/LOE for all categories, senior, mid-level and junior.” The absence of a scope of work or assumptions for the level-of-effort or other illustrative cost elements may prevent offerors from submitting bids which can be evaluated equally. Would USAID please provide offerors with these assumptions to ensure that the overall prices resulting from the matrix can be evaluated equally?

Answer No. 1: Please see the revised “Cost/Pricing Evaluation Matrix” which includes assumptions and level of effort. The RFP has been amended accordingly.

Question No. 2: In the amendment Q&A, #15, USAID answered that “Offerors may propose separate CDR ceilings for each category” referencing

“headquarters-based staff, CCNs, TCNs and Expats, etc.; i.e, based on hiring/employment location.” However, RFP section B.6.1(b) still states that “Unburdened Ceiling Daily Rates (“CDR”) apply to all labor (i.e., the prime contractor, subcontractor, Third Country

Nationals (“TCNs”), Cooperating Country Nationals (“CCNs”), and consultant salaries) on cost-type task orders.” Additionally, if offerors do propose different CDRs for each category, which should be used for the purposes of the Cost/Pricing Evaluation Matrix? Can USAID please clarify the intent of their answer in the Q&A to ensure consistency across offers?

Answer No. 2: See response No. 1 above. See amendment to the RFP.

Question No. 3: In the amended RFP, there is some discrepancy as to which year

CDRs offerors should use to complete the Cost/Price Matrix.

Specifically, Attachment J.2 instructions on page 131 state that "The offeror will complete the Cost/Price Matrix below by including the proposed unburdened ceiling daily rates reflected in Section B.6.1

Table 1 for Senior, Mid and Junior level categories.” However, at the bottom of the same page, the RFP states that "The offeror will multiply the proposed CDR (use the rate proposed in the last year of the contract) with the offeror’s proposed level of effort in person-days”. As Table 1 in B.6.1 only includes CDRs for year 1, it is not clear which rates should be used (either Year 1 or Year 7). Can

USAID please clarify?

Answer No. 3: Please use Year 1 rates. The Cost/Pricing Evaluation Matrix has been revised accordingly. See response No. 1 above.

Question No. 4: The RFP is asking either for audited financials or CPA reviewed financials. As my company a (WOSB/VOSB) in newly formed, it has neither. How would that be dealt with or is there a “suitable substitute”? The company has financial stability from its minority partner/shareholder, Would their financials be accepted with the

(WOSB/VOSB) as the bidder? Or? How do ‘newly formed’ companies get past this requirement when responding to RFP’s?

Answer No. 4: Please see “Exceptions for Small Business Offerors Only” in section

L.8 of the RFP. As stated in this section, if the offeror does not have a

NICRA, it must provide either “audited financial statements” or

“reviewed financial statements.”

Question No. 5: We are requesting -- in order to provide Offerors with the required information to prepare a Cost/Price Evaluation Matrix that can be evaluated for realism and reasonableness equitably across bids – that

USAID please provide either:

1. Illustrative LOE for all labor categories and locally-hired personnel and plug figures for Other Direct Costs D-K.1 or

2. An illustrative activity (including scope of work, places of performance, duration, and total estimated cost range) against which

Offerors should base their LOE and ODC estimates.

Answer No. 5: See response No. 1 above.

Question No. 6: In Q&A 40, 41, 42, 46, and 47 USAID has indicated that it will provide no plug figures for ODCs and Grants, and no plug figures for

LOE for the labor categories in the Cost/Price Evaluation Matrix in

Attachment J.2. In the absence of such plug figures, bidders will make significantly varied assumptions regarding all of these parameters, resulting in divergent price offers which cannot be compared meaningfully. For example, one bidder may assume subgrants at $1 million, and another $3 million (as well as different

LOE and ODCs pools), resulting in completely different scale and structure. This would make USAID’s evaluation process significantly more difficult, and without a common understanding by Offerors of the factors that are being evaluated in the matrix. Adding such plug figures would provide a level playing field and allow USAID to easily compare proposals based on the contractor-specific variables, namely CDRs, ceiling indirect costs and ceiling fee, thereby facilitating USAID’s review of the evaluation matrix.

We therefore respectfully request that USAID reconsider and provide plug figures for ODCs, Grants, and LOE that can be used equally by all offerors.

Answer No. 6: See response No. 1 above and amendment 2 to the RFP, which includes ODC and LOE assumptions.