72051421R00015 - Questions and Answers.pdf

Inclusive Justice Activity

Request for Proposals Number: 72051421R00015

Questions & Answers (Q&A) Document

TECHNICAL

1. RFP Section C.4.6 states, “the Contractor must set aside at least $24 million of its budget for

Subcontracts to Local Organizations and/or Grants Under Contracts (GUCs),” but section

L.8.A.10 states, “Offerors should use the Activity Fund to account for subcontracts to local organizations and Grants under Contract (GUCs). The Activity Fund must represent at least

$24 million of the total CLIN 001 budget.” The C.4.6 reference implies a $24 million

Activity Fund of total budget across CLIN 001 and CLIN 002, whereas the L.8.A.10 reference implies the Activity Fund is only $24 million of the CLIN 001 budget. Would

USAID clarify which understanding is correct?

USAID expects offerors to set aside at least $24 million of the total CLIN 001 budget for subcontracts to local organizations and Grants under Contract (GUCs). Offerors are expected to include subcontracts to local organizations and Grants under Contract (GUCs) under CLIN

002 as well.

2. Section L.7.2 states, “No part of the technical proposal is excluded from the page limitation” but Section L.6(o) states, “All information from appendices must be referenced in the technical proposal and summarized and included in the annex section.” Would USAID confirm that offerors are allowed to include annexes exempt from the technical proposal’s page limit, such as CVs?

In accordance with (IAW) Section L.7.2, d) Supporting Technical Information is included in the page limit. L.7.4 states that resumes of maximum three pages must be included for the key personnel. No additional resumes are required at this point and this information is not excluded from the page limitation. Section L.6(o) does not contradict this requirement.

3. Part III of the RFP lists Attachment J.19 “Guidance for Monitoring USAID/Colombia’s

Engagement with Stakeholders” as “included as a separate pdf document.” It is not, however, included with the RFP announcement attachments. Would USAID kindly provide this attachment?

Attachment J.19 has been added to the RFP in sam.gov.

4. Would USAID confirm that offerors may provide fewer than five key personnel?

IAW Section L.7.4.2, “The offeror must propose five key personnel positions and must ensure there is representation by a diverse team of diverse, qualified Colombian professionals in key positions.”

5. Page 109, Section L.7.2. Format, Page Limitation and Content, states: “The text in any text boxes included within the technical proposal must not be less than 12 points in size. Text in graphs, charts and text boxes may be less than 12 points in size but no less than 8 points and must be legible.” Please confirm that text in text boxes may be no smaller than 8 points.

Text boxes in the proposal must not use smaller than 12 point font to avoid Offerors using this as a loophole to add more text only information in boxes. Text in graphs and charts may be no less than 8 point font.

6. Page 111, Section L.7.4.1. Team Structure: USAID requests that offerors describe the roles and responsibilities of each position presented in the team structure diagram. In Section

L.7.4.2 Key Personnel, USAID requests that each proposed Key Personnel include a description of their role and responsibilities. Can USAID please confirm that offerors only need to include roles and responsibilities of each position in one section of the proposal, not both?

Confirmed. Please include this information in the Key Personnel section of the Supporting

Technical Information.

7. Page 138. Section C.4.8 Prohibition of Assistance to Law Enforcement in Colombia prohibits assistance to country law enforcement forces in the absence of a statutory exception or other authority. This prohibition includes security forces. Could USAID clarify whether this prohibition includes the CTI under the Fiscalia General de la República and other related investigative police units such as DIJIN and SIJIN within the National Police?

The prohibition applies.

8. Section L, page 110, states that "The Performance Work Statement must be consistent with the Special Considerations defined in Section C that will remain in the final contract.” Can

USAID please confirm that offerors do not need to include a description of the Special

Considerations in their own PWS?

The Special Considerations do not need to be copied and pasted into the Offeror’s PWS but it is up to each Offeror to determine to what degree they address/incorporate those special conditions in their technical proposal and within their PWS.

9. Section C.4.3, p.136 states “This Activity must incorporate a strategy for sustainability and private sector engagement.” Could USAID please confirm that this strategy will be developed after the contract award?

While the strategy will be developed after contract award, USAID expects the proposal to address the potential role that the private sector can play to sustain and scale development outcomes.

10. Section L.7.3.1, Performance Work Statement, page 109, states: “Offerors must provide a

PWS that describes the approach, the strategy, and the general interventions to achieve SOO objectives,” while Section, L.7.3.2, Supporting Technical Information, page 110, states that offerors must “Describe specific interventions to implement the methodologies described for each objective of their PWS” (emphasis added). Can USAID please confirm that offerors need to summarize their interventions (the “what”) in the PWS and detail each intervention

(“the how”) in the Supporting Technical Information?

Correct. The PWS should describe the overall approach to the SOO. As it will act as Section

C of the resulting contract it needs to properly balance clarity of approach with flexibility to adapt during performance. The Supporting Technical Information will give more specific aid in the evaluation of the proposed PWS but will contain items too specific and limiting to be included in Section C of a contract.

11. Section L.7.3.2, Supporting Technical Information, page 110, states: “this section must supplement the proposed methodology and approach described in the PWS by giving specifics on the Offeror’s methods to implementing the proposed PWS.” Can USAID please confirm that the Supporting Technical Information will not become part of Section C of the awarded contract?

Confirmed. See Q10.

12. Section L.7.4.1, Team Structure, page 111, requires offerors to: “describe the roles and responsibilities of each position. The Contractor must clearly define technical positions within the organizational chart and explain the expected role of such positions in order to achieve program objectives.” In Section L.7.4.2, Key Personnel, page 111, offerors are requested to provide “a description, roles and responsibilities" for each key personnel position. Could USAID kindly confirm that descriptions of key personnel positions, whether they are operational or technical, only need to be provided in the Key Personnel section and not under Team Structure?

Confirmed. See Q6.

13. Section L.7.3.2, Supporting Technical Information, page 110, states: “In the Supporting

Technical Information document, the Offeror must: .... Include a Quality Assurance and

Surveillance Plan (QASP)." Given the added length of the QASP for such a large project with potentially hundreds of deliverables, would USAID consider allowing Offerors to include the QASP in an annex that does not count toward the 60-page limit?

The QASP is to be submitted as a separate document. It is not considered part of the PWS or

Supporting Technical Information for purposes of the evaluation. As such, it is not included in the 60 page limit for the technical proposal.

14. Section L.7.2, Format, Page Limitation and Content, page 109, states: “The written Technical

Proposal is limited to sixty (60) pages. No part of the technical proposal is excluded from the page limitation… The page limitation stated above…is inclusive of the sections listed below, as well as any other additions (i.e., table of contents, acronyms list, etc.).” We have the following related questions:

a. Would USAID consider allowing Offerors to include dividers, that do not count towards the page limit, between sections and annexes?

Pages with no content will not count against the page limit.

b. Would USAID please reconsider allowing Offerors to include a cover page, cover letter, table of contents, and acronyms list that do not count towards the page limit?

These are all included in the page limit.

15. Section L.7.4.2, Key Personnel, page 111, states: “resumes of maximum 3 pages which includes three professional references including their email and phone number” must be included in the Management Section of the proposal. Given that Offerors are required to propose five key personnel positions, and the resumes will take a total of 15 pages of the sixty-page proposal, would USAID kindly allow Offerors to move Key Personnel resumes to a separate annex that is excluded from the overall page limit?

Key Personnel resumes are part of the 60 page limit. Resumes are not required to be the maximum length.

16. Section L.7.5.a, Past Performance, page 112, has the following requirements:

List two (2) of the most recent and relevant performed contracts or on-going contracts…for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal…using the template provided in Section

J.5.” The next statement from the RFP reads, “2. For all contracts listed above that are not in

CPARS, provide a list of contact names, job titles…scope of work or complexity/diversity of tasks, primary locations of work, period of performance, etc.…”

We have the following questions related to these requirements:

a. Could USAID please confirm that Offerors should use Attachment J.5, Past

Performance Report – Short Form, even for performed contracts that are currently in CPARS?

Confirmed.

b. If not, how and in what format should Offerors provide this information for contracts with CPARs?

See response above.

c. Would USAID consider allowing the information required under Section L.7.5

Past Performance, including past performance references and performance in using small business concerns, to be excluded from the overall page limit?

Past Performance information is included in the technical proposal and the page limit.

17. Section L.7.6, page 114, includes requirements for the Branding Implementation Plan and

Marking Plan. Could USAID please confirm that the Branding Implementation Plan and

Marking Plan is to be submitted as an annex to the technical proposal that does not count toward the 60-page limit?

The Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan may be submitted as a separate document outside of the page limit and is not considered part of the PWS or Supporting

Technical Information for purposes of the evaluation.

18. Section C.3.2, Description of Objectives, page 134, for Objective 1, states: “Additionally, the activity must track and measure: …The increase in the number of prosecutors, judges, court assistants, criminal investigators, and public defendants, family commissioners per municipality…” Could USAID kindly confirm that Offerors are only required to track and measure this indicator and are not expected to achieve specific output targets for these indicators?

Offerors are expected to achieve specific output targets for these indicators.

19. Section F.6.10, Annual Performance Report, page 26, states that this deliverable has a “Due

Date: 30 calendar days after the end of each U.S. fiscal Year.” Section F.7, Fixed Fee

Payment Schedule, page 30, indicates the 1st Annual Performance Report is due 15 calendar days after the end of the U.S. fiscal year. Would USAID kindly clarify whether the Annual

Performance Reports are due 15 or 30 calendar days after the end of the U.S. fiscal year?

IAW Section F.6.10, Annual Performance Reports are due “30 calendar days after the end of the U.S. fiscal year.” Please disregard the due date for the Annual Performance Report included in Section F.7.

20. Section C.2.3 Annual Stakeholder Dialogues, page 12, states: “…the Activity will support annual stakeholder dialogues with USAID-- both in Bogota with Colombia human rights stakeholders and in Washington D.C. with international ones --.”. For budgeting purposes, could USAID confirm its expectation as to the number of participants and the duration (days) for these events?

These events must last a day and have between 30 to 50 participants.

COST/BUSINESS

21. Attachment J.6 budget guidance and template–summary budget includes only five years for

CLIN 002. Would USAID provide a revised template that extends CLIN 002 years from five to seven, or confirm that bidders may revise in accordance with RFP requirements for CLIN

002 in L.8?

The period of performance for CLIN 001 is 5 years. Task Orders may go beyond that period of performance but will use the Year 5 rates.

22. Section F.2(a) states the period of performance as seven years, but section F.2(b) states, “The period of performance for CLIN 001 is five (5) years ….” Would USAID please confirm that the period of performance for implementation is five years and that offerors should submit detailed budgets for a five-year period?

23. Section F.2, Period of Performance, RFP p16. Could USAID please confirm that offerors may only budget costs for five years under CLIN 001, and that the seven-year period of performance only applies to activities under a future CLIN 002 task order?

24. Section L.8.B, RFP p 122 lists “illustrative positions” for CLIN 002 labor categories. Could

USAID please confirm that offerors may include additional or alternative labor categories, for example including management or administrative staff to provide operational support for task order implementation? Could USAID also confirm that offerors may adjust the budget template accordingly to include proposed labor categories?

Offeror’s may propose additional management/administrative positions and rates that have lower rates than the positions listed as this would result in cost savings to the USG. Note that all rates act as ceiling rates for future task orders. The successful Offeror will be reimbursed for actual salary rates.

25. Could USAID please confirm that offerors may adjust the provided budget template to account for their cost structures?

Offerors may deviate slightly from the template however they are reminded that USAID anticipates awarding without discussions. As such, major deviations from the templates may create questions if not sufficiently explained in the written budget narrative.

26. Section H.3.a.2, ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION, Limitations, page 41, states: “All Cooperating Country Nationals (CCNs) and Third Country

Nationals (TCNs) salaries must not exceed the Local compensation Plan (LCP).” In order for offerors to comply with this requirement, could USAID please share the most recent

Local Compensation Plan for USAID/Colombia?

Yes. The relevant rates have been added to the RFP as Attachment J.20.

27. Section L.8, Instructions for the Preparation of the Cost/Business Proposal, Part 2 A: CLIN

001, section 13, pages 119-120, requires offerors to include costs for the following items as separate line items in the budget:

● Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP) and Quality Assurance

Surveillance Plan (QASP).

● Branding and Marking Plan

● Communications and Outreach Plan

● Security costs

As the budget will include resources for these items from different sections of budget, such as Salaries & Wages, Travel, and ODCs, could USAID please confirm that separate budgets for these items are not required, but instead that the budget narrative should describe how they will be resourced?

A specific line item in the budget excel sheet is not required if all of the above identified costs are clearly explained and justified in the budget narrative. USAID will conduct cost realism on all cost proposals and may perform probable cost adjustments if specific costs are missing, incomplete, or inadequately explained/justified.

28. Section J.6 of the RFP provides a budget template; however, Section L.8, Instructions for the preparation of the Cost Proposal, page 115, instructs the following: “The cost proposal must be submitted in a separate volume from the technical proposal and must contain the components set forth in Section J.6– BUDGET TEMPLATE…”. We have the following questions related to this requirement:

a. Could USAID please confirm whether offerors and subcontractors must use the budget template provided in Section J.6 to submit their proposed budgets, or can offerors and subcontractors use their own budget templates, which would include all cost items included in the J.6 budget template? This flexibility would help offerors and subcontractors to match their proposed budget with their own accounting systems and facilitate project billing and avoid additional administrative burdens.

All proposals must use the budget template provided in Section J.6. See also responses to Questions 25 and 27.

b. If contractors must use the J.6 Budget template, can USAID confirm that budget items lines can be added to the template, or shifted between budget categories, and that additional tabs can be added to better reflect costs proposed by the offerors according to their technical proposal and accounting systems?

Confirmed. See also responses to Questions 25 and 27.

29. Section L.8, Part 2- Proposed Costs and Prices/ Detailed Budget Narrative, Item B. CLIN

002, page 123, requires offerors to propose ceiling daily rates (CDRs) for each of ten (10) illustrative positions listed on page 123. However, the LOE tab of the budget template provided in Attachment J.6 lists 23 illustrative positions, some of which are also included in the list of 10 positions on page 123 of the RFP. We have the following questions related to this requirement:

a. Could USAID please confirm the exact number and name of positions for which it is requiring proposed ceiling daily rates?

Please provide CDRs for each of the 10 positions listed on Page 123 and adjust the budget template accordingly.

b. Could USAID please confirm the total number of person-days that offerors must use against the labor categories, and whether the person-days must be equally distributed across all categories and all years, as indicated in both sets of instructions?

IAW Section L.8.B, “For estimating purposes, the Offeror must propose costs for a total of 2,143 person-days equally distributed across all labor categories for each year of the seven-year contract.”

c. Should CDRs be proposed for just 5 years, as required by Attachment J.6, or for 7 years as requested in the following instruction on page 123: “For estimating purposes, the Offeror must propose costs for a total of 2,143 person-days equally distributed across all labor categories for each year of the seven-year contract.”

See response above.

30. Section L.8, Part 2- Proposed Costs and Prices/ Detailed Budget Narrative, Item B. CLIN

002, page 123, states: “The Offeror must include in its cost proposal sufficient detail to support and explain all costs proposed, giving figures and narrative explanation. For example, labor costs should be proposed for the above listed categories supported by daily rates and specified labor escalation, with supporting documentation”. Could USAID please clarify what specific supporting documentation would be considered valid to support proposed labor costs?

The budget narrative should explain how rates were calculated/estimated, how any escalation rates were calculated and why positions are needed if not self-evident or not clear from the technical proposal.

31. Section L.8, Part 3, Representations, Certifications and other Statements of Offerors, page

123, requests offerors and proposed subcontractors to document they are registered with the

System for Award Management (www.sam.gov), per FAR part 4, and also requests

Representations and Certifications in Section K from the offeror and each proposed subcontractor. Could USAID please clarify if these requirements apply only to major subcontractors, which per Section L.7.5, page 113 are defined as having proposed costs that exceed 20% of offeror’s total proposed cost?

For purposes of the RFP, yes. Please note that use of USAID funds on subcontractors, minus a few exceptions, require the subcontractor to be registered in SAM. Likewise, Offerors are responsible for ensuring any Reps. & Certs that are required for subcontractors in accordance with the FAR are properly documented prior to using USAID funds.

32. Section L.8, Part 5, Information Concerning Workday, Workweek, and Paid Absences, page

123, requests a Workday, Workweek Statement from the offeror and each proposed subcontractor. Could USAID please clarify if this requirement applies only to the prime http://www.sam.gov/ offeror and to major subcontractors, which per Section L.7.5, page 113, are defined as having proposed costs that exceed 20% of offeror’s total proposed cost?

Correct. Please note that if non-major subcontractors are included in the budget proposal, information on LOE for labor is likely still relevant and necessary information to determine the reasonableness and realism of the proposed costs.

33. Section L.8, Part 8, page 124, requests submission of evidence of responsibility information for the prime Offeror and subcontractors. Could USAID please clarify if this requirement applies only to major subcontractors, which per Section L.7.5, page 11, are defined as having proposed costs that exceed 20% of offeror’s total proposed cost?

Evidence of responsibility needs to be provided for any subcontractors that require consent to subcontract pursuant to FAR Subpart 44.2. If an offeror is proposing a specific subcontract in their proposal it may only receive prior approval at time of award if this information is provided.

34. Section L.8, Part 6, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, (page 124), encourages Offerors to submit a subcontracting plan to “address subcontracting with small businesses (SB), veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business.” This plan is required to be submitted using the USAID Small Business Subcontracting Plan template (FY21), which does not allow $0 goals for any category of small businesses. In addition, the RFP cover letter encourages the use of local organizations as subcontractors, as part of the project’s implementation. We would respectfully point out that these two requirements are at odds, as the requirement to maximize the utilization of US small businesses would effectively negate efforts to utilize local organizations as subcontractors, and vice-versa. In light of these competing requirements, will USAID consider removing the requirement for Offerors to submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan that requires utilization across all US Small

Business categories, and allow offerors to submit a Subcontracting Plan in accordance with their technical proposals?

While USAID/Colombia appreciates the challenges in addressing both small business subcontracting and utilization of local organizations, the Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required.

35. With regards to Section K of the RFP (pages 89-92), which incorporates FAR 52.204-24 and

Section 889, Covered Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment under FAR 4.2104, we have the following questions: we respectfully request that the Mission provide information (if available) that can help create an even playing field among offerors and improve the quality of proposals received by USAID. This question relates specifically to basic services of cellular telephone and internet service providers (ISPs) that all offerors will need to use in the implementation of this project. First, USAID, through its own efforts as well as a recipient of information provided by many implementing partners in-country is in the position of having more information than any one partner is likely to have. Second, where covered technology exists, offerors have the option of requesting waivers or proposing alternate technologies that can bypass ISPs or local cell service, but which are significantly more expensive. Yet it is impossible for offerors to know USAID/Colombia’s preference if not communicated. We very respectfully request the following:

a. If USAID is aware of covered technology use by an in-country ISP or cellular phone service provider, could you please provide this information to all offerors?

USAID worldwide policy is that offerors/contractors are responsible for doing their own due diligence on these issues.

b. If USAID is processing waivers for use of ISPs or cellular phone services in

Colombia, we respectfully request that this information be provided so that offerors can plan and budget accordingly.

Please review: https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/resources-for-partners/section-

889-partner-information

c. Can USAID please let us know if it has an expectation or preference regarding processing (or not) waiver requests for basic services such as ISP or cellular services in Colombia?

USAID does not consider this issue as part of the evaluation process.

d. Can USAID confirm that requesting such a waiver will not in and of itself negatively impact the evaluation of offers for this solicitation?

See previous response.

36. Section L.8.2.A.15, Part 2 - Proposed Costs and Prices/ Detailed Budget Narrative, CLIN

001, Fixed Fee, page 122, states: “Fee under CLIN 001 will be paid in accordance with

Section F.7. Section F.7 only associated 30% of the fixed feed with specific deliverables.

Offerors must propose measurable targets or outputs based on their specific Performance

Work Statement to tie to the final 70% of fixed fee payments. USAID reserves the right to adjust this fixed fee schedule for the final contract regardless of whether discussions are held or not.” (Underline added for emphasis). We believe that this unilateral approach for setting a final payment schedule, without allowing the offeror to negotiate in good faith as to the deliverables it is responsible for, or the fee payments associated with those deliverables, in unfair and unreasonable, given the complexity of the project and large number of ambitious deliverables in the SOO. We respectfully request that USAID remove the underline sentence referenced above and engage in good faith and bilateral negotiations with the selected offeror as to the final fixed fee payment plan.

Should an award be made without discussion, if an Offeror does not agree with the final terms of the contract provided for their review and signature, they are free to reject the contract and USAID will move on to the next best Offeror.

37. Section B.2, CONTRACT TYPE AND SERVICE, page 8, states that the contract will consist of a Cost-plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Completion (CLIN 001) and a single-award

Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) type contract (CLIN 002) for the purpose of https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/resources-for-partners/section-889-partner-information https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/resources-for-partners/section-889-partner-information providing supplemental technical assistance. Can USAID please clarify under which contract type(s) will the task orders under the IDIQ (CLIN 002) be issued (CPFF or Firm

Fixed Price)?

Task orders are limited to CPFF term type task orders in accordance with the PEB on this hybrid award structure, which is the reason for the required LOE chart and rates. In limited circumstances a FFP task order could be used.

38. Section B.2, CONTRACT TYPE AND SERVICE, page 8, states that the IDIQ portion of the contract, represents 15% of the total estimated cost, (CLIN 002). Can USAID please clarify whether Offerors need to propose a CLIN 002 budget with an exact total of 15% of the grand total budget, using the LOE estimated for this CLIN 002 in the RFP instructions, and using the plug numbers for CLIN 002 provided by USAID in this RFP, or whether the 15% estimated total for CLIN 002 is a ceiling or minimum budget total for CLIN 002?

It is expected that CLIN 002 accounts for exactly 15 percent of the total estimated cost of the individual offer, in order to level the competition requirements for all offerors.

39. Section B.3.c, Payment of Fixed Fee, CLIN 002, page 9, states: “Payment of the corresponding fixed fee for each Task Order will be negotiated at the task order level upon receipt of a proper invoice and must directly correspond to the percentage of level of effort being paid.” Can USAID please clarify whether the payment of the fixed fee on CPFF tasks under the CLIN 002 IDIQ will be tied to the LOE (e.g., number of days) expended, or to the dollar amount expended on labor, indirect costs and ODCs?

Payment of fixed fee will be tied to the provision of LOE as these task orders will be CPFF term type mechanisms. See FAR 16.306(d) for more information.

40. Section F.2.a, Period of Performance, page 16, states:” The period of performance for this contract is seven (7) years from [TBD] to [TBD] subject to the conditions set forth in Section

H.25.” For budgeting purposes, can USAID provide an estimated Period of Performance start date?

USAID anticipates the award date to be in Q1 or Q2 of FY 2022.

41. Section L.8.2.a, Part 2 - Proposed Costs and Prices/ Detailed Budget Narrative, page 115, states: “Include in your cost proposal sufficient detail to support and explain all costs proposed, giving figures and narrative explanation.” Can USAID please confirm that the

"figures" mentioned in the instructions shall be furnished in the Excel file, whereas the

"narrative explanation" shall be furnished in the budget narrative, but that no figures are required to be duplicated in the budget narrative.

Figures are not required in the budget narrative. The purpose of the budget narrative is to explain the specific costs in the excel sheet, how they were calculated, and/or justify the need for the costs. USAID performs cost analysis and cost realism analysis on these budgets and anticipates awarding without discussion. Offerors are reminded that the burden is on them to demonstrate their costs are fair, reasonable, and realistic. As such it behooves Offerors, and their proposed subcontractor, to clearly break out costs as much as possible, explain the basis for how costs were estimated, justify the necessity for costs and to clearly link the budget excel sheet with the budget narrative to the greatest extent possible.

42. Section L.8.2.b, CLIN 002, page 122, requires offerors to propose ceiling daily rates for each of the 10 illustrative positions listed, with qualifications that “include at least 5 years of relevant experience.” We have the following questions regarding these instructions:

a. Can USAID provide a more explicit range of work experience for these labor categories/positions, such as: five to seven years of relevant experience, as there is a considerable difference in salaries for experience levels above 5 years, such as

10 years, 15 years, or 20 years, all of which meet the requirement as stipulated in the RFP.

The rates must be for positions with at least 5 years of experience. This guidance was given to ensure Offeror’s don’t under-budget for the rates given they will act as ceiling rates for any future task orders.

b. Can USAID clarify whether the positions are intended for CCNs or USNs, or both?

These rates will act as ceiling rates for those positions. Actual salary rates will be used for individual task orders but cannot exceed the ceiling rate.

43. Attachment J-6, BUDGET GUIDANCE AND TEMPLATE in Excel, Summary Tab, only contains cells covering 5 years. However, we understand that CLIN 002 may be activated throughout a duration of 7 years. Can USAID please provide guidance as to how the

Summary budget for CLIN 002 should be detailed?

The period of performance for CLIN 001 is 5 years. Task orders may go beyond that period

44. Attachment J-6, BUDGET GUIDANCE AND TEMPLATE in Excel, LOE Tab, Rows 45 and below, contains a table with the following instructions: Please list the personnel proposed, their job title, proposed starting salary and salary range under which the position falls.

a. Can USAID please provide additional guidance on what this table represents, how it should be filled out, and what its purpose is.

The purpose of the continued table is to provide offerors with space to add any additional positions included in their proposals. Fill it out with the information requested on each header. The table represents the LOE required to achieve the contractual objectives.

b. Is the table tied to CLIN 001 or CLIN 002, and is it only applicable to named personnel (instead of TBD personnel)?

The table is not tied to either CLIN, and it is applicable to positions, not individuals.

c. Should this information be entered in the Excel file (Attachment J-6) instead of the budget narrative?

This information is to be completed in Attachment J.6 and any additional information to clarify is to be included in the Budget Narrative.

[END OF Q&A DOCUMENT FOR 72051421R00015]