J.10 Questions and Answers to the RFP.pdf

Solicitation No. 72062124R00003

Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Support Activity (WISA)

No. Questions USAID’s Comment

1. In Kapenta, Kalole, Ninde, Kazila, and

Utili, the quantities of HDPE poly pipes are being directed to an external excel link, but since the link isn't opening, it is showing as

``0`` zero quantities. Please specify these quantities.

Please refer to the revised Bills Of Quantities ( See

Attachment J.1 Unpriced Bills of Quantities 1.1 - 43

Water Supply Projects - Amendment_1 to the RFP)

2. The BOQ for Swaila is not available in the

Excel file. Please provide.

The BOQ for Swaila is now included in the Bills Of

Quantities. Please refer to the revised Bills Of

Quantities Attachment J.1 Unpriced Bills of Quantities

1.1 - 43 Water Supply Projects - Amendment_1 to the

RFP

3. There is no specification for the furniture.

Please provide.

Please refer to the revised Bills Of Quantities which now includes details for furniture. (See Attachment J.1

Unpriced Bills of Quantities 1.1 - 43 Water Supply

Projects - Amendment_1 to the RFP)

4. There is no specification for O&M. Please provide.

Please refer to the revised Bills Of Quantities which now includes specifications for O&M. ( See

Attachment J.1 Unpriced Bills of Quantities 1.1 - 43

Water Supply Projects - Amendment_1 to the RFP)

5. Fences are indicated as 1600mm in the drawings. But In the specifications, they are listed as 2000mm, and also in the BOQ, along with those not specified, they are listed as 2m and 1.8m. Please clarify.

Fence specifications which apply to all sites is

· Height: 2 meters.

The BOQ has been revised to clearly state this requirement. (See Attachment J.1 Unpriced Bills of

Quantities 1.1 - 43 Water Supply Projects -

Amendment_1 to the RFP)

6. In the BOQ for the storage tanks, some items are specified as concrete manhole cover and steel manhole cover, while others are specified simply as "Man hole cover

600mmx600mm". Please clarify whether it should be concrete or steel.

The BOQ has been revised to clearly specify the manhole cover specifications. (See Attachment J.1

7. In the BOQ for the storage tanks, some items are specified as sand, while others are specified as fine sand and coarse sand.

Please clarify for the item specified only as sand.

Coarse sand is required. The BOQ has been revised to clearly specify this specification. (See Attachment J.1

8. In the BOQ for the storage tanks, some items are specified as "Aggregates (1/2")" and "Aggregates (3/4")", while others are specified simply as "Aggregates". Please specify.

The BOQ has been revised to specify the size of aggregates. (See Attachment J.1 Unpriced Bills of

Quantities 1.1 - 43 Water Supply Projects -

Amendment_1 to the RFP)

9. In the BOQ for the storage tanks, some items are specified as concrete manhole and steel manhole cover, while others are specified as "Man hole cover

600mmx600mm". Please clarify whether it should be concrete or steel.

The BOQ has been revised to clearly specify the manhole cover specifications. (See Attachment J.1

10. In section "J.2 Technical Specifications J.2.1

43 Water Supply projects and Wastewater

Facilities" on page 6, it states: "Supply, erection, testing and commissioning of

Electricity Line feeding the boreholes and

Transformers at each borehole site as per specifications. Electricity Lines and

Transformers shall be installed as per

TANESCO power lines distribution’s guidelines."

Additionally, in section "J.1 Unpriced Bills of Quantities J.1.1 - 43 Water Supply

Projects", there is an item listed for each site titled "Electrification - Grid electricity or solar".

It is unclear if these requirements are the same or different. Could you please clarify and provide more details?

“Supply, erection, testing and commissioning of

Electricity Line feeding the boreholes and

Transformers at each borehole site as per specifications. Electricity Lines and Transformers shall be installed as per TANESCO power lines distribution’s guidelines”. is deleted please see

Attachment J.2 Technical Specifications J.2.1 43

Water Supply projects and Wastewater Facilities

Amendment_1

There will be no connection of electricity to the drilled boreholes under this solicitation.

Electrification mentioned under J.1.1 - 43 water supply projects is meant to power the water pumps for non-gravity fed water supply projects. The BOQs specify which projects require electrification from TANESCO.

11. Regarding the provision of electrical power from either the grid or solar, What are the criteria for selecting between solar or grid

Sites that require solar or grid connection are indicated in the BOQs. In addition, drawings and pump specifications are indicated for each site.

connection, and how will this selection be made? If the grid is chosen, what is the distance to the site, and will it be low voltage or medium voltage? If medium voltage, will the contractor be responsible for obtaining permissions and supplying materials? Additionally, there are no details or drawings provided for this. Could you please provide single-line diagrams, transformer details (if grid), solar power details and drawings (if solar), required power specifications, and connection drawings?

12. There are no electrical drawings provided for any of the sites. Could you please provide electrical drawings for all sites?

Drawings are added. Please see Attachment J.3.4

Electrical Wiring_Amendment_1 to the RFP

13. Furthermore, there are offices at each site, but there are no electrical details provided for them. Could you please provide electrical drawings for the offices as well?

Drawings are added. Please Attachment J.3.4

Electrical Wiring_Amendment_1 to the RFP

14. Some of the sites have pumps, but there are no details on where their power will come from or their connection details. Could you please provide drawings and details for this?

The power requirements (solar or connection from grid) are clearly specified in the BOQ, please refer to the BOQ for each site.

15. If there are any additional electrical items apart from those mentioned above, could you please provide more information and details regarding them? This includes any electrical equipment, fixtures, or components required for the water supply projects and wastewater facilities. Examples may include lighting fixtures, power outlets, distribution panels, switchgear, or any other electrical infrastructure needed for the project. Additionally, specifications, drawings, and details for these electrical items would be appreciated to ensure comprehensive planning and implementation of the electrical systems for the project.

The revised BOQ indicates electrical items requirements per each site.

16. FSTP – optional yet is not clear. What will determine the decision to construct?

The completion of the environmental assessment will determine if USAID will support construction of the

FSTP.

17. Section D3 Branding and Marking Strategy refers to USAID Maji Bombani – is this an error or does USAID intend for WISA to be branded this way?

It is not an error, the project will be known as WASH infrastructure Support Activity (WISA) - USAID Maji

Bombani in Kiswahili Language.

18. During site visit, we noticed that some of the water pipe routes from the intake point to the storage tanks pass through reserved forests e.g the magoe water supply project in makete.

Are we allowed to cut down trees during construction? Will USAID assist the contractor in acquiring permits if needed?

USAID and the Quality Assurance Contractor will provide guidance as per the approved Initial

Environmental Examination, Environmental Mitigation and Management Plan and local environmental requirements.

19 Section L.8 states The Technical Proposal is limited to a maximum of 30 pages. These should be in size 12 Times Romans font, single spaced and shall be written in

English.

Could we use a 10-font size for tables and charts?

Yes, tables and charts can be in 10-font size for tables and charts.

20 Factor 3: Past Performance is limited to 2 pages.

Considering the information requested, could USAID consider increasing the number of pages in this section?

Past performance information has been changed to 5 pages maximum

21 Proposal closing date on the cover letter indicates March 25, 2024, at 23:00 EAT and section L.7 d indicates March 25, 2024, 5:00pm, East Africa Time.

Since site visit has taken a week, could

USAID consider extending the proposal due date and time by at least 2 weeks, and provide a consistent date and time for submission?

The design team recommends adding 2 weeks to enable bidders to have sufficient time to prepare responsive bids.

Submission due date is changed. Deadline for Receipt of Proposal: April 12, 2024, at 23:00 EAT

22 As per Contract Documents, we have received the Coordinates for the

BOREHOLES but for the Water supply

Scope, we didn’t find any Coordinates of the Locations. Please share Coordinates for

Water Supply Scope.

The revised BOQ now includes the project/site name, district in which the site is located, distance from the district headquarter to the site and the GPS coordinates.

23 During Prebid Meeting Slides shared in the

Google Meeting, there was a detailed study for Google Earth coordinates and location for Pipelines for proposed Water Supply

Project. If possible, please share with us the

Google Earth Files for Water Supply Scope for us to locate the exact locations.

The google earth coordinates for specific sites have included in the BOQ, in addition the coordinates for pipe routes will be shared with the successful bidder during site settings for construction.

24 As per BOQ Shared in Contract Documents it’s mentioned that “Transportation for pipes and fittings to respective sites including loading and offloading the pipes” for all Construction Areas but the shared

KM Quantities are different. Also, it is

It is the responsibility of the bidder to determine where they will source the pipes and fittings. USAID shall require pipes and fittings that meet the required technical specifications at site. Pipes manufacturers are available in Tanzania in various locations.

uncertain the Departure Point for this KM.

Have you got any confirmation that the

Departure Point is Dar es Salaam Port?(or from another Location)

25 The BOQ includes unit rates for labor and equipment. However, some BOQ items necessitate specific equipment and labor costs to be included, such as excavations, site clearances, and other construction elements. Additionally, the quantified amounts in the BOQ for labor and equipment are significantly lower than the anticipated consumption. Could you please clarify the purpose of the labor and equipment line items in the BOQ? Do these line items, along with the amounts, refer to the entire project consumption?

The BOQ has been revised to itemize the needed materials, equipment and labor.

26 The BOQ includes units such as boxes and bundles but lacks accurate quantification.

For instance, the quantity of ceramic tiles in a box may vary from supplier to supplier.

Will USAID provide more precise units for these items?

The BOQ has been revised to provide clearer specifications.

27 The BOQ indicates 'bonding' costs for specific zones but not as a single item. Is it the Government's intention to provide bonding for each site, or will the total bonding cost be distributed equally?

The “bonding costs” item is now deleted from each project site. Please follow the bonding cost requirement specified in the RFP.

28 Is it possible for USAID to accept partial substantial completion for the works in different zones to initiate the Defect

Liability Period separately.

USAID shall accept partial substantial completion for the completed works in different zones to initiate the

Defect Liability Period.

29 Who is responsible for obtaining permissions for the electrical connection?

The contractor is responsible for obtaining such permission, including making payments for any connection fees.

30 If the power requirement specified in the

BOQ for the pumps is not sufficient, will it be the contractor's responsibility to increase it?

The designed power requirement meets the pump requirement. The role of the Contractor is to implement the design. The Contractor is not authorized to change the design.

31 There is no specified pump in the boreholes to be drilled. Will the contractor be responsible for installing hand pumps in the wells, or is the contractor's scope of work limited to drilling the boreholes without installing hand pumps?

The current solicitation limit to borehole drilling only.

No pump installation is required under this solicitation.

32 What would be the contractor's scope if the drilled borehole locations turn out to be dry?

The contractor is required to deliver a productive borehole within the yield specified in the solicitation.

USAID will provide guidance during the implementation in case of boreholes not meeting the required yield. Please note, payment is per actual drilled depth and actual works performed as per the rate in the BOQ.

33 What will happen if water is found at a depth shallower than specified while drilling the borehole? Will drilling still be required to the designated depth? This might result in losing the water found in the shallower depth.

The Quality Assurance Contractor - QAC (consultant) will be on-site throughout the drilling process. If water is found at shallower depth than the specified one, the

QAC will provide instructions on how to proceed.

34 The quantity of Valve Chambers specified in the BOQ does not match the quantity of

Domestic Water Points, Storage Tanks, and

Sump Well Tanks in the project. Please provide the quantity of Valve Chambers.

The Contractor is required to construct the valve chambers and domestic water points per each site to the numbers indicated in the BOQ.

35 In the BOQ Grand Summary, Mheha is not listed. Is this also included in the Ludewa

WSSA? Please clarify.

BOQ Grand summary for Ludewa WSSA must include the summation of Mheha WSSA and Ludewa

WSSA Group budget Ludewa WSSA = Mheha

WSSA+Ludewa WSSA Group budget. Please see the revised BOQ.

36 Was attending the site visit and Pre-bid conference mandatory?

Yes, Pre-bid and site visit was mandatory as per the solicitation page 11 C.2.2 Construction Requirements.

37 Is it possible to extend the due date of the submission proposal at least for 3 weeks?

Submission due date is changed. Deadline for Receipt of Proposal: April 12, 2024 at 23:00 EAT

38 Can USAID share the pre-bid conference presentation?

Please see Attachment J.9 for the pre-bid conference presentation.