OHRS_ER_LR_Tracker_Offeror_Questions_and_Answers_FINAL.docx

ER/LR Questions and Answers

1. How many users will the SBA need? 15.

2. Does the SBA require a portal for employee access? No. Access will only be for ER/LR Staff

3. Could the SBA provide samples of the required SBA reports? No. We need to be able to pull reports using the data in the system. Examples-How many disciplinary actions for FY 19; how many disciplinary actions for Lack of Candor; How many grievances; how many grievances per location; how long does it take for an ER case to be completed; How long does it take to issue a final decision once a proposal has been issued.

4. Do you prefer this to be a COTS item? Yes.

5. Does SBA intend to link the ER/LR Tracker to SBA’s HR/payroll system or any other SBA system via an API? Yes, the successful offeror will assist the SBA in provisioning a secure interconnection (SFTP, FTPS, API) between the COTS ER/LR application and the USDA NFC.

6. Is the ER/LR Tracker required to be FISMA-Low or FISMA-Moderate? Confirm that only applications hosted in FedRAMP environments are eligible. These requirements are not necessary because the system shall be hosted internally in the SBA-provided cloud, which already has a FISMA compliant Authority to Operate (ATO). The COTS ER/LR application must be able to be wholly hosted and operated in an SBA-provided Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure IaaS environment, where the SBA shall provide logical access upon award.

7. What is the anticipated frequency and/or level of effort for changes in periodic report templates throughout the period of performance? SBA’s primary reporting need is to have the ability to pull ad hoc reports based on the data in the system, such as but not limited to the number of disciplinary actions, grievances, unfair labor practices, etc. This depends on legislative and regulatory initiatives. Some external reports are required for all agencies by OPM while other internal reports are on an ad hoc basis per requests from the SBA CHCO, General Counsel, Union, etc.

8. Is the ER/LR Tracker required to have electronic signature functionality? This is not required.

9. What is the estimated level of effort for this contract? SBA is seeking a COTS solution.

10. What firm is the incumbent contractor for the SharePoint Tracker? What was the contract value of this incumbent contract? To clarify, SBA is currently tracking in a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Tracker. SBA is not using a SharePoint tracker or workflow.

11. Are records saved to the ER/LR Tracker anticipated to include draft as well as fully executed versions? Do the fully executed versions of documents include wet signatures and/or electronic signatures? SBA has the requirement to upload documents into the system to include drafts and fully executed versions. The fully executed versions of documents signed (either wet or electronic) will have been scanned and uploaded.

12. Is the contractor expected to facilitate the integration of historical records into the ER/LR Tracker? If yes, approximately how many historical records would need to be integrated into the ER/LR Tracker? What is the estimated level of effort for this task? No.

13. Will the case documents uploaded to the ER/LR Tracker be PDF documents? If not, what other file formats? Are the case documents upload to the ER/LR Tracker required to be Section 508 compliant? The system needs to be Section 508 Compliant, but the documents upload doesn’t need to be Section 508 Compliant. These documents are varied but not limited to emails, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photos, voice, and video recordings.

14. How many users are expected to be supported by the ER/LR Tracking system? 15.

15. Among these users, how many require the ability to create and edit cases (as opposed to read-only access)? 15.

16. Are there any other roles involved in tracking cases other than the ER/LR specialists? In addition to the ER/LR Specialists, there are also System Administrators who are accounted in the 15 users.

17. Please describe the workflow for a typical case, from initial creation through closure, including the states involved along the way. Would the same workflow apply to all case types or would each case type potentially have its own custom workflow?

Below is a workflow description of the negotiated grievance procedure.

a. Receive a negotiated grievance.

b. Identify dates of receipt and issues.

c. Identify employee filing grievance and location.

d. Identify union representative.

e. Identify employee’s supervisor.

f. Identify due date of response.

g. Document due date of step 1 grievance response.

h. Document date union elevates to step 2 grievance.

i. Prepare Step 2 grievance response

j. Issue Notice to invoke arbitration.

Note: In between steps, there is research completed to draft a response.

18. Can you provide a list of fields currently stored in SharePoint or a redacted screenshot that shows these fields, such as Case Type, Date Created, and Status? Are any additional fields expected in the proposed ER/LR Tracking system? Please see fields listed below.

a. Employee Relations (ER)

i. Case number

ii. Type of action

iii. Subcategory

iv. Case open date

v. Case status date

vi. Total days active

vii. Case status

viii. Close date

ix. Activity level

x. Program office

xi. Program office location

xii. Management official

xiii. Employee

xiv. Charge 1

xv. Charge 2

xvi. Disposition

xvii. Penalties

xviii. Responsible specialist

xix. Notes

b. Labor Relations (LR)

i. Identifier

ii. Type of Action

iii. Nature of case

iv. Employee name

v. Case entry date

vi. Case closure date

vii. Days active

viii. Case status

ix. Program office

x. Program office location

xi. Charging party

xii. Case number

xiii. Disposition

xiv. Responsible specialist

xv. Notes

19. The table in Section 5 of the SOW indicates "per system" for several rows in the Quantity column. Please clarify which systems this refers to and the number of such systems. There is a single ER/LR tracker system.

20. The RFP states the tracker should be built using Azure or AWS. Are you open to accepting proposals to build this with Salesforce Government Cloud which is also FedRamp approved - https://marketplace.fedramp.gov/#/product/salesforce-government-cloud.

The SBA is seeking a COTS product, not a new solution developed from the ground-up. The successful offeror shell install, configure, and maintain the COTS software on SBA virtual servers within its existing Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure environments.

21. Typically, customers looking for a cloud/SaaS solution are focused on the mission requirements and not the underlying architecture. Would the SBA accept other FedRAMP cloud solutions that are currently in use at multiple SBA offices besides Azure or AWS? If so, will the SBA please modify this requirement accordingly?

The SBA is seeking a COTS product, not a new solution developed from the ground-up. The successful offeror shall install, configure, and maintain the COTS software on SBA virtual servers within its existing Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure environments.

22. Would the SBA please clarify the date that vendor questions will be answered? Answers will be critical to determine if we have the ability to respond to this RFQ, will the SBA be releasing these responses timely so that Vendors can determine if/how they can proceed? Per SBA servicing contracting specialist.

23. What are the total individual users that will require access to the SBA's Employee and Labor Relations Tracking system? Can the SBA please specify the total users for each of the roles outlined in the RFP: for example, ER/LR Specialist Users, Users that submit cases, Administrator User, and any other users that would need access to the system. The total number of system users is 15 users.

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