Amendment 1_Attachment 7_.xlsx

XLSX spreadsheet 42 KB Posted Feb 24, 2021

Attached to: ASPR Professional Administrative Support Services
Solicitation number: 75A50121R00014
Issued by: Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response

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Written by GovTribe AI · Dec 30, 2023

This combined synopsis/solicitation requests proposals for Professional Administrative Staffing Support Services for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The services include a base period of 12 months plus two 12-month option periods, with a minimum value of $2,500 and maximum ceiling to be determined. The government will make multiple IDIQ awards as a small business set-aside, and issue both firm fixed price and labor hour task orders. Proposals are due by February 26, 2021, with pre-proposal questions due by February 4, 2021. Evaluation criteria include technical approach, key personnel, past performance, and price. The incumbent contractor is Aveshka, Inc. The solicitation includes templates for pricing schedules, labor categories, and non-disclosure agreements.

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File	Type	Posted
Amendment 1_Attachment 3_.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Feb 24, 2021
Amendment 1_ATTACHMENT 5_Non-Disclosure Agreement.pdf	PDF	Feb 24, 2021
Amendment 1_Attachment 1 Pricing for Professional Administrative Support_.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Feb 24, 2021
Amendment 1_Attachment 1A Pricing for Professional Administrative RTOPs_.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Feb 24, 2021
Attachment 7.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Jan 28, 2021
RFP_75A50121R00014_ASPR Professional Support Services.pdf	PDF	Jan 28, 2021
Attachment 3.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Jan 28, 2021

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Amendment 1

Amendment 1_ATTACHMENT 7
Preproposal Industry Questions and Responses for ASPR's Administrative Support
No.	Reference	Comment/Question	Government Response
1	Labor Categories, Attachment 3	For all Staffing and Personnel Specialists, will you allow for creditable specialized experience in place of positive education requirement?	Offerors may provide comparable experience as a substitute for education. However, all deviations from education requirements shall include a justification to support how it pertains to the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW). The Government will determine its acceptability.
		Will the government extend the proposal due date?	Yes, an extension is provided as follows. Proposal submissions are due no later than 5:00PM ET on Wednesday, 3 March 2021.
2	General	Is there an incumbent? What is the contract number and period of performance? If so, who and are they eligible to bid?

Yes, the incumbent contractor is Aveshka, Inc. The Contract number is HHSO100201600021I. The Period of Performance (POP) for the current contract is one (1) 12-month base period and three (3) 12-month option periods. The incumbent is eligible to bid for this requirement.

3	General	Can the government provide the following historical information about the current contract: Total Number of Task Orders awarded; The number of staff members in each Labor Category used over the entire contract; The number of current Task Orders; the number of staff members in each labor category working in current task orders; the percentage of offsite work versus onsite work?	No, the government will not provide this information. This information is releasable via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
4	General	Can the government provide any historical information on the contract types of Task Orders awarded under the current contract (e.g., number of FFP, TM, Labor Hour)?	These Task Orders were awarded as Firm Fixed Priced (FFP), Time and Materials (T&M) and Labor Hour (LH).
5	General	Can the government provide any historical information on the number of cleared personnel required on the current contract, preferable by level of clearance?	No.
6	General	Can the government please provide the total spend for the incumbent contract (base plus all option years)?	No.
7	General	How much of the incumbent work is outside Metro DC and Metro Atlanta, specifically CONUS and OCONUS?	The breakdown by locations vary and is dependent upon program office requirements.
8	RFP Section, Description, Page Number # 1, RFP Section, Basis of Award, Page #3	Government anticipates awarding a multiple award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract as contemplated by FAR 16.504. Award will be made to the proposal that is determined to be the most beneficial to the Government using a tradeoff (i.e., best value) process, with appropriate consideration given to the following four (4) evaluation factors: Factor 1: Technical and Management Plan; Factor 2: Key Personnel; Factor 3: Past Performance; Factor 4: Price/Cost. In factor 2, the Key Personnel are the S-CPM and the CPM. Since there is an incumbent will the CO take into consideration, incumbent capture methodologies, upon contract award? We know that their is an emphasis put on being able to continue with uninterrupted service and we would expect the CO and COR to want to keep the personnel that have been providing quality service to date. Will the winning contractor be able to transition the incumbent contractors personnel that ASPR would like to keep?	No changes will be made after contract award. It is important that the government maintains continuity of professional administrative support. As such, Offerors are required to provide a preliminary plan for transitioning to the new contract within 30, 60, or 90 days, negotiated at time of award in accordance with Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, Section 6 Transition Plan/Preliminary Transition Plan. Attachment 2, Section 6 has been modified to require Offerors submittal of a "Preliminary Transition Plan".
9	RFP Section 3.3.2, page 18.	Has it been determined which positions and how many are located in secondary locations, it is key to know this information for pricing purposes as staff costs change per the locations. Paragraph 3.3 “ASPR may require contractor support in both the Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS)”. Attachment 1 has place for only one rate per labor category. However, depending on OCONUS locations and requirements, rates for those positions would be significantly higher. Additionally, for those task orders where clearances will be required, those individuals will command higher salaries as well. Recommend allowing rates higher than those on this Attachment to be added at the task order level with justification. Does the government anticipate that the majority of off-site work will be telework?	Attachment 1 - Pricing for Professional Administrative Support and Attachment 3 - Appendix I - ASPR Professional Administrative Support Labor Catalog have been revised to include locations for the Washington Metropolitan Area and Atlanta, GA. These are the two primary locations required for contractor performance. Other regions and OCONUS locations have been deleted. Performance of work in other than the Primary locations will be specified with execution of individual Task Orders. Some may be on/offsite or telework.
10	RFP Section, Basis of Award, Factor 3; Past Performance, Page 5	Will the contractor grant an extension to this RFP so that Respondents to this RFP will have enough time to get back our Past Performance Questionnaires from our clients?

No. All Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ) must be submitted by the Offeror's Representative where services were performed. The PPQ shall be submitted electronically to Ashlie.Evans@hhs.gov, no later than 5:00PM on Wednesday, 3 March 2021.
11	RFP Section, Basis of Award, Factor 3; Past Performance, Page 5	If the offeror has a CPARS rating, should it still provide a write-up in the proposal to show its relevancy to the Solicitation?	Yes. The Offeror shall provide a narrative for CPARS ratings to include the requested information listed on the PPQ, Sections A and B.
12	RFP Section, Basis of Award, Factor 3; Past Performance, Page 5	With regards to the statement "The Offeror shall demonstrate its past performance on directly related or similar contracts held within the last five (5) out of seven (7) years ..." Can the government clarify the statement "…last five (5) out of seven (7) years..?"	The RFP - Combined Synopsis/Solicitation is clarified to specify "The Offeror shall demonstrate its past performance on directly related or similar contracts held within the last five (5) years."
13	RFP Section, Basis of Award, Factor 3; Past Performance, Page 5	Does the Government require a past performance narrative?	Yes. The Offeror shall provide a narrative to include the requested information listed on the PPQ, Sections A and B. Offerors are required to provide three (3) Past Performance Questionnaires. At a minimum, Offerors shall provide at least two (2) Past Performance Questionnaires for services that the prime contractor supported and one (1) past performance questionnaire for services subcontractor(s) supported.
14	Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Page 1	In the RFP document, the period of performance was listed as one 12-month base period and two 12-month option periods, but there were no listed dates. What are the anticipated start and end dates for the base period? Can HHS provide an anticipated forecast i.e., how many RTOPs will be issued per year and when? How many RTOPs are new requests? Can HHS provide an anticipated IDIQ ceiling for this award?	It is anticipated that an award will be made within 2 months of proposal submittal. The end date of the base period will be 12 months from the effective date of contract award. The number of anticipated Task Orders per year, their issuance and how many are new requests will be determined based on program office needs. The IDIQ ceiling is anticipated to be $65,000,000.00.
15	Statement of Work 2, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Pages 20-21	Do we need to have Letters of Commitment for our key personnel at the submission of the proposal or after award? Are resumes and signed letters of commitment required for Task Order personnel? Can the Government confirm a letter of commitment is required for an employee who is already employed by the Offeror?	Yes, Offerors shall provide Letters of Commitment for key personnel at the time of offeror's proposal. Yes, Letters of commitment and representative resumes for TOs are to be submitted with the technical proposal as an Appendix and will not count toward technical proposal page limitations. Yes, Letters of Commitment are required for employees who are already employed by the Offeror.

16 Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Page 3 Would the government please reattach the missing Attachments 5 (Non-Disclosure Agreement) and 6 (Request for Task Order Proposal (RTOP))?

Attachment 5 - Non-Disclosure Agreement was included in the original RFP on pages 41 and 42. However, it was inadvertently not labeled as Attachment 5. Attachment 6 - Request for Task Order Proposal (RTOP) (SOWs 1 and 2) was included in the original RFP on pages 43 through 59. However, it was inadvertently not labeled as Attachment 6.
17	Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Page 3	Are the rates proposed in Attachment 1 to be IDIQ ceiling rates that potentially can be discounted in response to the RTOPs?	The rates proposed in Attachment 1 - Pricing for Professional Administrative Support are ceiling rates which can be discounted in response to RTOPs that are competed once the IDIQ contract is awarded. Attachment 1A - Pricing for Professional Administrative Support RTOP has been incorporated per this amendment. Discounted rates will not be considered for evaluation of IDIQ contract award.
18	Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Page 3	Should the offeror also propose and bid labor rates for each of the Draft RTOPs?	In response to the RTOPs (SOWs for TO 1 and TO 2), Offerors should propose labor rates and categories that are consistent with Attachment 1 and Attachment 3. A cost proposal and technical proposal is required for both RTOPs (SOWs for TO 1 and TO 2).
19	Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Page 3	Attachment 1 does not provide the ability to propose multiple levels. How should the offeror propose multiple expertise levels as stated in the example of Administrative Officer?	See amended Attachment 1 and Attachment 3 which allow Offerors to propose additional labor categories to include multiple levels of expertise.
20	Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Page 3	Does the government intend to award the Draft RTOPs when the IDIQ awards are made?	The Government intends to issue Task Order 1 and Task Order 2 when the IDIQ contract is awarded. Offerors shall submit Attachment 1A - Pricing for Professional Administrative Support RTOP for RTOP responses for Part II: Business/Price Proposal.
21	Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Page 3	Does the Government expect to see 2 CPM key personnel resumes for the RTOPs included in the proposal?	The government estimates one (1) S-CPM per awardee and one (1) CPM per Task Order award. However, if alternate effort is proposed, its acceptance will be at the Government's discretion based on Task Order requirements.
22	Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Page 3	If the RTOPs are not awardable upon contract award, does the Government still expect to see CPM key personnel included in the proposal?	RTOPs will be issued at contract award. All required documents must be submitted to be considered for task order award.
23	Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services, RFP_75A50121R00014 document, Page 3	Does Attachment 5 count against the page limit for the Part II: Business section?	No. Attachment 5 - Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) does not count against the page limitation of Part II: Business/Price Proposal.
24	Page 1	Proposal Instructions, states in part that the Offeror shall state “whether the proposal is an original or a copy.” However, submission of bids is via email only. Please clarify.	To clarify, the following language has been removed: "...indicate whether the proposal is an original or a copy." All proposals submitted electronically will be deemed an original version.

	25	Page 19, Paragraph 4.1	Please clarify if "Hourly Rate" should be the fully-burdened hourly bill rate to the government, or the hourly pay rate paid to the candidate.
As the government has indicated a potential need for overtime in certain approved situations, should the offeror submit Overtime (OT) bill rates in a separate column in the completed Attachment 1 submission for integration and potential future use in Task Orders?	Labor rates should be fully-burdened hourly rates to the Government. Attachment 1 - Pricing for Professional Administrative Support has been revised to include a column for overtime hourly labor rates.
	26	Page 19, Paragraph 4.1	paragraph 4.1 says “The USG expects that Offerors will provide quality candidates for introduction within three (3) business days. "Does this refer to providing candidates within 3 days of contract or RTOP award? Please clarify. Please define “for introduction” – does that mean a resume must be presented?	The following language is removed from RFP Section 4.1 Contractor Personnel. "The USG expects that Offerors will provide quality candidates for introduction within three (3) business days. If an Offeror cannot provide quality candidates within this timeframe, they are to notify the ASPR Task Order (TO) Contracting Officer Representative (COR) (TO-COR) within one (1) day of receipt, preferably same day, with the date candidates can be provided." The following language is incorporated to RFP Section 4.1 Contractor Personnel.

Contractor personnel in the requested job category/description(s) shall be provided within 15 days after acceptance of RTOP. Unless the Program Office determines there is no longer a requirement need, all positions should be filled according to the Statement of Work (SOW) per the associated Task Order(s). Should a job category/description(s) become vacant for any reason, the Contractor shall backfill the position as needed per the Program Office. Vacancies should be backfilled according to the following timeline (Not to Exceed 15 days):

Within 3 day(s) – Contractor provides an acceptable candidate for meet and greet.

Within 7 day(s) – Program Office conducts meet and greet (if applicable), then finalizes contractor personnel selection.

Within 5 day(s) – Contractor personnel accepts offer.

Offer is Accepted:

1. Contractor personnel accepts offer.

2. After contractor personnel accepts offer, the personnel shall follow Section 13.1 Contractor Onboarding.

NOTE: If a position is not filled within 15 days of request, the contractor shall not bill for a full month’s payment. In order to receive payment, services (staffing and/or task(s)) of the Statement of Work (SOW) and associated Task Order shall be provided.

27	Page 55	RFP page 55 indicates three Senior Financial Analysts are required to support Task 6, but these positions are not reflected in Table 1 on page 49. Please confirm the requirement for three Senior Financial Analysts.	In the Level of Effort Breakout Chart (Page 49), the three (3) "Senior Financial Analysts" positions were inadvertently reflected as three (3) "Administrative/Financial Program Managers". The Level of Effort Breakout Chart is clarified to reflect only "Senior Financial Analysts". The requirement for Task 6 (Page 55) is three (3) Sr. Financial Analyst (2 Part Time at 320 hours each and 1 Full Time at 1920 hours). Also, the Senior Financial Analyst Position Description in Attachment 3 - Appendix 1 - ASPR Professional Administrative Support Labor Catalog, is revised to delete the language "Provides financial spend plan administration for BARDA Programs Division."
28	Page 55	Is this procurement subject to the Service Contract Act and Wage Determination?	This procurement is not subject to the Service Contract Act. Please refer to the Department of Labor revised regulations located at 29 C.F.R. part 541.
29	Page 55	With reference to the statement: "As a result of this solicitation the Government anticipates awarding a multiple award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract as contemplated by FAR 16.504." How many awards does the government intend to make as a result of this competition? What will the process be for awarding task orders if there are multiple IDIQ awards?	There is no pre-established number of awards to be made. The government reserves the right to make a single or multiple awards. Capability of the proposals received and evaluated will determine whether the Government makes a single or multiple award. If the Government determines to make multiple awards, task orders will be competed among awardees.
30	RFP Evaluation Criteria, Factor 1, Sub-Factor 1A, #2, p.4	Can the government please clarify what is meant by "Demonstrate it's ability and the value of its proposed Labor Mix"?	The offeror is expected to demonstrate their ability to fulfill the government's requirements as defined in the associated RTOPs (SOWs 1 & 2).

31	RFP Section: Factor 1 – Technical Approach and Management Plan, page 4 of 59, paragraph #4	This paragraph requests information on "Overhead and G&A Tracking." Since the resulting task orders will be FFP and LH, will the government remove this requirement as reporting on Overhead and G&A are not required for FFP and LH contracts	This language will not be removed. The RFP - Combined Synopsis/Solicitation states that the offeror shall "Demonstrate its ability and proficiency in maintaining quality accounting practices, management of routine and new requirements, including but not limited to: ...Overhead and G&A Expense Tracking..."
32	RFP Section: Factor 1 – Technical Approach and Management Plan, page 4 of 59, paragraph #4	With reference to the statement: "Demonstrate its ability and proficiency in maintaining quality accounting practices, management of routine and new requirements, including but not limited to," does the part referring to management of routine and new requirements, refer to accounting requirements, or SOW requirements?	As described in Basis for Award and Evaluation Criteria, the offeror must address all Factors and Sub-Factors.
33	Factor 2 - Key Personnel - p 4 0f 59	Is the evaluation of the two (2) CPMs based solely on the requirements listed in Factor 2 - Key Personnel or is the Government evaluating the CPM experience in relation to the specific requirements of Statement of Work 1 and Statement of Work 2?	The evaluation of the CPMs are not based solely on the requirements listed in Factor 2 - Key Personnel. The CPMs may be evaluated for both Factor 2 - Key Personnel and Factor 1 - Technical Approach and Management Plan (which supports RTOPs for SOW 1 and SOW 2). The Government will not assume that the PMs in the task orders are the Offerors CPM and S-CPM or vice versa considering the rates are the same.
34	RFP Section: STATEMENT OF WORK 2 Page 49 of 59	Table 1 states a Labor Category Human Resources (HR) Subject Matter Expert (SME), is that the same as the Human Resources Expert Consultant listed in Attachment 1?	Yes, the labor categories are the same. Table 1 of the RTOP (SOW for TO 2) has been revised to "Human Resources (HR) Expert Consultant" and is consistent with Attachments 1 and 3.
35	5.5 Non-Key Personnel	Do representative resumes require actual names of the individual?	Actual names are not required for representative resumes.
36	Submission Instructions, Part II- Business/Price Proposal, Factor 4: Price Cost, and (b) Proposal Part Page Count, Part II, Paragraph 1, Page 2	Reference does not make it clear whether the "2007" is specifically identifying the acceptable version of Microsoft (MS) Project or all identified MS Office products. Question: Can the Government confirm the version of MS word, MS Excel, and MS Project acceptable for this submission?	The Government will accept Microsoft Office versions compatible with MS Word 2016, MS Excel 2016, and MS Project 2013. Reference to Microsoft Project 2007 is deleted per this amendment.
37	Submission Instructions, Paragraph 1, Page 1.	Reference states the cover page of each volume must be signed by an official authorized to contractually bind our organization and include acceptance of terms and conditions of the sonication. Recommendation: Would the Government consider allowing signature and acceptance statement be part of a "Cover Letter" positioned at the beginning of the internal part of the volume rather than on the external cover page which identifies the volume? If so, can the cover letter be outside the page count of the volume.	The Government is not requiring a cover letter. If an offeror submits a cover letter, it will count toward the page limitation.
38	RFP, Attachment 2,- Section 4 - Scope of Work, Page 19	First paragraph of this reference mentions "..work described under Contractor Personal Support Areas…". However, the following sections do not seem to provide any actual scope of work for the contract and only describe other operational requirements and influences. Question: Is it correct to interpret that Government views the scope of work within this IDIQ SOW as being the position descriptions identified within Attachment 3?	The scope of work within the IDIQ SOW are the labor categories identified in Attachment 3 - Appendix I – ASPR Professional Administrative Support Labor Catalog.
39	RFP, (a) Sub-factor 1b - Recruitment and Retention, Item 1b, Pages 4; and (b) Attachment 2 - Statement Work, (a) Scope or Work, Section 5.2, Page 20	References states a Contractor Program Manager (CPM) must be provided for every TO. Question: Assuming this instruction applies to formation of this submission, can the Government clarify whether a CPM is to be added to the Labor Categories listed in the SOW 1 (Page 44) and SOW 2 (Page 45); or is it assumed this role will be performed by an Labor Category already identified in the level of effort breakdowns, or not needed for evaluation purposes?	The CPMs may be evaluated for both Factor 2 - Key Personnel and Factor 1 - Technical Approach and Management Plan (which supports RTOPs for SOW 1 and SOW 2). The Government will not assume that the PMs in the task orders are the Offerors CPM and S-CPM or vice versa considering the rates are the same.
40	RFP, Attachment 2 - Statement Work, (a) Scope or Work, Section 5.2 Employment of Key Personnel, Page 21	Reference states "All key personnel shall be (1) an employee of the Offeror and (2) have a fully executed Letter of Commitment by the Offeror prior to award." Question: Can the Government confirm if all key employees have to be "...employee of the Offeror..." before award which effectively equates to time of proposal submission? While ensuring key personnel are employees of the Offeror (as opposed to a subcontractor) is an important, insisting relationship be in place prior to award puts an undue burden on a small company. Recommend this this be modified to allow Offeror's to present key-personnel who sign a letter of commitment (LOC) with the understanding they will become an employee prior to transition start date or within 2 weeks of award notification.	As stated, all key personnel shall be (1) an employee of the Offeror and (2) have a fully executed Letter of Commitment by the Offeror prior to award. However, the letter of commitment may state the employment status is effective prior to transition start date.
41	RFP, Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, Section 9 National Security Clearance, Page 24	Can the Government clarify if a FCL is a requirement for award of the basic IDIQ master contract?

Currently no security clearances are required under the proposed contract award(s). A background check is required for public trust. Attachment 8 - Department of Defense Contract Security Clearance Specification (DD254) is deleted from this RFP (solicitation). If there are positions identified in the future by a program office, it would be for onsite work only. No secured work will be held or conducted offsite. No FCL will be required.
42	RFP, Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, Section 9 National Security Clearance, Page 24	Can the Government confirm if a top secret with sensitive compartmented information (TS-SCI) clearance is needed at time of contract award? Or at time of task order submission?

Currently no National Security Clearances are required per the IDIQ contract or anticipated task order awards.
43	RFP, Attachment 2 - Statement of Work, Section 9 National Security Clearance, Page 24	Will the Government sponsor the awarded contractor to obtain the appropriate clearance?	No, the government will not sponsor clearances for contractor personnel.
ERROR:#REF!	Factor 2 Key Personnel	Will the government accept additional years of experience as a substitute for undergraduate degree?	Offerors may provide comparable experience as a substitute for education. However, all deviations from education requirements shall include a justification to support how it pertains to the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW). The Government will determine its acceptability.
ERROR:#REF!	General	Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, is there a telework policy?	Yes, the majority of staff are teleworking; however, it will be up to program offices to define if positions can be telework and at what level.
ERROR:#REF!	Section 7.2 Offsite Contractors, page 23	Can the Government clarify any requirements for the Offeror provided equipment; particularly those used to access of Government systems and data? Or will all positions requiring access to Government systems and data be supported through GFE?

	As described in the RFP, GFE will be determined at contract award.
	ERROR:#REF!	RFP, Page 4, Sub-Factor 1B, 2; SOW 5.5	Government is asking for Sub-factor 1B 2 for "A description or demonstration of personnel availability, qualifications, education and competence as part of its proposed Labor Mix in response to the Draft RTOPs." The SOW also states to provide representative resumes for non-key personnel.
-- To address the Sub-factor can the offeror provide a staffing matrix with the information for each RTOP position in the labor mix, i.e. position availability, qualifications, education and competence?	The Government is not requiring a staffing matrix. It is at the offeror's discretion how they present the information required per this sub-factor.
	ERROR:#REF!	RFP, Page 4, Sub-Factor 1C	The sub-factor heading indicates the focus is Risk Management and Quality Control but the Government is only asking for risk management information here. Does the Government also want offerors to submit a Quality Control Approach?	This sub-factor is revised to incorporate the following: "3. Offerors shall demonstrate their quality control approach."
	ERROR:#REF!	RFP, Page 7 Factor 4 - Price Cost	The Government provides an Overall Adjectival Evaluation Rating for Factor 4 Price. Will the Government please consider removing this rating system as price Reasonableness should not be rated as Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Marginal or Unacceptable?	The Adjectival rating for Factor 4 Price is removed per this amendment.
	ERROR:#REF!	RFP, Page 7, FAR Provisions and Clauses	Will the Government please provide all provisions and clauses that apply to this solicitation?	Applicable full and by reference provisions and clauses are incorporated in the solicitation. The following additional clauses support this solicitation: FAR 52.204-15, 52.216-19, 52.216-22.
	ERROR:#REF!	RFP, Page 7, FAR Provisions and Clauses	Can the Government confirm if EO13706 Sick Leave applies?	Sick leave should be covered per the Offeror's policy.
	ERROR:#REF!	RFP. Page 26, Attachment 2, SOW, Section 13.1	The Government is stating it takes between 30-60 days to onboard new hires through HHSs process. Will the Government allow awarded offerors to provide candidates to go through the screening process should a task order need arise?	All awarded contractor personnel are required to go through the onboarding process.
	ERROR:#REF!	RFP, Page 44, SOW 1, Level of Effort and Project Management	The Government states the HR Program Manager is to provide daily supervision of each individual employed under the task order but the Level of effort list is 640 hours for each year. If the HR PM were to work 8 hours a day, they would only be funded to work 80 calendar days. Will the Government please consider making this position 1920 productive hours? Or will the government change the requirement for daily supervision since this cannot be achieved with 640 hours.	The intended purpose of the HR Program Manager is a shared position supporting multiple program offices. The role of the HR Program Manager is to provide minimal oversight - not 100% daily supervision. Offerors proposing additional and/or alternate hours shall provide a justification to support how it pertains to the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW). The Government will determine its acceptability.
	ERROR:#REF!	Section 5.4 Employment of Key Personnel	Can key personnel be filled by a subcontractor team member and be evaluated equally?	Key Personnel shall be filled by the Prime Contractor. The prime and sub contractors are two (2) separate entities.
	ERROR:#REF!	Page 3: Submission Instructions	Will the government please clarify if proposals are expected to be delivered in BOTH Microsoft Word AND PDF or if they are expected in either Word OR PDF.	Offerors may provide Microsoft Office versions compatible with MS Word 2016, MS Excel 2016, and MS Project 2013 or Adobe Pro (PDF).
	ERROR:#REF!	Page 50	Do the personnel for these proposed resumes need to be currently staffed by the offeror, or would sample resumes representative of the candidates the offeror would propose be sufficient for the RFP response?	For all non-key personnel positions Offerors may submit sample resumes representative of the candidates being proposed in response to this RFP - Combined Synopsis/Solicitation.
	ERROR:#REF!	Page 4	Can key personnel be contingent hires?	Yes. Offeror must submit a Letter of Commitment and resume.
	ERROR:#REF!	General	Please clarify that the transition plan does not count against the pages in the Part I: Technical Proposal?	The preliminary transition plan does count against the 40 page limitation in Part 1 - Technical Proposal.
	ERROR:#REF!	General	Are prime offerors for this solicitation precluded from bidding on the ASPR Technical and Medical Staffing Support Services RFP?	No.
	ERROR:#REF!	Page 49, Section 6: Technical Requirements/Tasks, Executive Assistant	The chart lists quantity 2 executive assistants. Please clarify if that is 2 executive assistants at 1920 hours each or 2 executive assistants at 1920 hours total?	To clarify, the chart intends to support two (2) fulltime Executive Assistants at 1920 each.
	ERROR:#REF!	Sub-Factor 1B, 3, Page 4	Are second tier Subcontractors allowed? i.e. a Consultant to a first tier Subcontractor.	The government is not requesting this level of subcontracting. However, if submitted, the government may consider.
	ERROR:#REF!	General	Does the Contractor have to provide Right of First Refusal to all incumbent employees?	No. See Executive Order (EO) 13897 "Improving Federal Contractor Operations by Revoking Executive Order 13495"
	ERROR:#REF!	RFP: Page 2, the paragraph following "Factor 4: Price/Cost"	Can offerors use Arial fonts for tables, figures, and headers in order to improve readability?	Offerors shall provide Times New Roman fonts.
	ERROR:#REF!	Page 9, RFP Attachment 1: under "Pricing for Professional Administrative Support"	For CLINs 0022, 0044, and 0066 "Response+Surge+New Requirements (30%)", is the offeror to provide an amount that is 30% of the total price for all other CLINs in each respective ordering period for evaluation purposes? E.g., Base Period evaluation labor total for CLINs 0001 - 0021 + $1,000,000, so the total for CLIN 0022 is $300,000, then the total Base Period evaluation price is $1,300,000?	This percentage was inadvertently included in the RFP - Combined Synopsis/Solicitation and will be decided at time of award. CLIN 0022 for "Response+Surge+New Requirements (30%) is deleted from Attachment 1 - Pricing for Professional Administrative Support.
	ERROR:#REF!	Page 19, RFP, Section 4.1 Contractor Personnel
	Are Offerors to provide pricing for regional/CONUS and OCONUS locations for onsite and offsite for each labor category identified in Attachment 1 for evaluation, even if labor categories aren’t required for TOs 1 and 2?

This solicitation has been revised to eliminate all Secondary Locations. Offerors shall provide onsite and offsite pricing for all labor categories for both Primary Locations. Attachment 1 was amended to reflect a pricing schedule for both Primary Locations.
ERROR:#REF!	Page 19, RFP, Section 4.1 Contractor Personnel
Can Offerors propose additional or alternate labor categories?

Yes, offerors may propose additional labor categories at IDIQ level. Yes, offerors may propose alternate labor categories at task order level.
ERROR:#REF!	Page 19, RFP, Section 4.1 Contractor Personnel
Can Offerors propose additional labor categories and/or different tiers? If so, how are they submitted?

Yes. Attachment 1 was amended to allow offerors to propose additional and/or alternate labor categories and/or different tiers. Offerors shall submit Attachment 1A - "Pricing for Professional Administrative Support RTOP" for RTOP responses.
ERROR:#REF!	RFP: Page 20, Section 5.2 Contractor Program Manager (CPM), second paragraph.	The RFP states that " USG expects that all Key Personnel for whom resumes are submitted with the Offerors proposal shall be committed to this award for the entirety of its performance…". Since CPMs are assigned to manage Task Orders, are CPMs required to remain committed to the award for the entirety of the IDIQ, or only for the entirety of the Task Order to which they are assigned?	CPMs are required to remain committed for the entirety of TOs for which they are assigned. As stated per RFP - Combined Synopsis/Solicitation, "during the first 180-days of award no Key Personnel substitutions by the Offeror will be permitted unless such substitutions are necessitated by an individual's sudden illness, death, or termination of employment." Offerors shall comply with the process at Section 5.3 after the first 180-days of award.
ERROR:#REF!	RFP: Page 20, Section 5.2.2 CPM experience	The RFP requires that "…All CPMs must have at least five (5) or more years of leading programs with program manager experience…". Can the government clarify what is meant by "program experience"? Since the CPMs will be managing projects, is 5 or more years of project management experience (which is different than program management experience) sufficient?	Clarification of Program Management experience – Program Management experience requires leadership oversight of programs consisting of several projects of varying complexity. Project Managers manage individual projects. As a result, the government prefers Program Management experience vice Project Management.
ERROR:#REF!	RFP: Page 21, Section 5.4 Employment of Key Personnel	Can an Offeror propose a CPM from a subcontractor?	Key Personnel shall be filled by the Prime Contractor.
ERROR:#REF!	RFP: Page 57, Section 9 - Requirements for Handling Sensitive/Proprietary Information	The RFP states..."Personnel in the requested job category/description shall be provided within 15 days of request." However, earlier, in RFP Section 26, Section 13.1.1 Onboarding Process, the RFP requires resumes to be submitted within 3 days. Can the government confirm that resumes only need to be submitted within three days and the personnel will be required to report for work in 15 days.	After contract award, a RTOP will be submitted to the awardee(s). In response to the RTOP, the awardee shall provide a proposal to include costs and resumes of qualified candidates within 3 days. The contractor personnel will be required to begin supporting the government within 15 days of task order award or as required by the Government.
ERROR:#REF!	RFP: Attachment 3 - General	Is the government open to accepting substitutions for any of the labor categories? For instance, for the Staffing Specialist position, would the government accept four years of relevant experience in place of the Bachelor's degree?	Offerors may propose additional and/or alternate labor categories. All additional and/or alternate labor categories shall provide a justification to support how it pertains to the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW). The Government will determine its acceptability.
ERROR:#REF!	Attachment 4	Section B of this form has a block entitled “Identification of Offeror’s Representative” but not a block for the Agency’s POC. Is it the Government’s intent that offerors list the Government Respondent in Section B, Identification of Offeror’s Representative?	The Government's intent is that Section B provides the information for the Government Respondent.
ERROR:#REF!	Factor 4, Attachment 3	Attachment 3 lists 21 labor categories, not all of which will be required for the two draft/sample task orders provided in the solicitation Attachment 6. Does the Government intend to collect and evaluate cost information for those labor categories on Attachment 3 that are not part of the draft task order responses?	Offerors shall provide cost information for all labor categories at the IDIQ level as identified in the pricing schedule and labor categories (Attachments 1 and 3).
ERROR:#REF!	Description, Page 1 of 59	The RFP states that the associated NAICS code for this procurement is 561110, with a small business size standard of $8.0M. Considering the size and scope of the work in this procurement with multiple locations in the US and Territories, will the government consider granting the use of 541611, Administrative Management and General NAICS code for the purpose of this procurement.	The NAICS Code for this procurement is 561110 as indicated in the RFP.
ERROR:#REF!	Submission Instructions, Part II - Business/Price Proposal, pg. 2	What exact information -- other than attachments 1, 5, and 8 -- are offerors required to provide in their Business/Price Proposal?

To clarify, Offerors shall provide Attachments 1, 1A and 5 in addition to the information provided per Factor 4 and Part II – Business/Price Proposal. Please note, references to Attachment 8 have been deleted as it is not applicable to this RFP-Combined Synopsis/Solicitation.
ERROR:#REF!	Submission Instructions, Part II - Business/Price Proposal, pg. 2	Are the attachments to be submitted as individual files or does ASPR require offerors to embed them into an all-inclusive document/file?
Written proposals shall be submitted in two (2) distinct Parts respectively labeled as "Part I – Technical Proposal" and, "Part II – Business/Price Proposal", and submitted as two distinct, clearly labeled electronic files. Additionally, Attachment 1 and 1A may be provided as Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to support "Part II – Business/Price Proposal".
ERROR:#REF!	Submission Instructions, Part II - Business/Price Proposal, pg. 2	Please clarify whether a page limitation will be enforced. Does Attachment 1 count against the page limitation?
Yes, page limitation will be enforced. No, Attachment 1 does not count toward the page limitation.
ERROR:#REF!	Submission Instructions, Part II - Business/Price Proposal, pg. 2	Please clarify how offerors should propose additional labor categories while maintaining an equal assessment of pricing across proposals.
All pricing should be in accordance with Attachments 1, 1A and 3. These Attachments are revised for Offerors to propose additional labor categories.
ERROR:#REF!	Submission Instructions, Part II - Business/Price Proposal, pg. 2	Please confirm that 'Attachment 1 Pricing' included on pages 9-14, is the template that should be utilized by offerors to develop the pricing proposal?
Yes, Attachment 1 - Pricing for Professional Administrative Support should be utilized as the template for developing the pricing proposal for the IDIQ. Offerors shall submit Attachment 1A - Pricing for Professional Administrative Support RTOP as the template for developing pricing proposal for the task order(s).
ERROR:#REF!	Submission Instructions, Part II - Business/Price Proposal, pg. 2	Is the Government requesting pricing for Travel and ODC?

No pricing for Travel and ODCs are requested. Final determination will be made at contract award.
ERROR:#REF!	Submission Instructions, Part II - Business/Price Proposal, pg. 2	Does the Government expect subcontractor's rates to be included in the Prime's proposal or can subcontractor's submit their rates separately directly to the Government?	The prime offeror shall submit all pricing with their proposal submission.
ERROR:#REF!	Factor 3 - Past Performance Evaluation Criteria, Sub-Factor 1A - Quality, pg. 6; and Attachment 4	The table containing adjectival ratings for Sub-Factor 1A - Quality reflects three ratings, (1) Of Quality, (2) Not of Quality, and (3) Neutral; while Attachment 4 prompts offerors' customers to provide quality ratings on a different scale (Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Unsatisfactory, and Not Applicable). Would ASPR consider amending the scales in Attachment 4 to reflect the Of Quality, Not Quality, and Neutral scale identified in its evaluation criteria?	Attachment 4 will remain as is.
ERROR:#REF!	Basis for Award and Evaluation Criteria, pg. 3;	Can the government clarify what appears to be inconsistent language in whether price is an evaluation criteria, or will only be used in determining best value trade off once the other evaluation criteria have been rated and all proposals have been scored. Specifically, this section says "Non-price evaluation criteria are listed in order of importance as follows:" but then lists "Price/Cost" as one of these "Non-price" evaluation criteria.	Factor 4 - Price/Cost is an evaluation factor. However, it was inadvertently listed as "non-price" criteria. The language should read as follows: "...All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. Non-price evaluation criteria are listed in order of importance as follows:

Factor 1 – Technical Approach and Management Plan Sub-factor 1A – Managerial Capabilities (All sub-factors are of equal significance) Sub-factor 1B – Recruitment and Retention (All sub-factors are of equal significance) Sub-factor 1C – Risk Management and Quality Control (All sub-factors are of equal significance) Sub-factor 1D – Preliminary Transition Plan (All sub-factors are of equal significance) Factor 2 – Key Personnel Factor 3 – Past Performance Sub-factor 3A – Relevancy (All sub-factors are of equal significance) Sub-factor 3B – Recency (All sub-factors are of equal significance) Sub-factor 3C – Quality (All sub-factors are of equal significance)"

ERROR:#REF!	Award Criteria, Factor 1, Page 4	Could HHS kindly provide a more detailed description of the requirements and expectations for the "Labor Utilization Summaries"?	A staffing report on how personnel are being utilized under the tasks.
ERROR:#REF!	Contract Type, Page 18	Page 18 of the RFP states "Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Time and Materials (T&M)/Labor Hours (LH) task orders will be awarded for performance of contract services." Can the government provide further detail on how determinations will be made for contract type at the task order level?	The government will establish the contract type when providing RTOPs.
ERROR:#REF!	RFP: 75A50121R00014, Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Administrative Staffing Support Services	How many awards does the government anticipate, and will award be considered for Small Business Sub Categories such as 8(a), HUB Zones, WOSB, etc.?	The government reserves the right to make a single and multiple contract awards to Offerors meeting the Basis for Award and Evaluation Criteria specified in the solicitation. This is a small-business set-aside requirement. All small-business categories may be considered for contract and/or task order award.
ERROR:#REF!	RFP: 75A50121R00014- Attachment 1, Pricing for Professional Administrative Support	Fulltime Equivalent (FTE) hours is estimated to be 1920 by government. Can contractor change estimate to FTE annual billable hours, which are less than 1920?	For evaluation purposes, offerors shall propose 1920 hours at IDIQ level. Offerors may propose additional and/or alternate hours at Task Order level. However, additional and/or alternate hours shall provide a justification to support how it pertains to the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW).
ERROR:#REF!	Sub Factor 1B - Recruitment and Retention, pg. 4	Can a CPM be assigned to more than one task order?	Yes, a CPM can be assigned to more than one (1) task order. One (1) CPM shall not work more than 1920 hours on combined task orders.
ERROR:#REF!	Attachment 3: Labor Category	Will the Government provide experience and qualifications for the "Document Specialist"? It is currently missing.	Attachment 3 of the RFP (combined synopsis/solicitation) has been amended to include experience and qualifications for the Document Specialist position as follows: "Bachelors degree in a relevant field. 2-4 years experience in office management and experience with providing 508 compliant documentation.".

File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated Feb 25, 2021.