75H70124Q00047-A00002 - Rev.pdf

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment your desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION

NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO.

IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15C. DATE SIGNED 16C. DATE SIGNED

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

Previous edition unusable

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

A00002

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

DFPC Technical Writing Services, Amendment A00002.

1. The purpose of this amendment is to provide the following: Government responses to the contractor's questions received-in to the solicitation (page 2) as well as updates entirety of Sections L & M (page 3-10).

2. The solicitation's proposal date changed to now November 8, 2024 @ Noon CST.

3. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged and in full effect.

Indian Health Services (IHS) Division of Engineering Services (DES) - Dallas 1301 Young Street, Suite 106-840 Dallas, TX 75202-5433

Indian Health Services (IHS) Division of Engineering Services (DES) - Dallas 1301 Young Street, Suite 106-840 Dallas, TX 75202-5433

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

PAGE OF PAGES

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

10-30-2024

75H701-24-Q-00047

10/3/2024 is not extended.

One (1)

X

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offer is extended, Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

X X

ROBERT S. MILLER

romiller Cross-Out

DFPC Technical Writing Services Solicitation No.: 75H70124Q00047 A00002

Contractor Questions and Government Responses, Dated 22 October 2024, DFPC Technical

Writing Services:

Q: RFI 1 – The notice on SAM.gov states that this requirement is being solicited under NAICS code

513130; however, the SF1449 identifies 517111 as the NAICS code for this requirement. Which one is the correct NAICS code?

A: RFI 1 – Correct NAICS is 513130.

Q: RFI 2 – The red text on page 3 of the SF-30 is ambiguous. It reads as though these are internal notes that DFPC needed to respond to rather than clarifications to interested parties. Am I reading this revision correctly? Can we have a little more clarity regarding the Technical Approach and Education/Experience?

A: RFI 2 – See revised Sections L and M provided in this amendment for proposal instructions.

a. What does DFPC wants to see?

b. What are the minimum criteria to address in order to be considered Acceptable?

c. What certifications are you looking for?

Q: RFI 3 – Is there a particular style guide that DFPC uses for its correspondences and official documents, such as the Tongue and Quill?

A: RFI 3 – Government has no preference.

Q: RFI 4 – I’m a Contract Specialist /Technical Writer. I’ve done this same type of work for the Air

Force, FBI, and DOE. However, I did so as an employee. Can I use my work experience to demonstrate my company’s ability to meet this requirement?

A: RFI 4 – Yes.

*Please also see Revised Sections L & M (pages 3-5) of the solicitation.

*As stated within the solicitation, inquiries must be received no later than Noon CST on 25 October

2024 to allow time for response(s). Therefore, no further questions are guaranteed to be answered*

NOTICE TO OFFERORS: Offerors must acknowledge receipt of any and all amendments by number and date on their cover letter in their offer or by submitting a signed copy of the SF30. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.

SECTION L

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS

L.1. FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR Chapter 1)

Number Title Date

52.204-7 System for Award Management Oct 2018

52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (DEVIATION 2018-O0018) Sep 2023

L.2. Interpretation of Solicitation - Discrepancies

(a) The Offeror has a duty to inquire and seek clarification concerning possible ambiguities and/or discrepancies. The Order of precedence for resolving any discrepancies among documents is solicitation document, specifications and drawings, descending in that order.

(b) It shall be the obligation of the Offeror to exercise due diligence to discover and to bring to the attention of the Contracting Officer at the earliest possible time any ambiguities, discrepancies, inconsistencies, or conflicts in or between the specifications and the applicable drawings or other documents incorporated by reference herein. Failure to comply with all obligations shall be deemed a waiver and release of any and all claims for extra costs or delays arising out of such ambiguities, discrepancies, inconsistencies, and conflicts.

(c) Under no circumstances will any oral statements made be binding upon the Government unless such statements or agreements are issued in writing by the Contracting Officer.

(d) Any prospective offeror desiring an explanation or interpretation of the solicitation, drawings, specifications, etc., must submit a request in writing to the Contract Specialist at

Robert.Miller2@ihs.gov. Terms of the solicitation and specification remain unchanged unless the solicitation is amended in writing.

L.3. FAR 52.216-1, Type of Contract (Apr 1984)

The Government contemplates award of a firm-fixed-price service type contract resulting from this solicitation.

L.4. PROPOSAL PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS

(a) The Indian Health Service intends to award a firm fixed price (FFP) contract using lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) evaluation criteria detailed in Section M, below. The offerors proposal shall be supported by necessary documentation to indicate that adequate planning to accomplish the requirement has been done. Failure to address any of the requirements herein may result in rejection of the offeror’s proposal.

(b) The proposal shall contain the following two volumes:

VOLUME I – Technical Proposal

Factor I: Technical Approach

Factor II: Educational Background

Factor III: Past Performance mailto:Robert.Miller2@ihs.gov

VOLUME II – Price Proposal

Factor IV: Price

Each volume shall be separate and complete so that evaluation of each may be accomplished independent. Volume I (Technical Proposal) and Volume II (Price Proposal) shall be separate PDFs.

VOLUME I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

FACTOR I: TECHNICAL APPROACH

Offerors are required to submit a narrative that demonstrates their ability to perform the work described in this solicitation by detailing experience performing work of similar size, scope, and complexity, include a sample writing of such herein. Offerors must submit at least two (2) but no more than three (3) relevant services that are of similar size, scope, and complexity to the work described in this solicitation.

If the contractor provides more than three (3) examples, only the most recent (in date order) three submitted will be considered. Projects determined to be not similar in size, scope, and complexity will receive no credit.

Similar size is defined as: A minimum cost of between $10,000.00-$35,000.00.

Similar scope and complexity is defined as: Technical Report writing for any Government entity (i.e., City, State, or Federal). Complexity includes accuracy, completeness, relevance, readability, usability, and style. If any of the information required is not included in the form then the offeror may be considered non-responsive and evaluated as “UNACCEPTABLE.”

FACTOR II: EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Experience, Certifications, to include work experience of key personnel (i.e., three (3) like or similar resumes within past 3-years’ time).

a. Educational Background

• The technical writer should have a level of education of a Master’s Degree and above.

• If the Technical Writer only has a Bachelor’s Degree then they must have at least 3 to 5 years of writing experience

• The proposal demonstrates a sound technical approach to the tasks identified in the Statement of Work.

• The proposal demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of training/curriculum development and working in injury prevention with American

Indians/Alaskan Natives.

b. Experience

• Held a position working as an editor

• Has experience working with a publication.

• Has experience working with the federal governing

c. Certifications

• Preferred but not required:

o Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC): A well-recognized certification offered by the Society for Technical

Communication (STC), the world's oldest association dedicated to technical communication o Technical Writer Certification: Offered by the American Medical

Writers Association (AMWA) o Technical Communication UK Professional Certification:

Offered by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators

(ISTC)

o Information Mapping Certified Professional™ (IMCP): Offered by Information Mapping o Technical Communication Specialization: Offered by Coursera in collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder\

If any of the information required is not included in the form then the offeror may be considered non-responsive and evaluated as “UNACCEPTABLE.”

FACTOR III: PAST PERFORMANCE

In accordance with FAR 42.1503(e), past performance will be evaluated using Contractor Performance

Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). If no relevant past performance history is available for the offeror’s DUNS/SAM UEI number, the offeror may choose to utilize the attached Past Performance

Questionnaire (PPQ) (Section J, Attachment J03) which will be used for evaluation. Projects submitted under Factor I, Technical Approach, will be considered under this Factor by either a PPQ submission or information obtained in CPARS. The Government will only evaluate up to three (3)

Customer Satisfaction Surveys/Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) combined for the prime contractor. Government databases will be checked and previous customers and/or evaluators may be contacted as references or verification of performance. All performance ratings will be considered for contracts ongoing or completed within the past six (6) years from the date proposals are due. The

Government reserves the right to evaluate past performance information on proposals submitted in response to this solicitation from any available source.

Ensure correct phone numbers and email addresses are provided for the client point of contact.

Completed PPQs should be submitted with your proposal, but are not required and can be submitted by the owner.

Offerors should follow-up with clients/references to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires. If the client requests, questionnaires may be submitted directly to the Government’s point of contact, Robert.Miller2@ihs.gov, via email prior to the proposal closing date. Offerors shall not incorporate by reference into their proposal PPQs previously submitted for other RFPs. This does not preclude the

Government from utilizing previously submitted PPQ information in the past performance evaluation.

While the Government may elect to consider data from any and all other sources, the burden of providing detailed, current, accurate and complete past performance information rests with the offeror.

VOLUME II – PRICE PROPOSAL

FACTOR IV: PRICE

The proposal shall be a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) proposal for all items listed in the Section B. Price

Schedule. The following shall be submitted as part of the Price Proposal:

(a) Cover Letter

A Cover Letter to include:

• The solicitation number and acknowledgement of any solicitation amendments issued;

• The offeror’s name, address, SAM UEI, DUNS number, CAGE code;

• Names, titles, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of persons authorized to negotiate on the offeror’s behalf with the Government in connection with this solicitation, and

• The name, title, email, phone number, and signature of the individual authorized to sign the proposal.

(b) Standard Form 1449 (SF1449)

Blocks 17 - 24 of the SF1449 must be filled out. Any and all solicitation amendments require acknowledgement in Block 30-a-c of the SF1449.

(c) Section B. Price Schedule

Section B.1 Schedule of Items shall be filled out in its entirety. The total firm fixed price amount shall be input in Block 26 of the SF1449.

(d) Representations and Certifications

If SAM.gov record is not current, submit Section K, Representations and Certifications and

Other Statements of Offerors, completed and signed.

L.5. PROPOSAL FORMAT

The proposal package shall be formatted as follows:

(a) The offer must be submitted electronically, by email, in PDF format only;

(b) Font shall be 12pt Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri (Body);

(c) The offer must contain two separate volumes as specified (Volume I - Technical and Volume II -

Price);

(d) Factor I of Volume I is limited to 10 pages (front and back) total. There is no page limit for the submission of Factor II of Volume I if submitting PPQs;

(e) When submitting the proposal, the email subject line must include: “75H70124Q00047 – DFPC

Technical Writing Services”

L.6. PROPOSAL DUE DATE

The offeror’s proposal shall be submitted electronically via email to Contract Specialist, Robert S.

Miller, at Robert.Miller2@ihs.gov at your earliest convenience but no later than November 8, 2024 at

2:00 PM CST unless changed by amendment.

L.7. LATE SUBMISSIONS

Late submissions shall be handled in accordance with FAR 52.215-1, Instruction To Offerors –

Competitive Acquisition reference subparagraphs (c)(3)(ii)(A) and (1), and FAR 15.208.

Offerors shall allow sufficient time for electronic submission of proposals. Special attention is called to

FAR 15.208 which states, “Any proposal, modification, or revision, that is received at the designated

Government office (i.e., email address) in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of proposals is “late” and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made; and (1) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation (i.e., email), it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals; or (2) It is the only proposal received.

It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure sufficient time is provided for electronic submission to be processed through the Government’s electronic point of entry.

END OF SECTION

SECTION M. EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

The following clauses are incorporated by reference (see FAR 52.252-2):

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR)

PROVISION TITLE DATE

None

M.1. BASIS FOR AWARD

(a) This acquisition will utilize Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection procedures in accordance with FAR 15.101-2, as supplemented. This is a competitive LPTA best value source selection. The LPTA process is selected as appropriate for this acquisition because the best value is expected to result from selection of the technically acceptable proposal offering a fair and reasonable price.

(b) By submission of its offer, the offeror accepts all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements.

(c) All non-price factors (Factors I, II and III) must be rated “Acceptable” in order to be eligible for award. An “Unacceptable” rating in any factor results in the overall non-price factors proposal being rated “Unacceptable” unless corrected through discussions. An overall non-price factors rating of

“Unacceptable” makes a proposal ineligible for award.

(d) The Government intends to select ONE contractor for award of this effort who comply with the terms and conditions set forth in this solicitation and provide fair and reasonable pricing. Award will be made to the lowest priced small business proposal that complies with the terms and conditions of this solicitation. If the lowest priced small business proposal is not found technically acceptable, the next lowest priced small business proposal will be evaluated until the lowest priced, technically acceptable proposal is found.

(e) For the purpose of award, the Government will evaluate offers based on the factors described below.

Factor IV (Price) will be evaluated in accordance with paragraph (d) of this provision for proposal(s) determined to be acceptable under Factors I through III. The price evaluation will be based on the total amount listed in Block 26 of the SF1449.

FACTOR I: Technical Approach (Acceptable/Unacceptable)

FACTOR II: Educational Background (Acceptable/Unacceptable)

FACTOR III: Past Performance (Acceptable/Unacceptable)

FACTOR IV: Price

M.2 BASIS OF EVALUATION

FACTOR I: TECHNICAL APPROACH

Basis of Evaluation: Evaluation of this factor will be an assessment of the offeror’s project experience on an acceptable/unacceptable basis. To achieve and “acceptable” rating, the offeror must submit at least three (3) like or similar services which are at least 75% complete or completed within the preceding six

(6) years from the date of proposals and must be determined to be similar size, scope and complexity to the requirements described in this solicitation. At least one of the services submitted for this factor must demonstrate technical writing with a scope and cost exceeding $10,000.00 in order to be considered acceptable.

Accuracy, completeness, relevance, readability, usability, and style.

o Accuracy: Whether the writing is factually correct o Completeness: Whether the writing covers all relevant information o Relevance: Whether the writing is relevant to the intended audience o Readability: How easy it is to read the writing o Usability: How useful the writing is to the intended audience o Style: Whether the writing is consistent in its formatting, terminology, and style

Offerors are required to submit a narrative that demonstrates their ability to perform the work described in this solicitation by detailing experience performing work of similar size, scope, and complexity, include a sample writing of such herein. Offerors must submit at least two (2) but no more than three (3) relevant services that are of similar size, scope, and complexity to the work described in this solicitation.

If the contractor provides more than five (5) examples, only the most recent five submitted will be considered. Projects determined to be not of similar size, scope, and complexity will receive no credit.

Similar size is defined as: A minimum cost of between $10,000.00-$35,000.00.

Similar scope and complexity is/are defined as: Technical Report writing for any Government entity (i.e., City, State, or Federal). Complexity includes accuracy, completeness, relevance, readability, usability, and style. If any of the information required is not included in the form then the offeror may be considered non-responsive and evaluated as “UNACCEPTABLE.”

FACTOR II: EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Basis of Evaluation: Evaluation of this factor will be an assessment of the offeror’s Educational

Background; Experience, and Certifications on an acceptable/unacceptable basis. Included is work experience of key personnel (i.e., three (3) like or similar resumes within past 3-years’ time) in order to be considered acceptable.

a. Educational Background

• The technical writer should have a level of education of a Master’s Degree and above.

• If the Technical Writer only has a Bachelor’s Degree then they must have at least 3 to 5 years of writing experience

• The proposal demonstrates a sound technical approach to the tasks identified in the Statement of Work.

• The proposal demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of training/curriculum development and working in injury prevention with American

Indians/Alaskan Natives.

b. Experience

• Held a position working as an editor

• Has experience working with a publication.

• Has experience working with the federal governing

c. Certifications

• Preferred but not required:

o Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC): A well-recognized certification offered by the Society for Technical

Communication (STC), the world's oldest association dedicated to technical communication o Technical Writer Certification: Offered by the American Medical

Writers Association (AMWA) o Technical Communication UK Professional Certification:

Offered by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators

(ISTC)

o Information Mapping Certified Professional™ (IMCP): Offered by Information Mapping o Technical Communication Specialization: Offered by Coursera in collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder\

If any of the information required is not included in the form then the offeror may be considered non-responsive and evaluated as “UNACCEPTABLE.”

FACTOR III: PAST PERFORMANCE

Basis of Evaluation: Evaluation of this factor will be an assessment of the offeror’s overall past performance record on an acceptable/unacceptable basis. To achieve an “acceptable” rating, the offeror’s past performance records must reflect a trend of satisfactory performance. Past performance records include PPQs if applicable and all other past performance information reviewed by the Government (i.e., CPARS, FAPIIS, eSRS, PPQ, performance recognition documents, etc.).

Offerors need not submit for this factor; but if they choose to, offerors shall submit past performance information on relevant projects that are at least 75% construction progress complete or completed within six (6) years preceding the date proposals are due. The Government may seek all relevant performance information on all responsive and otherwise technically acceptable offerors through sources such as

CPARS or other government databases and other sources that are available. The Government shall not be limited in its search for performance data.

In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance (see FAR

15.305(a)(2)(iv)). Therefore, the offeror will be determined to have unknown past performance. In the context of acceptability/unacceptability “unknown” will be considered “acceptable.”

FACTOR IV: PRICE

Basis of Evaluation: The Government will evaluate price based on the amount listed in Block 26 of the

SF1449 using the method of evaluation detailed in Section M, paragraph M.1 (d).

Failure to address any of the requirements stated in Section L may result in an “UNACCEPTABLE” rating and the proposal may not be considered for further evaluation.

END OF SECTION