Questions Answers -NIEHS ASPPS.pdf

NIEHS Armed Security Protection and Patrol

Services Q&A

1. Section 5.4.2.1 refers to medical training. Is this referring to First Aid Training?

a. This is referring to basic first aid/CPR/AED training, and any other medical training the contractor believes is relevant for the NIEHS mission and ASO Training Plan.

2. Under the proposal preparation instructions, Volume I - Technical includes three tabs:

Tab 1 - Technical Capabilities, Tab 2 - Management Experience, Tab 3 - Personnel

Experience. However, this section does not detail what is required within each listed tab. Please provide detailed instructions for each tab.

The Technical Submission volume shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims.

Legibility, clarity and coherence are very important. Provide your response to satisfying the specific task order SOW.

3. It appears the evaluation criteria is not easily mappable to the proposal instructions. Will the government consider revising the evaluation criteria to match the proposal instructions?

a. Please see updated Solicitation Announcement which has clearly defined evaluation criteria.

4. This section states "maximum of 50 double sided pages, contained in a binder."

however, the table on page 56 provides conflicting page limitations such as 20 page limit for Volume I and a 10 page limit for Volume II. Please clarify the page limitations.

a. Page limit is 50 double sided pages for total submission, excluding charts, graphs, tabs, diagrams, tables, photographs, drawings, title pages, covers, glossary, dividers, and resumes.

5. The proposal instructions on page 56 exclude resumes from the page limitations.

However, the instructions on page 59 do not exclude resumes from page count.

Please confirm resumes are excluded from page count.

a. Page limit is 50 double sided pages for total submission, excluding charts,

6. If an MOA for rates are updated in Base Year, due to the rate opener clause 60 days prior to April 1, will the Contractor be allowed to submit an equity adjustment within the Base Year? Yes a.

7. Is there on-site office space at any location for a Contract Manager/Chief? If so, can it be accessed on weekend/holidays?

a. Yes.

8. If the employees are allowed to store weapons on site, are there any additional time paid for Guard up/down or guard mount at any building, as it is not indicated in the CBA?

a. Determination is up to the contractor.

9. Would the agency confirm the last Contract Award amount and/or provide the contract number?

a. This information is publicly available.

10. Is there a certain form of communication that is required (radios, cell phones, etc)?

a. GFE radios are provided for the officers. Other methods of communication are up to the contractor.

11. Are firearms required to be stored on site or are PSOs required to take weapons home after shift? If storing on-site, will the agency indicate which locations are applicable?

Do any sites provide storage space for weapons and ammo?

a. Firearms will be required to be stored on site. The contractor and the government will determine appropriate areas for weapon/ammunition storage.

12. What is the current weapons platform, including make and model, currently in use on the contract?

a. Glock 17.

13. Please clarify if shotguns are required at any post/building? Are any intermediate weapons (Baton, OC Spray) currently being used?

a. Shotguns are not required at any post/building. The officers are required to have

OC spray.

14. Is there a specific form to be utilized for the price proposal and narrative? No form, only MS Word.

15. Will the agency provide an updated seniority list that includes anniversary dates?

a. Contractor can request seniority list from prior service provider after award.

16. Are there any emergency service hours or additional support hours that would be applied on this contract? Have there been any number of additional support or emergency hours performed in each of the last 5 years?

a. There are Temporary Additional Services hours that officers may be required to work.

17. Are there any staffing shortage issues or concerns regarding staffing levels on the current contract?

a. No.

18. Is the level of effort reflected in the RFP the same level of effort that is currently being performed by the incumbent guard force?

a. The level of effort in the RFP is the required level of effort for this contract.

19. What is the current form of timekeeping on the contract?

a. The government has no knowledge of current contractor’s timekeeping.

Proprietary issue with current service provider.

20. Are FPS's NWDTP standards approved and accredited for use under the Screening

Trainer's "Train the Trainer" course? If not, is there a preferred course that is approved and utilized?

a. All training courses and options should be included in the ASO Training Plan section of the submission.

21. What firearms qualification and training program is currently in place, and approved by the NCPPSB?

a. NCPPSB provides armed security officer training. The RFP identifies additional training.

22. Will the current contractor employees be fully qualified in terms of training completion, weapons qualification and medical evaluations, by contract start date?

23. What uniform items are currently being worn? What is the brand of boots?

a. Please see uniform requirements in the solicitation.

24. Is vehicle screening required at any of the access control posts? If so, is the vehicle screening equipment provided by the contractor?

a. Vehicle screening is required at multiple access points on campus. Vehicle screening equipment is provided by the government.

25. Is the contractor required to provide OC spray and handcuffs for all contract personnel?

26. What specific weapon is required for this solicitation?

a. There is no specific weapon brand required for this contract, only that it be an individually assigned, full size duty pistol.

27. As ASOs must obtain their weapon before standing post, how much time should all bidders include in their pricing for both obtaining and turning in their weapons each shift?

a. Determination is up to the contractor.

b.

28. What type of hat is required for the ASOs (i.e., ball cap, campaign hat, etc.)?

a. There is no hat requirement for this contract.

29. Are key personnel required to wear hats?

a. There is no hat requirement for this contract.

30. What is the mileage/day that vehicles are utilized so all bidders may accurately determine fuel costs?

a. The government does not track data of non-GFE items, the vehicles are contractor supplied, maintained, and provided.

31. What communication equipment is required for this solicitation?

a. The government provides radios for the officers.

32. Is the contractor required to provide a gun safe and clearing barrel?

33. Will the government be providing any equipment, supplies, and/or property?

a. Only what is listed in the contract.

34. Appendix One (Current Security Posts & Hours). The table does not indicate how many contract staff are required per shift. Can you confirm that only one staff member is required for each shift listed?

a. One staff member per post, per shift unless otherwise noted.

35. What does the “yes” in the Relief Post column indicate (i.e., Do these posts require relief?

Or, do these posts provide relief for all other posts?)

a. Yes, these posts require relief under the current contract. However, in the future determination is up to the contractor.

36. Please elaborate as to how relief is provided and if it is included within these post hours

Shown.

a. Determination is up to the contractor.

37. “The contractor shall also have medical re-examinations, as necessary, for officers standing post.” How often is it necessary to repeat the medical examination?

a. At the discretion of the contractor.

38. “The contractor shall ensure ASOs can perform physical functions…” Is a separate physical fitness test required?

39. A list of qualifications and experience requirements is provided that is specific to the

ASOs. Are there any different qualifications or experience requirements for any of the key personnel positions?

40. How many hours are required for the Initial Basic Training and Additional Training

Modules?

a. This is contractor provided, government approved, training, meaning the hours will not be known until the transition period.

41. It states to “complete firearms qualification each year in accordance with NCPPSB” while

Article 11 section 4 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement references “qualification session every six months.” Is the qualification annual or semi-annual?

a. Qualification is in accordance with NCPPSB.

42. Is there any government-provided training?

a. Yes, there is government required/provided training.

43. Is any of the training required to be repeated and, if so, how often?

a. As determined by the government.

44. Will a seniority list be provided to all bidders to ensure equality in pricing the vacation time?

a. Contractor can request seniority list from prior service provider after award.

45. In item (1), Volume III is referred to as "Price." In items (2) and (3), it is referred to as

"Pricing Fully Loaded Rates by Position." In item (4)c, it is referred to as "Price

Submission." In the latter two occurrences, offerors are instructed that Volume III must be clearly marked as such. Can the government verify how Volume III should be labeled?

Please refer to directions in SOO.

46. In item (4).c.(b).1, it states “The Offeror shall complete the pricing with fully loaded rates in the Attachment Fully Loaded Rates by Position in attachment 4” Please note that an

“Attachment Fully Loaded Rates by Position” has not been provided in the Attachment 4 evaluation criteria section. Please refer to SOO.

47. Item (4).c.(b) requires fully loaded rates by position. However, the provided Attachment 4 only denotes “ASPS” as a CLIN. Which is correct? Please refer to SOO.

48. In item II.B, it states "maximum 50 pages in a binder" which is different from the page limitations in Attachment 3, item (2). Please verify the correct page limitations.

a. Page limit is 50 double sided pages for total submission, excluding charts,

49. In item II.B, it states "Page count maximum does not include cover (front and back), cover page, table of contents, blank pages, and dividers." Attachment 3, item (3) lists different page count exclusions. Which section is correct?

a. Page limit is 50 double sided pages for total submission, excluding charts,

50. Item III.A.iv instructs offerors to "submit all plans, procedures, or documents required….by the SOO in their proposal." However, all of the dates in the table in SOO

9.1 are "due on or by" dates that occur after award. Can the government confirm when the various plans (i.e., transition, qualitycontrol, training, uniform/vehicle/equipment, parking placard, quality assurance surveillance) are due?

a. The contractor is required to submit draft versions of all plans, procedures, and documents required in their proposal. The listed deliverable dates are for the final, government approved, copies.

51. Items III.A.vi and III.A.vii instruct offerors to include a compensation plan as part of the

Program Management & Administrative Approach (which would be included in Volume

I). Since pricing is not typically included in a technical volume, should the compensation plan be included as part of the pricing volume? Yes

52. Item III.G.ii instructs offerors to supply its current FSS 84 contract and include any administrative fees charged by GSA. Since this solicitation was released via SAM (and not GSA's e-Buy portal), can the government verify whether a GSA contract is required for this response? GSA contract is NOT required.

53. Page 4 of the RFP lists technical capabilities, management experience, personnel experience, past performance, and price as evaluation criteria. These five items match with the instructions provided in Attachment 3, with the first three items being the required tab sub-sections of the Technical Submission volume. However, Attachment 4 Technical

Evaluation Criteria, lists seven evaluation factors in item II.A.i through II.A.vii that differ from the five listed on page 4 and in Attachment 3.Which set of evaluation criteria is correct?

a. Proposals will be evaluated based on the Seven Best Value criteria listed in

Attachment 4, Technical Evaluation Criteria.

54. If both sets are correct, does the government have a preference for where the seven items in Attachment 4 are presented within the volumes and tabs listed in Attachment 3?

a. Proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria listed in Attachment 4, Technical

Evaluation Criteria.

55. Item III.G requires a price proposal and references labor hour, labor category, and travel.

Would it be acceptable for the contractors to provide a summary spreadsheet in their OWN format as long as it denotes these various line items?

56. If not, please elaborate on the required format if it is required to be submitted in the RFP response.

a. No required format.

57. What is the current value of the incumbent's contract?

a. This information is publicly available.

58. Does the incumbent currently have the contract fully staffed? If not, what are the differences?

59. Does the incumbent’s staff meet the medical and training requirements of this solicitation?

If not, what are the differences? Are the incumbent's staff grandfathered in terms of the training?