Amendment_One_-_Answer_to_Questions.pdf

Amendment One (1) “OER Software Design and Development”

Response to Questions from 75N97019R00003

Amendment One (1) is hereby released to provide answers to the questions received in response to the subject solicitation issued June 14, 2019. Offerors were instructed to provide all questions no later than close of business on June 27, 2019. In the following document, the Government provides the answers to each question that was received (in red).

Proposals to this Request for Proposal remain due by 2:00 PM on July 17, 2019.

1. In Attachment 9, Technical Proposal Instructions, it indicates:

4. Resumes: Resumes must be provided for all named personnel (both key personnel and non-key personnel). Resumes are limited to 2 pages per resume. Actual resumes are required – sample resumes for positions are not acceptable.

Whereas in the RFP, section b. Personnel on page 68, it indicates that for 2. Additional Personnel that [the offeror shall]:

“List names, titles, and proposed duties of additional personnel, if any, who will be required for full-time employment, or on a subcontract or consultant basis.”

And further in 3. Resumes that “Resumes of all key personnel are required.”

Will the government confirm the offeror must provide resumes for all named personnel (key and non-key)?

Resumes for all named staff, both Key Personnel and non-Key Personnel, are required.

2. Referencing Section M.5.3; Past Experience: Please confirm that the past experience references used must be that of the Prime Offeror.

The past experience references may be any part of the offeror’s planned team (should one exist). Regardless of whether the reference is that of a potential Prime contractor or that of a potential Subcontractor, that experience should be what will best display the offeror’s past experience.

3. Please confirm that the Mandatory Qualification Criteria of 75 or more Java developers supporting the grants management system applies to the number of Java developers employed by the Prime Offeror.

The Mandatory Qualification of 75 or more Java developers supporting the grants management system is a reference to the size of the project itself. The offeror does not need to be the only contractor on the project providing all 75 or more developers. Rather, the offeror must have provided a portion of the developers for a project that required 75 or more Java developers.

4. Article H.8.c which states, “…offerors must submit an HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template, in accordance with its completion instructions.” Please confirm if the government requires a Product Accessibility Template (PAT) for the information and communications technology (ICT) yet to be developed.

The Government does not expect products to be provided under this contract, but rather services. As a result, the offeror does not need to provide a PAT unless it is proposing a product that will meet the needs of the Government.

5. H.8.c. states that, “The ‘HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template’ is included in SECTION J - List of Attachments, of this solicitation.”

Please confirm that respondents should use the current HHS approved template (VPAT 2.0 or later) or the template version provided (VPAT 1.0).

If the Offeror determines that it will be providing a product that requires a PAT, it should use the HHS approved template (VPAT or later), as found at: https://www.hhs.gov/web/section- 508/contracting/index.html

6. The second paragraph in Article B.3 states “The level-of-effort will be in accordance with the labor hours described in Article F.3 Level of Effort”. Article F.3 discusses deliverables but does not have hours. Please clarify if Offerors must bid a prescribed number of hours.

The correct reference is to Article F.4 Level of Effort. There is no prescribed number of hours at this time, but will be determined based on negotiations with the successful offeror. The Government has provided an estimated range of hours for the minimum and maximum efforts in the Additional Proposal Instructions (Attachment 9). The Offeror must provide its estimate for the mix and level of effort to complete what is proposed in its Technical Proposal.

7. In the section on Quantity Options, does the government expect quantity options to be bid at the time of proposal submission or are these to be negotiated after award?

The Offeror must submit a proposal that relates to the minimum and maximum anticipated efforts, as discussed in the Additional Proposal Instructions (Attachment 9). The number of hours to be used for Quantity Options will be the difference between the number needed for the minimum effort and those needed for the maximum effort.

8. Referencing Article F.3: The table in this section is not fully readable (i.e., it is truncated). Please clarify the requirement.

Please find the table below.

9. The government has provided estimated hours for both the minimum requirement and a maximum if option quantities exercised (titles to the tables). Please clarify if the evaluated price will be based only on the minimum / basic requirements or if the quantity options will be included. If the evaluation will include the quantity options and in order to ensure an easier evaluation, we would recommend that these two requirements be reflected by using two different CLINs.

https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/contracting/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/contracting/index.html

The government intends to use all cost information provided for its evaluation of costs. This includes all Option costs proposed. The Government is requesting proposed costs be submitted for both the minimum requirement and the maximum requirement in two separate cost spreadsheets, with explanation for each included in the offeror’s Cost Proposal.

10. Are contractors allowed to add tabs to the Excel spreadsheet for the purpose of showing supporting cost/pricing information referenced in other tabs across the same workbook?

Yes. The information requested in the workbook must be included, however, if the offeror has additional information to provide, that is allowed.

11. Regarding Article B.3, There are several references to paragraph (d). Can the Government please clarify where we can find Paragraph (d)?

The numbering of that item was inconsistent. Rather than having paragraphs (e) and (f), those should have been paragraphs 5. and 6. The reference to paragraph (d) should have been referencing paragraph 4 of Section B.3.

12. There is a discrepancy in the indicators of whether it has been determined that the solicitation involves PII and the impact level. One reference states there is No PII and the level is low while the other states there is PII and level is moderate. Please clarify which reference is correct.

This solicitation and any subsequent contract will involve PII and the proper level is moderate.

13. The solicitation states the award from this solicitation will be a Cost-Reimbursement type

Completion Contract while other references throughout the RFP refer to Cost reimbursement, term, level-of-effort. Is the correct contract type CPFF, term, LOE?

The Government anticipates awarding a Cost-Reimbursement, term, level-of-effort contract.

14. Referencing Section L.2.a.4, the solicitation states “The technical proposal must include direct cost and resources information, such as labor-hours and categories and applicable rates…such that the project may be evaluated (See Section J, Attachment entitled, Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Cost (plus fee) w/ Excel Spreadsheet.) However, the technical proposal should not include pricing data relating to individual salary information, indirect cost rates or amounts, fee amounts and total costs.”

Please clarify if the Government wants Attachment 6, Technical Proposal Information/Summary of Labor and Direct Costs to be included in the Technical Proposal and Attachment 13, Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Cost (Plus Fee) and Labor Hours in the Business Proposal.

The Government requires Attachment 6 to be included in the Technical Proposal (this attachment will not count toward the 40 page limitation) and Attachment 13 to be included in the Business Proposal. Information relating to individual salary, indirect cost rates, fee amounts, and total costs are to be included in Attachment 13 only.

15. Section L states that “Resumes of all key personnel are required” while Attachment 9 states “Resumes must be provided for all named personnel (both key personnel and non-key personnel). Will the government confirm the offeror must provide resumes for all named personnel (key and non-key)

The offeror must provide resumes for both key and non-key personnel where a named individual has been proposed.

16. Requires subcontractors to provide a complete cost proposal. If subcontractors have proprietary rate information that will only be disclosed to the Government how does the Government want the sealed packages from the subcontractor submitted? Electronically and hard copy?

The Government would like all sealed packages to be provided in both electronic and hard copy form.

17. Regarding Attachment 7: Is a completed version of this form to be included in the offerors proposal? If so, please identify what volume and if it is included in any page count.

This form should be included in the Technical Proposal. It will not be counted towards the 40 page maximum.

18. Regarding Section M.3, the solicitation states “The offeror must clearly address the how they meet the mandatory criteria in the Mandatory Experience form that is include as an attachment with the RFP. (See the Additional Proposal Instructions for preparation instructions). Can the Government identify where the instructions can be found in Attachment 9?

The instructions were mistakenly not included in Attachment 9. Instructions are as follows:

Offerors must completely fill out the attached form: Mandatory Experience Criteria. Offerors must return said form with the Technical Proposal. This form will not count toward the 40 page limitation on the Technical Proposal.

19. We see the requirement for completing this form in Section M, but no further instructions are provided. Should this form be included as part of the offerors technical proposal? If so, is it excluded from the 40 page limit?

The form should be included in the Technical Proposal. It will not be included in the 40 page limit.

20. Are the Letters of Commitment, the Mandatory Requirement form, the ATT-7_summary-related-activities' (and other required attachments), Table of Contents and Acronym list considered part of the 40 page Technical Volume or Excluded?

None of the above items are included in the 40 page limitation for the Technical Proposal.

22. The RFP does not specify a contractor required place of performance – should it be assumed that all contract staff be located onsite at a government location or at the contractor’s facility located within 50 miles of NIH headquarters?

Staff will be expected to have a place of performance at OER eRA offices in Rockledge 1, Bethesda, MD, however, it will be required that all staff be prepared to work offsite. The Offeror should provide a plan for its employees to telework.

23. Is it the government’s position that all management staff be located onsite at a government location and if so, is it safe to assume that the government location is the NIH headquarters?

The onsite location for management staff and others working onsite will be Rockledge 1, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817.

24. Referring to Technical Proposal Instructions, is there a specific format for the work plan that the government would like Offeror’s to use? If so, will the government provide a template for the offeror to model the response? Is the work plan included in 40 pages of the technical Approach?

The work plan referenced is referring to the Technical Proposal to be provided by the Government. There is no template for the Technical Proposal. It must include the information requested in the Technical Proposal Instructions.

DELIVERIES

ITEM TYPE OF DELIVERABLE DUE DATE RECIPIENT

1 Master list of Risks and issues At least two (2) business days after each meeting

Electronic copy to COR, CO, and Technical Monitors (TM)

2 Design Documents As required Electronic copy to CO, COR, and TMs

3 Accepted Software Packages As required Electronic copy to CO, COR and TMs

4 Unit Test Plans As required

Electronic copy to CO, COR and TMs

5 Project Scheduling Information 5 Working days after assignment of task component

Electronic copy to CO, COR and TMs

6 Monthly Status Reports Fifth working day of each month, starting after the first full month of the contract

Electronic copy to CO, COR and TMs

7 Monthly Financial Reports Fifth working day of each month, starting after the first full month of the contract

Electronic copy to CO, COR and TMs

8 Draft Transition Plan Nine months before the end of the contract

Electronic copy to CO, COR and TMs

9 Final Transition Plan Six months before the end of the contract

Electronic copy to CO, COR and TMs

10 Quality Control Plan 30 days after contract award

Electronic copy to CO, COR and TMs

11 Roster of all Information Technology Staff Within 14 days of the effective date of the contract or within 5 working days of staff changes

Electronic copies to CO and COR

12 Forms – Suitability Investigation Package Within 14 days of submitting roster

Electronic copies to CO and COR

13 System Security Plan 60 days after contract award (required only if the contractor works offsite with government data)

Electronic copies to CO and COR

14 eRA Employee On-boarding Form Before a new contractor employee starts working in OER

Electronic copies CO, COR, TM and the eRA onboarding/offboarding mailbox

15 eRA Employee Off-boarding Form When a contractor employee departs OER or is terminated

Electronic copies CO, COR, TM and the eRA onboarding/offboarding mailbox

16 Non-Disclosure Agreements Prior to starting work at OER

Electronic copies to CO and COR

17 Copy of Training Records for all mandatory training

10 days after start of contract and annually thereafter

Electronic copies to CO and COR

18 Signed Rules of Behavior for all contractor employees

10 days after start of contract and annually thereafter

Electronic copies to CO and COR

19 Incident Reports Within 1 hour of incident

Electronic copies to CO and COR

20 Incident and Breach Response Plan Upon Request Electronic copies to CO and COR

21 Small Business Subcontracting Reports See Article H.6 Via https://www.esrs.gov

END OF AMENDMENT ONE (1)