ETIS_III_DRFP_Question_and_Answers.pdf

80GSFC18R0034

ENVIRONMENTAL TEST AND INTEGRATION SERVICES (ETIS) III

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1. QUESTION: Can NASA populate the eLibrary with missing Task Orders #8 and #11?

ANSWER: Work under current ETIS II Task Order #8 is not continuing on ETIS III.

There is not a Task Order 11 under ETIS II.

2. QUESTION: Can NASA revisit the increase from 20% (ETIS II) to 26.5% (ETIS III draft) SB goals?

ANSWER: No, the goals have been fully vetted and determined to be reasonable for this requirement.

3. QUESTION: The ETIS SOW has removed any reference to work being performed at NASA Wallops. There is a disparity with the Collective Bargaining Agreement and who is responsible for managing this workforce. Can NASA provide clarification of the intent to remove the Wallops work and the Wallops employees currently covered in the existing

CBA.

ANSWER: The work that was performed at Wallops under the ETIS II contract will no longer be performed under ETIS III.

4. QUESTION: Reference Section L.30 (c) Scenario, Page 108. Is there a distinction between observatory level testing and flight qualification testing or should the statement read "observatory level flight qualification testing?" If there is meant to be a distinction, please explain.

ANSWER: The distinction between Observatory Level Testing (also referred to as Payload Level testing) and Flight Qualification testing (also referred to as Protoflight Level Testing) is found in GSFC-STD-7000A (GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL VERIFICATION STANDARD (GEVS) For GSFC Flight Programs and Projects).

Typically, Flight Qualification testing is performed on individual components, instruments, and subsystems prior to those entities being integrated into a payload or observatory. Observatory (or Payload) implies an integrated assemblage of modules, subsystems, etc., designed to perform a specified mission in space. An observatory is essentially a satellite.

5. QUESTION: Reference Section L.30 (c) Scenario, Page 108. With regard to projects X and Y, does "various phases of environmental testing simultaneously" imply that some of the phases of environmental testing, such as EMI testing, are planned to be conducted simultaneously, or does it mean that there are no requirements to conduct any of the phases at the same time on both observatories?

ANSWER: As “various” means “different from one another”, the phrase "various phases of environmental testing simultaneously" means that all 3 projects (X, Y, and Z) are performing different phases of I&T at the same time.

6. QUESTION: In Enclosure EE, there are some Direct labor categories absent in “Rates Adjusted to October 2019” (when compared with Enclosure CC page 2). Additionally, the Principal Engineer and Network Admin labor categories do not have a corresponding rate in the CBA. Can the missing rates be provided?

ANSWER: The Government provided Historical Rates where it had shareable data.

There are no additional rates the Government can provide.

7. QUESTION: Is it the Government’s intent that all offerors price using the rates provided within Enclosure EE?

ANSWER: Please address per the solicitation, section L.31 (b)(1).

8. QUESTION: Will the government clarify the meaning of "Rates Adjusted to October 2019"? Are the rates provided in this column the weighted average Direct Labor rates for the corresponding CBA labor category?

ANSWER: Historical, weighted average rates under the ETIS II contract were escalated to starting October 2019 rates for the labor categories provided.

9. QUESTION: Reference Section L.31 (b)(1), Pg 120. “The Government does not intend to issue a separate task order for overall contract program management. Accordingly, in accordance with the Offeror’s current accounting system, clearly indicate how program management costs will be captured and charged on a task-by-task basis during performance of the contract.” Would the government please clarify what is meant by task-by-task? Is this at the WD level or Task Order Level?

ANSWER: This is for the Offeror to decide based upon how they propose to manage the contract.

10. QUESTION: In the Cover Letter, the paragraph with the OCI discussion ends with a sentence, "Offerors will not be considered ‘ineligible’ from competition if mitigation strategies are not provided.” Was this supposed to be worded "will" rather than "will not"?

ANSWER: The Cover Letter was worded correctly. The Government permitted Contractors to provide OCI mitigation strategies before release of the FINAL RFP.

Contractors are still eligible for award even if they failed to provide OCI mitigation strategies in response to the DRAFT RFP. As a reminder, an Organizational Conflicts of Interest Avoidance Plan will be required in accordance with Provision L.25.

11. QUESTION: Reference Exhibit 2B. The exhibit requires the offeror to price and differentiate between “Onsite Management Direct” and “Offsite Administrative Direct” labor categories. What is the definition of Administrative labor categories versus management categories?

ANSWER: Generally speaking, Onsite Management would be those employees who are proposed to charge as direct costs to the contract and who are providing direct managerial oversight of tasks issued under the contract and those non-management employees performing the tasks. NASA/GSFC intends to provide onsite office space for such employees. Administrative offsite support would be those employees who are proposed to charge as direct costs to the contract and will be providing administrative support to the contract for such activities as human resources, payroll, benefits, contract administration and reporting, etc. and who are not involved in ongoing management of tasks and those performing them. NASA/GSFC does not intend to provide onsite office space for administrative staff.

12. QUESTION: Reference Section L.28 (c)(9), Page 105. “Offerors shall possess a SECRET level facility security clearance by the due date for receipt of proposals…” Can the Government change this to state: “Offerors shall possess a SECRET level facility security clearance by the time of contract award?

ANSWER: No, this requirement will not be changed.

13. QUESTION: Please confirm that the FRFP release date is still planned for August 1st, and if not what is the anticipated new FRFP release date?

ANSWER: The Government’s anticipated RFP release date is on or about August 1, 2018.