Responses.pdf

Document TitleSection/Para Page Question / Clarification Response Could the Government please provide an update on the expected next step in the referenced opportunity specifically regarding the anticipated

RFP release date?

Yes, the Government will provide an updated schedule by the end of September.

Attachment

2 - SOW

TO 001

SOW 6.11.2

Inside/Outside

Cable Plant

Support

36 Q: Will specified cable plant installation and maintenance support tools, machines, equipment specified herein be made available as GFE to the

Contractor or are these items to be Contractor-furnished?

Yes

Section L L.2.2 5 Table L1 states that Volume 03, Part C

Management approach is limited to 25 pages, yet

RFP Section M.3.2.1.b clearly states that the transition plan has its own 10-page limit. Owing to the critical importance of the transition-in plan and the relatively small amount of pages allocated for the management section, will the Government please confirm that the 10-page transition plan is in addition to the 25-page management section page limit?

Yes, the total will now be 35 pages, which will include 10 pages for transition-in plan, and 25 pages for the remainder of the subfactor.

Section L L.2.2 5 Table L1 states that Volume 03, Part D Staffing

Plan is limited to 10 pages. Will the Government please confirm this excludes Attachment M1

Project Staffing Plan Matrix, which contains multiple tabs in Excel format, and that Attachment

M1 should be submitted as a separate attachment from the 10-page narrative?

The matrix is not included in the page count for the narrative part of the requirement. It should be a separate document from the narrative. This has been clarified on Section L and Section M.

Section M M.3.1.1.b 4 Letters of intent are required for each proposed highlighted key personnel at the proposal submission due date. For those proposed key personnel already in the employ of the prime or one of the proposed subcontractors, are such letters required?

Yes, the Government would like a letter of intent for all proposed highlighted key personnel.

Draft RFP

6.1.9.1.4

Subtask

9.1.1.4

N/A Reference: "Draft quality procedures are due to the Government on the first day of contract transition with final quality procedures due to the

Government on the first day of contract performance."

Would the Government please clarify the deliverable to ensure incoming vendors have appropriate time for preparation and delivery?

Yes, the Government will update verbiage to read, "Draft quality procedures are due to the

Government 5 calendar days after award of contract with final quality procedures due to the

Government on the first day of contract performance.".

L2.2.2.1 6 Font Size - Would the Government allow information in headers and footers to be 10 point font size?

Yes, section L has been updated to note this.

Section M5

Cost Factor

(Factor 3), Section

M3.2.2

Subfactor 2

N/A Section M5 states that hours will not be provided until after award while Section M3.2.2 states that hours are provided.

Will the Government confirm how the total evaluated price will be calculated?

This information will be clarified when the price sheet is provided.

M.3.2.1.D The Draft Transition-in plan is a component of

Volume III, Factor 1, Part C, which is comprised of both the Draft Program Management Plan and

Transition-in Plan. Page 5 of Section L states that the volume overall is limited to 25 pages.

Will the Government please clarify if the Draft

Transition-in’s 10-page limit is separate from the

25-page limit for Vol III Part C as specified in

Section L?

Yes, the overall plan page limit has been adjusted to 35 pages. The transition-in plan will be 10 pages of that document.

Section

L2.2

Would the Government please clarify if the required spreadsheet is additional to the

Government-provided Attachment L2 –

Corporate Experience template?

If so, would the Government please clarify what information must be provided in the required spreadsheet?

This has been revised.

Section C

SUBTASK

5.2- AOR

HOST

NATION

APPROVA

L (HNA)

SUPPORT

6.9.5.2 30 Section C - The Draft RFP states that the contractor may be required to get HNA for terminal use. Will the Government please verify that the contractor is assisting the organization in obtaining HNA, but is not the responsible authority for this action?

The contractor may be required to procure HNA from foreign nations for any new terminals purchased during contract performance. HNA

CLINs will be added to the order at the time it is required. The contractor shall propose any application HNA or frequency license as a pass through charge. No profit or fee will be authorized for HNAs. A proposal will be requested based on the Agency’s needs and a bilateral modification will be issued to add

HNA CLINs if/when HNAs are required.

Section C 7.12 34 Table 5-1 - This table appears to be missing. Will the Government please provide?

Yes, the Government will provide all tables on the final RFP.

Section L L2.0.7 2

Would the Government please provide the phone number and email address of the Non-

Government Advisors to better facilitate a timely response.

You will be provided with an NDA with the name of the individual redacted. If you have further questions, please contact the contracting office.

Section L Table L1

M3.2.2

Page Count for Factor 1, Subfactor 2: TO 0001

Project Staffing, Recruiting, and Retention - In

Section L, Table L1 states that the page limit for

Factor 1, Subfactor 2 is 10 pages. But M3.2.2 states, “The recruiting and retention plan shall be limited to ten pages.”

M3.2.2 establishes the Project Staffing Plan as a separate element and beyond the ten pages allocated for the Recruiting and Retention Plan.

Will the Government please update Section L

Table L1 and provide a page limit for the Staffing

Plan component?

There are two submissions required for this subfactor. One is the narrative, and one is the

Staffing Plan Attachment. The narrative part of the subfactor has been adjusted to 15 pages.

Please note a large amount of the information required to justify the staffing plan is in attachment M1.

Section M

Subfactor

1: Overall

Manageme nt

Approach

M3.2.1.a.3 N/A

Overall Management Approach - Reference 3.2.1

a. 3. states "Include the TO Specific Mobilization and Demobilization Plan in accordance to DoDI

3040.21." Should DoDI 3040.21 instead be DoDI

3020.41? DoDI 3020.41 provides instructions for

“Contractor Personnel Authorized to Accompany the U.S. Armed Forces.”

Yes-this has been corrected.

Attachment

2-SOW-TO

6.16 N/A

Key Personnel Substitution - The SOW states, “Substitute personnel qualifications shall be equal to, or greater than, those of the personnel substituted.” This approach bases staffing requirements on an incumbent’s (person being replaced) qualifications rather than minimum requirements specified in the RFP (Personnel

Qualification Matrix) and serves as a disincentive for companies to hire an individual that exceeds the minimum LCAT requirement. Recommend change this sentence to read “Substitute personnel qualifications shall be equal to, or greater than, those specified in the Personnel Qualification

Matrix provided in the basic contract, unless otherwise approved in writing by the CO or

COR.” Doing so will provide staffing consistency between all CTSS-IV task orders and locations.

Yes, the language has been updated.

Attachment

2-SOW-TO

8 N/A

Place of Performance - Will the Government provide a plug number for travel?

Yes

Attachment

2-SOW-TO

12 N/A

Other Pertinent Information or Special

Considerations - Will the Government clarify the meaning of the asterisk after the “Data Rights

Clause"?

There is no meaning, and this will be removed.

Attachment

2-SOW-TO

6.1.7 N/A

Table 12.1 - This table is referenced in several places throughout the TO-0001 SOW but is not included in the SOW. Will the Government please provide Table 12.1?

Yes, all tables will be provided in the final RFP.

Attachment

2-SOW-TO

6.13.12 N/A

Table C.3.15-1 - Table C.3.15-1 is not included in the TO-0001 SOW. Will the Government please provide this table?

Yes, all tables will be provided in the final RFP.

Attachment

2-SOW-TO

6.13.13 N/A

Table 5-1 - Table 5-1 isn’t included in the TO-

0001 SOW. Will the Government please provide this table?

Yes, all tables will be provided in the final RFP.

Attachment

2-SOW-TO

6.13.14 N/A

Table C.3.1 - Table C.3.1 isn’t included in the TO-

0001 SOW. Will the Government please provide this table?

Yes, all tables will be provided in the final RFP.

Attachment

2-SOW-TO

6.14.3 N/A

Section G.7 - Section G.7 isn’t included in the TO-

0001 SOW. Will the Government please provide this table?

The reference to G7 in the TO 0001 SOW is referencing Section G7 of the RFP, which outlines the invoicing requirements. We will clarify this in future drafts.

Attachment

3 QASP

Attachment 1 -

Service Delivery, SS Item #2, Personnel

Management states

"PERFORMANC

E THRESHOLD

Attachment 3 QASP, Attachment 1 - Service

Delivery, SS Item #2, Personnel Management states, "PERFORMANCE THRESHOLD:

Written documentation has been provided to the

CO and COR within 24 hours of identification of

Key Personnel vacancies and no vacancy will exceed 14 calendar days from start of the vacancy until date a job offer is made to a qualified job candidate, unless otherwise approved in writing by the CO".

The QASP states no vacancy will exceed 14 calendar days from the start of the vacancy and

Attachment 2 SOW TO 001 states acceptable performance is within 45 calendar days for vacancy. Please clarify this discrepancy.

The Government QASP is a living document and will be updated/created when the CTSS

IDIQ and TO SOWs are finalized.

Proposal

Response

Time para 9 1

Can the Government please provide the number of days that bidders will have to prepare a proposal response for planning purposes? We recommend that 45 days be allowed to prepare proposals and submit them. This will also allow for submissions of questions on the final RFP and enable the

Government to meet your overall schedule without having to issue an RFP amendment.

The Government will most likely post the RFP for 30 days initially, and may give more time for proposals if amendments are made to the requirement documents.

RFP

Release

Date para 5 1 Can the Government please provide the intended or anticipated final RFP release date for planning purposes? Providing this information would enable industry bidders to better plan resources and develop a higher quality proposal.

The Government will provide an estimated schedule for the final solicitation by the end of

September.

Transition

Period B.8

4F65E

65C65

:G65C

65:H6

5C65:

G65C

65:F6

"will start calculating the fill rate after the 90 day transition period." Can the Government please verify that the transition period for all task orders is 90 days from the time of award for planning purposes?

Yes, the transition period for each task order will be 90 days.

Key

Personnel

Names

M3.1.1.d 4

Requires resumes and commitment letters for the five positions identified (Program Manager, Task

Order 1 Project Manger, Task Order 1 Site Lead

CONUS/OCONUS, A6 Qatar AOR Wide

Communication Engineer, 379th ECS

Communication Planner). Can the Government reduce the resume requirement from the current 5 to 3 (Program Manager, Task Order 1 Project

Manger, Task Order 1 Site Lead

CONUS/OCONUS)? The requirement for 5 key personnel with names and resumes at this time creates a significant advantage for the incumbent and places a tremendous hurdle on new bidders to obtain these personnel at this time.

No, this requirement will not be reduced.

Phase One M3.0 3

Referencing, "The Government will conduct a

Pass/Fail evaluation to determine if offerors have addressed specific Pass/Fail elements." In an effort to maintain fair and open competition, will the Government instead consider evaluating personnel qualifications as part of an offeror's

Task 001 Management Approach?

The qualifications can be referenced in the management approach, but the pass/fail portion of the evaluation will not be updated at this time.

Draft RFP

6.5.1

Subtask 1 -

System

Administra tion

N/A Reference: "Support all NOSC deployed projects."

There is a concern these responsibilities need to be firewalled between the AFCENT NOSC and

CTSS IV contract in order to ensure proper security controls are maintained.

The Government would like clarification on the concerns. Please provide additional information to the contracting office so we can adequately address this question.

Draft RFP

6.5.1

Subtask 1 -

System

Administra tion

N/A Reference: "The contractor is not authorized to delegate network rights and privileges without approval of the NOSC."

There is a concern with one vendor who will operate both systems administration on the

NOSC, as well as system and network administration on CTSS IV. Separate power and duties need to be maintained; thus, it is believed the AFCENT NOSC program reference in any proposal will create an OCI for USAFCENT.

Support for CTSS supported networks is not turnkey or is the NOSC Turn Key supported.

The service is not outsourced.

DRAFT

SOW 6.5

Task 5 -

Cyber

System

Operations

21 ‘The contractor may be tasked to perform support on Tier 1 networks and systems as required by

NOSC.’

There is a concern AFCENTS networks will not be as secure or compliant with security policies and procedures if one vendor owns and operates the AFCENT NOSC program, as well as the

CTSS program.

Support for CTSS supported networks is not turnkey or is the NOSC Turn Key supported.

Draft SOW

6.5.3

Subtask 3

System

Administra tion

Service

Desk

Support

22 "Any incident that cannot be resolve shall be escalated to the NCC and then to the NOSC."

The security posture of the network and systems will not be compliant to applicable DoD security standards if one vendor controls the system administration and the service desk per the requirement as written concerning the AFCENT

NOSC and CTSS.

This service is not outsourced.

Section H H12 Approved

Purchasing System

Would it be possible for the prime to have a sub with an approved accounting system be responsible for purchasing the materials? Can the wording be along the lines of:

H12 APPROVED PURCHASING SYSTEMS

The objective of a contractor purchasing system assessment is to confirm it is a Government-approved purchasing system and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness with which the contractor spends Government funds and complies with Government policy with subcontracting. A Government audited and approved purchasing system (e.g., approved by

DCAA or DCMA) is required by the contractor or its subcontractor responsible for purchasing materials. When reviews are conducted of the purchasing system during the performance of the

TO, the contractor shall provide the results of the review to the CO within ten workdays from the date the results are known to the contractor/subcontractor.

No, an approved accounting system is required for the prime contractor on this effort.

Section M M.5 Cost Factor 8 Section M states that the cost/price proposal will be evaluated IAW FAR 15.404. FAR 15.404 states that normally, adequate price competition is sufficient to establish a fair and reasonable price.

Adequate competition alone is not sufficient for this requirement, as multiple offerors may bid unrealistically low rates. Given the mission critical nature and program size of the requirement, will the Government please revise to explicitly state that cost/price evaluation will include a cost realism analysis (FAR 15.404-1(d)) for all proposed labor rates / TEP, and not just the cost-reimbursable CLINs?

Section M states the following: "Cost reimbursable contract line item numbers

(CLINs) will be evaluated for realism pursuant to FAR 15.404-1(d) to determine the probable cost of performance for each Offeror. The probable cost shall be used for purposes of evaluation to determine the best value. "

Section L L.2.2.2.2 7 The font in graphics is required to be Times New

Roman, no smaller than 10 point. Visually, fonts such as Calibri or Arial are more appropriate for graphics and tables. To ease evaluation, will the

Government allow offerors to use an alternative font, such as Calibri or Arial, provided it is no smaller than 10 point, in tables, charts, graphics, diagrams and schematics?

Offerors will be allowed to use Times New

Roman, Courier New, or Arial font. The language on the RFP has been updated.

Section L L.2.3.b 9 Cited RFP section requires that the pricing proposal be submitted in Microsoft Excel 2007 or

2010. Will the Government allow price proposals to be submitted in more modern versions of

Excel? Yes, the language has been updated to say price proposals must be submitted in Microsoft Excel.

Section L L.5.2 11 L.5.2 states that "the final small business participation plan will be monitored as a measure of contract compliance….", also that the "final small business participation plan will be incorporated at contract award within Section J."

Since this is an IDIQ contract, how can contractors be held to specific participation goals, when the nature, location, scope and level of effort of each subsequent task order is not yet defined?

Small Business Participation is only required for work performed in CONUS. The

Government will provide offerors with the approximate percentage of work and type of work that will be performed in CONUS through the life of the contract. Also, Task Order 0001 is indicative of the type of work that will be performed on all orders, and can give the contractors an idea of how work will be allocated.

Section L L.5.2 12 L.5.2 refers to the "total acquisition value (TAV)" as the basis of small business participation goals.

But the RFP does not define what this TAV is to

be. Will the Government clarify if this is to be a plug number for the IDIQ contract ceiling amount, or the proposed offeror price for TO001?

Yes, the TAV will be the ceiling amount for

CTSS IV and will be provided on the final RFP.

Table L1

L4.2

5 Factor # Discrepancy - Volume III – Phase II

Technical/Management (Factor 1) is listed as

Factor 1 in Table L1, but listed as Factor 2 in L4.2.

Would the Government please confirm whether this Volume should be Factor 1 or 2.

Factor 1 (Technical/Management) will include both Phase I and Phase II. Documents have been corrected.

Table L1

L5.0

5 Volume and Factor # Discrepancy - Small

Business Participation (Factor 2) is listed as

Volume V in Table L1, but listed as Volume IV in

L5.0. Would the Government please confirm that this Volume should be IV.

This Volume is listed as Factor 2 in Table L1, but listed as Factor 3 in L5.0. Would the Government please confirm whether this Volume should be

Factor 2 or 3.

Small Business Participation will be Factor 2, and documents have been updated.

Table L1

L6.0

5 Volume and Factor # Discrepancy - Cost/Price

(Factor 2) . Would the Government please confirm that this Volume should be V.

This Volume is listed as Factor 3 in Table L1, but listed as Factor 4 in L6.0. Would the Government please confirm whether this Volume should be

Factor 3 or 4.

Cost/Price will be Factor 3 and documents have been corrected.

Table L1

L7.0

6 Volume # Discrepancy - Contract Documentation is listed as Volume VII in Table L1, but listed as

Volume VI in L7.0. Would the Government please confirm that this Volume should be VI.

Contract documentation is listed as Volume VII is both table L1 and in L7.0.

Section I I 179

Clause 5152.225-5908 Government Furnished

Contractor Support; will the Government complete this section prior to the final RFP release; to include the locations and Services approved?

This clause will not be filled out at the IDIQ contract level; it will apply at the Task Order

Level.

Section L L2.2. 5

Volume IV - there appears to be a miss-numbering of the volumes and Volume IV is not included.

Would the Government please address?

This has been corrected.

Section L L2.2. 5

Volume III - Table L1 states that Volume III is

Factor 1, but L.4.2. (page 10) states it is Factor 2.

Will the Government please deconflict?

This has been deconflicted.

Section L L2.2. 5

Volume IV - Table L1 states that the Small

Business Participation Factor is Factor 2, but

L5.0. states that it is Factor 3. Will the

Government please deconflict?

This has been deconflicted.

Section L L2.2. 5

Volume VI - Table L1 and L6.2.2 state that

Volume VI - Cost/Price is Factor 3, but L6.0.

states that it is Factor 4. Will the Government please deconflict?

This has been deconflicted.

Section L L2.2. 5

Volume III - Table L1 states for Volume III Part

E, "5 Pages Required Spreadsheet". Will the

Government confirm that the spreadsheet referred to is Attachment L2 Corporate Experience

Template?

Yes, this has been clarified on the table.

Section L L2.2. 5

Volume VI - Will the Government clarify what is required within Volume VI Part F Other

Information?

The information required in "Other

Information" is detailed under L7.2.

Section L L2.2. & L5.0. 5 & 11

Small Business Participation Factor - Table L1 is missing an entry for Volume IV and lists the Small

Business Participation Factor as Volume V. L5.0 states Small Business Participation Factor is

Volume IV. Will the Government please clarify whether the Small Business Participation Factor is

Volume IV or V?

Small Business Participation Factor will be

Factor 2 and Volume IV. This has been clarified on Section L.

Section L L2.2. 6

Volume VI - Table L1 states that Part E Excel

Spreadsheets should be submitted as MS Excel

2016 or higher, but L2.3.b states, "…the Pricing

Proposal, which shall be submitted in MS Excel

2007 or 2010." Will the Government please deconflict the version required for Excel documents?

This has been clarified.

Section L L2.2.6. 7

Glossary - L2.2.6. states that each volume shall contain a glossary, yet Table L1 does not include a glossary part in Volume II Factor 1. Would the

Government please consider adding a Part C to

Volume II for the Glossary of Abbreviations and

Acronyms?

Yes, the Government has added this to each volume.

Section L L2.3.c 9

File Names - L2.3.c states that offer is to "Submit each volume as a separate electronic .zip file with the name of the volume from Table L1." Table L1 includes "/" in Volume II and VI names, which is an unacceptable character for zip file names. Will the Government please deconflict?

Please just leave out the slashes. No one will be considered unacceptable as long as the volume numbers are indicated and the Government is able to decipher what is in the .zip file.

Section L L2.3.h 9

Readme file - Will the Government please clarify that the required readme file is outside of page count and where it should be included in Volume

I for submission? The file will be outside of the page count, and this has been clarified on section L.

Section L L7.9. 17

Contract Documentation - Assuming this is a typographical error; will the Government please update this section header to Volume VII, rather than Volume VI?

The volume numbers have been corrected.

Section L L7.1.1. 18

Section A - Because this is an electronic submittal, will the Government please confirm that offerors are not required to comply with the following statement, "The 'original' copy should be clearly marked under separate cover and should be provided without any punched holes."?

Yes, this language has been removed.

Section L L7.1.3. 18

SCRM - Table L1 states that the SCRM Plan is

Part G, but L7.1.4. states it is Part H. Will the

Government please deconflict?

SCRM is not applicable to this acquisition. All references have been removed.

Section L L7.2.4. 20

Required Submittals - Will the Government confirm that the only required Cross Reference

Matrix is the one referenced as part of Volume III?

Yes, that is correct.

Section L L7.2.4. 20

Required Submittals - Will the Government please clarify where "i. Non-Government Advisor

NDAs" should be included in the proposal for submission?

In L2.0.7, the following instructions are given:

A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) from the company providing each non-government advisor is included with this solicitation. If offerors object to any of the companies listed as participating on the source selection team, the offeror must send their objection to the contracting office point of contact immediately.

Otherwise the offeror should sign and submit the completed NDA along with the proposal.

Failure to submit the completed NDA(s) along with the proposal may result in the offeror being ineligible for award.

Section L L7.2.4. 20

Required Submittals - Will the Government please clarify what is included in "c.

Technical/Management Document" and where it should be included in the proposal for submission?

This refers to the Technical/Management volumes and the language has been clarified on

Section L.

Section L L 207

Clause 252.237-7023 Continuation of Essential

Contractor Services, in this Solicitation; will the

Government complete the fill-ins prior to the final

RFP release?

The clause has been updated to state that all positions under this contract will be mission essential.

Section L L2.2. 5

Volume V - Table L1 states that the Volume V

Part D Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms is limited to 1 Page. Based on other Table L1 entries of the Glossaries being out of page count, would the Government confirm Volume V Part D is not page limited?

Correct, there is no page limit and this has been corrected.

Section L L2.2. 5

Volume II - Table L1 does not include a Volume

Cover Page for Volume II Factor 1 Phase One.

Would the Government consider including a Part

A Volume Cover Page for this volume so offeror may include the necessary information from

L2.2.7.? Yes, the Government has added this to Volume

II/Factor 1/Phase I.

Section L L2.2. 5

Volume III - Table L1 is missing Parts F & G, includes Part H as the Cross Reference Matrix, and does not list a Part letter for the Glossary of

Abbreviations and Acronyms. L4.2. (page 10) states that Part F is the Cross Reference Matrix and Part G is the Glossary of Abbreviations and

Acronyms. Will the Government please deconflict?

This has been deconflicted.

Section L L2.2.2. 6

Font - Would the Government please allow header and footer information (i.e., solicitation number, page number, disclaimer) to be less than 10 point font?

Yes, Section L has been updated