Amend_2_75F40123R00013_QR.pdf

75F40123R00013 – Human Resources Support Services Solicitation Questions & Responses (Amendment 2)

# Reference Question Response

1 How many positions will be filled by the Contractor when supporting the FDA’s recruitment process?

There are typically between 15‐25 contractor personnel supporting recruitment and hiring under SOW Task 3.3.1.

2 How many staff will be administered by the Contractor? Historically there were approximately 19 individual task orders issued against the previous IDIQ over the five‐year period of performance, many of which ran concurrently. Each task order included anywhere from 5 to 20 contractor personnel.

3 Please provide the number and functions of HR personnel currently in the OTS.

OTS consists of roughly 200 HR personnel performing recruitment, hiring and classification.

4 Kindly clarify whether all services identified in the solicitation will be performed only by the contractor or will the work be split with current personnel in the OTS?

This is an agency‐wide IDIQ and individual task orders may be issued outside of OTS.

There are federal employees both within OTS and across FDA that perform the type of work described in each task area.

5 Is the contractor required to provide resume for all labor categories indicated in pages 5 to 9?

No. As stated in the solicitation under 21.1.3. Technical Factor 3: Management Plan, only the IDIQ Senior Project Manager key personnel resume is required.

6 Can the contractor provide CV of personnel with a combination of skills indicated in pages 5 to 9?

Yes; however the only required CV/resume is for the IDIQ Senior Project Manager key personnel. See response to question #5.

7 With 45% of the labor categories being IT and only 27% are traditional HR labor categories, will the FDA consider awarding to different contractors? One specialized in Human Resources Management and one specialized in Information Management Systems that support human resources management?

No. The IT work under this IDIQ will be specifically HR related Information Technology.

Historically the HR IT work performed under this IDIQ accounted for 10.3% of the total work and is expected to remain at the same level.

8 Is there additional information regarding the type of training requested, i.e., IT, Financial, HR, Talent Development, etc.?

Specific training/certification requirements, such as Delegated Examining Unit (DEU), if required, will be identified in individual task orders.

9 Is there any specific or particular LMS software experience required? Specific experience, if required, will be identified in individual task orders.

10 Will the six personnel work onsite or remotely? See response to question #19.

11 Would "assisting with the day of training" be at the headquarters location or offsite?

Specific requirements will be identified in individual task orders; however, either may apply.

12 Length of assignment? Start date? As stated in the solicitation under 6. Period of Performance, this IDIQ contract consists of one (1) five‐year (60‐month) period of performance. The period of performance for task orders will be specified in the individual task orders.

It is anticipated the IDIQ period of performance will begin before September 30, 2023 and end five (5) years later.

13 What percentage of the personnel are FTEs or part‐time? Distribution of personnel will be based on requirements specified in individual task orders; however, historically the majority of personnel have been FTEs.

14 What is the Annual Contract Value? As stated in the solicitation under 2.4 Minimum and Maximum Contract Value, the estimated IDIQ ceiling amount is $60,000,000.00, equaling approximately $12,000,000.00 annually.

15 Who is the Incumbent Service Provider? See response to question #32.

16 What particular wage determination act will be used if work is to be performed across different states of USA?

The particular Wage Determination will depend on the Contractor’s site location as well as depend on whether work is to be performed at the Government’s site or at the Contractor’s site, which will be specified in individual task orders. As stated in the solicitation under 23. Attachments, Wage Determination 2015‐4269 (Rev. 21) has been attached for the Government’s site.

17 What are the scientific positions included in this opportunity? There are no requirements for scientific contractor positions; however, this agency‐ wide IDIQ may service all Offices and Centers within the FDA.

18 What is the Small Business participation requirement for the opportunity?

As stated in the solicitation under 1.3 Notice of NAICS/Set‐Aside, this requirement is being solicited as a competitive 8(a) small business set‐aside. Please refer to FAR Subpart 19.8 for participation requirements.

19 Where is the Place of Performance form this contract? As stated in the solicitation under 7. Place of Performance, the place of performance will be identified in individual task orders. This may include on‐site work at FDA sites, remote work, telework, off‐site work at the Contractor’s site, and/or a combination thereof; however, the exact amount of each is unknown at this time. The IDIQ Senior Project Manager will be a telework position.

20 On the pricing sheet can you define the Labor Hour Labor Rate category? What data should be in this column?

Firm Fixed Price labor rates, which will be utilized for Firm Fixed Price type task orders, should be proposed in column C for on‐site performance and in column D for off‐site performance. Labor Hour labor rates, which will be utilized for Labor Hour type task orders, should be proposed in column E for on‐site performance and in column F for off‐site performance. See amended Attachment 5 – Pricing Worksheet attached.

21 Can the FDA please provide additional information such as estimated headcount and estimated hours for each position in order to support a more accurate Firm Fixed Price Labor Rate?

The Government’s estimated level of effort is not being provided as part of the solicitation. See response to question #2.

22 Is this a new effort or is there an incumbent? Incumbents. See response to question #32.

23 Will this be multiple awards? If yes, how many do you anticipate? No. As stated in the solicitation under 2.3 Contract Type, this is a single‐award Indefinite Delivery‐Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) type contract.

24 Will past performance from a subcontractor in a teaming arrangement be acceptable?

As stated in the solicitation under 21.3 Volume III – Past Performance Proposal Instructions, at least two (2) of the cited past performances should be examples for which the Offeror was the prime contractor, if available

25 Section 2.1; p. 4 Onsite vs. Offsite Labor Rates: Since the RFP only requests one set of rates for the IDIQ, can the government please confirm that performance will be onsite at government facility or virtual. If place of performance is both onsite and offsite, can the bidders provide both onsite and offsite rates with the proposal submission?

See response to question #19.

Yes, Offerors may propose both on‐site and off‐site labor rates. See amended Attachment 5 – Pricing Worksheet attached.

26 Section 2.1; p. 5 and Attachment 4, Wage Determination

Mapping Labor Categories to the Wage Determination: There are labor categories contained in Section 2.1 that are listed in the Wage Determination attachment (Admin Support Specialists, Analysts and PC Support Specialist). Should the bidder map to a closest applicable in the WD? If not, will the government please clarify which WD labor category these should map to.

Yes, see amended solicitation under 5.7 Service Contract Act Labor Categories attached.

27 Section 21 (4th paragraph); p. 95 of

"From edge" Page Setup Parameters: The page setup parameters state 'From edge (header and footer) – 0.5."' Since margins are required to be 1" on all sides, this setting reduces the amount of usable space for header and footer content to 0.5". Would the Government find it acceptable for offerors to reduce the "From edge" setting below 0.5" as long as proposal content does not extend beyond the 1" margins on all sides? This will allow offerors to include header and footer content (e.g., volume title, solicitation number, corporate logo, etc.) that is more legible for evaluation purposes.

Yes.

28 RFP Section 21.1 (p.

98 of 103)

List of Applicable Subcontractors: The last paragraph of RFP Section

21.2 requires offerors to provide a listing of applicable subcontractors.

Please confirm that this list of subcontractors is included in the 10‐ page limit for Technical Factor 3, Management Plan.

Yes, the listing of applicable subcontractors is included in included in the 10‐page limit for Technical Factor 3, Management Plan.

29 RFP Coversheet: Will the Govt. provide an RFP coversheet (SF 1449 or

SF 33)?

No.

30 Is this a new requirement or an existing requirement? Existing requirement. See response to question #32.

31 How many incumbents are there performing this work? Three. See response to question #32.

32 What are the incumbent names, contract #s, and revenues received under the incumbent contract?

AEIO LLC (HHSF223201710018I), CTRMG‐GAPSI JV II, LLC (HHSF223201710019I), and Chickasaw Health Consulting, LLC (HHSF223201710044I). Approximately $44,000,000.00 was awarded across all three (3) IDIQs.

33 How many FTEs were on the previous contract? Has the PWS Changed?

The number of FTEs varied across individual task orders. The task areas are the same as those in the previous contract. See response to question #2.

34 What did you like about the previous contract? Dislikes? N/A 35 What is the estimated budget for this opportunity? See response to question #14.

36 What are your Key Performance Indicators? Key Performance Indicators will differ depending on individual task order requirements.

37 If we have a teaming agreement with a subcontractor, does the subcontractor's experience count as experience for the prime?

As stated in the solicitation under 21.1.2, Technical Factor 2: Relevant Experience, at least two (2) of the cited relevant experiences should be examples for which the Offeror was the prime contractor, if available.

38 5.5 Key Personnel, Is the IDIQ Senior Project Manager the equivalent of a Program Manager, overseeing the IDIQ?

Yes.

39 21 ‐ Instructions to Offerors, page 96

Can pages not used for one part of the 35‐page Technical Proposal be apportioned for another section (e.g., Relevant Experience is only 8 pages, can we expand the Technical Approach by 2 pages?)

No.

40 21.1 Volume I ‐ Tech Proposal Instructions, Please explain for 21.1 Technical Proposal Instructions what is meant by a one‐to‐one relationship to the evaluation criteria, can this be accomplished through a Compliance Matrix?

Yes, though it must include a detailed description of how compliance will be accomplished. A one‐to‐one relationship means Offerors’ proposals should be clearly organized in a way that is similar to that of the evaluation instructions and evaluation criteria provided.

41 Attachment 5 ‐ Pricing Worksheet

Please outline the difference between "Firm Fixed Price Labor Rate" and "Labor Hour Labor Rate"

See response to question #20.

42 Section 2.3, Contract Type, Page 10

With the success of the last procurement with three vendors, why is the FDA looking to reduce to a single award?

Based on the total amount actually ordered under the previous multiple‐award IDIQs, it has been determined that a single‐award is in the best interest of the Government.

43 Section 3, Task 3.3.12 Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) Support, Maintenance and Development, Page

Can you please share what HRIS system, Applicant tracking system and any other IT system that will be used under this contract?

EHCM (formerly CapHR) ‐ Enterprise Human Resources Program EASE (Enterprise Administrative Support Environment) ‐ e‐Arrive & e‐Depart e‐Class ‐ Electronic Position Classification Tool e‐OPF ‐ Electronic Official Personnel Folder GRB‐ Government Retirement & Benefits – EWITS ‐ Request for Retirement Estimate HREPS ‐ Human Resources Employment Processing System ITAS ‐ Integrated Time & Attendance System

USA Staffing‐ Hiring Manager, Selection Manager, Onboarding Manager ATLAS ‐ Applicant Tracking Lifecycle and Analysis Solution SharePoint

44 Section 3, Task 3.3.12 Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) Support, Maintenance and Development, Page

Is there a desire to replace an existing system(s) and if yes, will you please share what current pain points are where OHC is seeing improvements or innovation?

There isn’t an immediate need to replace the existing systems or current technology;

however, the lack of integration between HR systems is a current pain point along with data inconsistency and lack of governance.

Providing suggestions for improvements and innovation is always welcome as the technical arena and processes evolve.

45 Section 16.4, FAR 52.216‐22 Indefinite Quantity (Oct 1995), "The Government may issue orders requiring delivery to multiple destinations or performance at multiple locations". Can the government please specify the FDA locations support may be required?

See response to question #19.

46 Section 3.5, Transition Services, Page 25

In response to the proposal, what information is the government looking for with regard to Transition‐in? Is it at the IDIQ level, or at the task order level? If at the Task order level, what are the current tasks that would be transitioning in?

The transition‐in will be at the task order level. The primary task areas for transition‐in are:

1) Recruitment and Staffing Support

2) Human Resources Administrative Support

3) Personnel Action Processing Support

4) Classification Support

5) Administrative Support

6) Strategic Human Resources Consulting Support

7) Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) Support, Maintenance and

Development 47 Location Can the government confirm that associated task orders will be off‐ site, on‐site, or hybrid (both on and off‐site)? And if this is on‐site‐ what should be the percentage of time that the employee would be required to be on‐site?

See response to question #19.

48 General, Current Staffing

What is the current contractor staffing level on current task orders, if any, and if there are, can you please provide a number of personnel for each labor area/category?

See response to question #2.

49 Section 21.1, Technical Proposal instruction, Technical

As this is the IDIQ management plan and not a specific task order, can the government please clarify how will they evaluate the draft

The Draft Management Plan should be at the strategic level and should describe how the Contractor will manage multiple concurrent task orders across any/all of the task areas.

Factor 3:

Management Plan, Management Plan with regard to the resource information such as data concerning labor mix, level of effort, and subcontractors?

50 Section 22.1.3, Evaluation Criteria, Technical Factor 3:

Management Plan, The evaluation factor for the Draft Management plan state ‐

• Soundness and efficiency of Offeror’s proposed organizational and management structure, including interfaces to Offeror’s corporate management, interfaces between prime and subcontractor team, and interfaces with Government functional and management counterparts

• Soundness of approach to locating, recruiting, and retaining the highest quality staff for the task areas within the SOW

Can the government please clarify how they will evaluate "Soundness"

Soundness will be evaluated by determining if the quality of the proposal is well‐ informed and well‐founded.

51 2.1 Overview of Pricing Schedule (page 4) “The Contractor’s pricing schedules for labor categories shall contain fully burdened hourly rates.” PERIOD I

PERIOD OF

PERFORMANCE: 12

months

ORDERING PERIOD I

PERIOD OF

PERFORMANCE: 12

months (page 5) Columns: Labor Category, Firm Fixed Price Labor Rate and Labor Hour Labor Rate

Is the offeror to determine the number of labor hours they deem necessary for the performance period and provide each labor category’s pricing for the full 12 months under column “Firm Fixed Price Labor Rate” and, in the same row, provide the labor hour (hourly) pricing for that same labor category under column “Labor Hour Labor Rate? To confirm that this is correct, then the Firm Fixed Price column will have numbers with five (5) digits or more to the left of the decimal point and the Labor Hour column will have numbers with three (3) digits or less to the left of the decimal.

Will FDA kindly confirm the above assumptions are true?

No. As stated in the solicitation under 21.2, Volume II – Business/Price Proposal Instructions, Offerors are not being requested to propose any labor hours or totals for the IDIQ. As further stated in the solicitation under 22.3, Business/Price Proposal Evaluation Criteria, the Government will use the Firm Fixed Price and Labor Hour IDIQ labor rates proposed in the Pricing Worksheet and apply them to the Government’s estimated number of labor hours for each labor category to arrive at a total evaluated price.

52 If the above assumptions are not true, will FDA please provide a definition of “Firm Fixed Price Labor Rate” and how it is different from the “Labor Hour Labor Rate”?

See response to question #20.

2.2 Pricing Terms

(page 10) “…The total amount specified in Firm‐Fixed Price (FFP) task orders shall be fixed for the task order period of performance…”

53 2.3 Contract Type (page 10) “This is a single‐award Indefinite Delivery‐ Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) type contract, per FAR subpart 16.5.

Pricing of Orders (page 11) “1. Proposals submitted in response to a RFTOP must be in accordance with the Ordering Period rates in the IDIQ Price Schedule …. The Contractor may propose lower rates in response to a RFTOP.”

By suggesting that the offeror may want to propose lower rates rather than negotiate lower rates to obtain any given task order seems to imply competition. Can you please confirm this is a single‐award IDIQ?

Confirmed; however, Offerors may still propose lower rates in response to a non‐ competitive RFTOP.

54 7. PLACE OF

PERFORMANCE (page 38) Place of performance will be specified in

Are all performance locations within Frederick and Montgomery counties in Maryland?

Not all, but most on‐site locations will be within Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties in Maryland. See response to question #19.

55 If there are locations outside of Frederick and Montgomery counties, what percentage of the anticipated work do these other locations represent?

See responses to questions #19 and #54. Historically there has been no work in locations outside of Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and it is anticipated that any on‐site work outside of these locations, if any, would be minimal.

individual task orders.

Telework may be authorized with approval of the Task Order COR.

FDA’s normal hours of operation are from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except on Federal Government Holidays.

It is expected that most work will be performed during normal hours of operation; however, there may be instances when contractor support will be required outside normal hours of operation, to include weekends. For contractors that work onsite at FDA, telework may be authorized for work conducted on the weekends, by approval of the Task Order COR. For positions covered by the Service Contract

Labor Standards (SCLS) Act, the CO must approve any hours worked beyond 40 hours/week.

56 FAR 52.212‐3 Offeror Representations and Certifications— Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Oct 2022)

(DEVIATION 2020‐05)

(page 49) The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically in the System for Award Management (SAM) accessed through https://www.sam.gov.

Which volume of the proposal should contain the offeror’s Representations and Certifications?

Volume II – Business/Price Proposal.

57 Is the offeror correct in presuming the Reps and Certs will not be included in the page counts?

Correct. As stated in the solicitation under 21. Instructions to Offerors, there is no page limitation for Volume II – Business/Price Proposal.

58 21.3 VOLUME III –

PAST PERFORMANCE

PROPOSAL

INSTRUCTIONS (page 99) The Offeror shall submit directly to the Government a list of

Are offerors required to provide Past Performance from proposed subcontractors?

No, not required. See response to question #24.

59 If an offeror proposes two other team members, can the three past performances include one from the prime and one from each team member?

No. See response to question #24.

three (3) past performance examples performed at any point within the last five (5) years, which shall match the examples cited in Technical Factor 2, Relevant Experience.

At least two (2) of the cited past performances should be examples for which the Offeror was the prime contractor, if available.

The Offeror shall submit the SAM UEI number of the prime Offeror and each team member, partner, or subcontractor included in the proposal. Include written consent from all subcontractors or team members to allow the Government to address any evaluated past performance directly with the prime offeror.

60 21.3 VOLUME III –

PAST PERFORMANCE

PROPOSAL

INSTRUCTIONS (page 100) Additionally, a PPQ shall be submitted for each of the past performance examples cited. The Offeror shall send Attachment 6, Past Performance Questionnaire, to each the examples cited. Each reference must complete the PPQ and email an electronic copy to the Contract Specialist, Can a CPARS be substituted for a PPQ? Yes. As stated in the solicitation under 21.3 Volume III – Past Performance Proposal Instructions, CPARS reports may be submitted by the Offeror in lieu of PPQs; however, the CPARS reports must provide a detailed description of the services provided and provide ratings and detailed justifications for those ratings.

61 22.3 BUSINESS/PRICE

PROPOSAL

EVALUATION

CRITERIA (page 102) To help select the best value Offeror for this IDIQ, the Government will use the Firm Fixed Price and Labor Hour IDIQ labor rates proposed in the Pricing Worksheet and apply them to the

Will the government’s number of estimated hours for any 12 month performance period for full‐time labor categories be based on 1952 (2040 less federal holidays) hours or 1832 (2040 less 88 federal holiday and 80 time off) hours of labor in 12 months?

The estimated hours are for any 12‐month performance period for full‐time labor categories is based on 2040 less federal holidays.

Government’s estimated number of labor hours for each labor category to arrive at a total evaluated price.

62 22.3 BUSINESS/PRICE

PROPOSAL

EVALUATION

CRITERIA (page 102) To help select the best value Offeror for this IDIQ, the Government will use the Firm Fixed Price and Labor Hour IDIQ labor rates proposed in the Pricing Worksheet and apply them to the Government’s estimated number of labor hours for each labor category to arrive at a total evaluated price. The total evaluated price will be calculated as follows:

Offeror’s Firm Fixed Price Labor Rates x Government’s Estimated Labor

Once awarded, the offeror’s Labor Hour Labor Rate becomes a firm fixed price rate which cannot be exceeded on any future RFTOP.

Please provide a definition of “Firm Fixed Price Labor Rate” and how it is different from the “Labor Hour Labor Rate”.

See response to question #20.

63 Please explain the logic behind the calculation from page 102 and provided above which is used to evaluate the price proposal. How does this form a basis in determining fair and reasonable pricing?

As stated in the solicitation under 22.3, Business/Price Evaluation Criteria, to help select the best value Offeror for this IDIQ, the Government will use the Firm Fixed Price and Labor Hour IDIQ labor rates proposed in the Pricing Worksheet and apply them to the Government’s estimated number of labor hours for each labor category to arrive at a total evaluated price. The Total Evaluated Price calculation is for evaluation purposes only and is intended to provide a single Total Evaluated Price for each Offeror, rather than several separate evaluated prices for each Offeror (i.e. one for on‐site Firm Fixed Price, one for off‐site Firm Fixed Price, one for on‐site Labor Hour, one for off‐site Labor Hour). The Government will separately evaluate each Offeror’s proposed on‐site and off‐site Labor Hour and Firm Fixed Price labor rates to determine fair and reasonable pricing.

Hours = Firm Fixed Price Evaluated Price Offeror’s Labor Hour Labor Rates x Government’s Estimated Labor Hours = Labor Hour Evaluated Price ( Firm Fixed Price Evaluated Price + Labor Hour Evaluated Price ) / 2 = Total Evaluated Price

64 21.3 Volume III: SAM

UEI

The solicitation requests the SAM UEI number for the prime and each team member, partner or subcontractor. If the offeror is a JV, must each JV member provide their SAM UEI in addition to the JV company?

Yes; however, please note that SBA does not approve joint ventures in connection with competitive 8(a) procurements, 13 C.F.R. § 124.513(e)(1).

65 Section 2.0: Pricing and Ordering Services

What are the differences between FPP Labor Rate and Labor Hour Labor Rate?

See response to question #20.

66 Section 5.4:

Qualifications

Is the Senior Project Manager listed in the Labor Category the same person that will fulfill the responsibilities under 3.4.1, Project Manager, as well?

Yes.

67 Section 5.4:

Qualifications

Under the qualifications, section 5.4.: Would the government consider reducing the minimum experience requirements to 3 years for Human Resources Consultant 1, 5 years for Human Resources Consultant 2, and 10 years for Human Resources Consultant 3.

No.

68 Section 5.4:

Qualifications

Under the qualifications, section 5.4.: Would the government consider reducing the minimum experience requirements to 3 years for the following positions: IT specialist, Programmer I, System Support Specialist I as this coincides well with other level I positions.

IT Specialist I minimum experience was amended to 3 years; however, all other position experience will remain the same. See amended solicitation under 5.4 Qualifications, attached.

69 Section 5.4:

Qualifications

Under the qualifications section 5.4: Would the government provide position descriptions for the other positions listed on pages 5‐9.

All positions listed under 2.1 Overview of Pricing Schedule, have position descriptions under 5.4 Qualifications.

70 Section 5.4:

Qualifications

Under the qualifications section 5.4: For all positions, would the government consider that a master’s degree be substituted for 2 years of experience?

Yes.

71 Section 5.4:

Qualifications

Under the qualifications section 5.4: For the Sr. Project Manager position, would the government please confirm if a master's degree is the minimum education requirement?

Yes, a master’s degree or equivalent experience is required for the Senior Project Manager. See amended solicitation under 5.4 Qualifications, attached.

72 Section 5.5: Key Personnel

Section 5.5 details that the Senior Project Manager is key personnel and that others will be designated at the task order level. However, the Instructions to Offerors section speaks of "personnel resumes."

Please confirm that only the Senior Project Manager resume must be submitted.

Confirmed. See response to question #5.

73 2.1, page 5 Please clarify the location to be used for pricing at the IDIQ level. See responses to questions #19 and #25.

74 5.4, page 27‐36 Please clarify the references to the Program Manager in the qualifications descriptions for the Senior Program Manager and Quality Assurance/Quality Control Analysts since there is no Program Manager position listed. Is it the expectation that Offerors provide a non‐billable Program Manager as well? If so, are there any required qualifications for the position?

Corrections were made in the identified areas to reflect “Senior Project Manager” and “HR Project Manager”. See amended solicitation under 5.4 Qualifications, attached.

75 5.4, page 32 Please clarify if a Bachelors or Masters degree is required for the Senior Project Manager since it lists both in the description.

See response to question #71.

76 Attachment 5 – Pricing Worksheet

For the labor categories denoted with an asterisk (*) on Attachment 5 ‐ Pricing Worksheet, please provide the applicable Wage Determination Occupation Codes and Titles so all Offerors propose rates using the same Service Contract Labor Standards labor categories.

See response to question #26.

77 Can the FDA confirm they are only looking for an hourly rate in the Firm Fixed Price Labor Rate column of Attachment 5?

No. Provide hourly labor rates in Column C (Firm Fixed Price on‐site labor rates), Column D (Firm Fixed Price off‐site labor rates), Column E (Labor Hour on‐site labor rates), and Column F (Labor Hour off‐site labor rates). See amended Attachment 5 – Pricing Worksheet attached. See response to question #20 for distinction.

78 Page 5 SCA Labor Categories

Would the government please provide the occupation codes for the positions deemed SCA?

See response to question #26.

79 Section 5.3, Resume Database, page 27

The contractor shall maintain a database of resumes for possible qualified candidates to fulfill the labor categories identified in section VII. Due to the criticality of these requirements and the turnaround time for submitting proposals in response to request for individual

No.

orders contractors need to quickly be able to access resumes for candidates meeting the qualifications.

Does FDA need access to this resume database?

80 Section 5.4, Qualifications Page 30 & 31

Training Coordinator II and III qualifications

It appears that the Training Coordinator II & III have the same qualifications and duties. Would the government please update the position qualifications accordingly?

Position qualifications for Training Coordinator III updated. See amended solicitation under 5.4 Qualifications, attached.

81 Section 5.4, Qualifications, pages 30‐31, and Atch 5, Pricing Worksheet

There are six training related LCATS listed:

Training Coordinator I Training Coordinator II Training Coordinator III Training Specialist I Training Specialist II Sr Training Specialist

Could the government please clarify what task areas and type of training/programs are these 6 LCATs responsible for?

The Training Coordinators are responsible for scheduling and supporting all aspects of training including set‐up, assigned delivery of specific training information, and follow‐up whereas Training Specialists are responsible for training development and delivery.

82 Section 5.4, Qualifications, page

Senior HR Project Manager

Is the Senior Project Manager position description (Page 32) different than the Senior HR Project Manager on page 31 and in the pricing spreadsheet?

If not, will the Atch 5 pricing spreadsheet be updated to reflect the Senior Project Manager Position?

Yes, HR Project Manager is a different labor category than Senior Project Manager.

83 Section 5.4, Qualifications, page 32, and Section 5.5, Key Personnel, page

The Key Personnel, Senior Project Manager, LCAT requires PMP certification as listed on page 32.

Will the Government accept 10 years of experience managing federal HR projects, contracts, or task orders in lieu of the PMP certification?

No, the IDIQ Senior Project Manager key personnel requires a PMP certification.

84 Section 6, Period of Performance, page 38

The period of performance for this IDIQ contract consists of one (1) five‐year (60‐month) ordering period.

See response to question #12.

The period of performance for task orders will be specified in the individual task orders.

Two (2) constraints apply to the period of performance for task orders:

1. Individual task orders may not exceed five (5) years (inclusive of option periods)

2. The period of performance end date of the last option period on individual task orders may not extend more than twelve (12) months beyond the last IDIQ Ordering Period end date

Could the Government please provide an anticipated start date and end date for pricing purposes?

85 Section 7, Place of Performance, page 38

Place of performance will be specified in individual task orders.

Telework may be authorized with approval of the Task Order COR.

For contractors that work onsite at FDA, telework may be authorized for work conducted on the weekends, by approval of the Task Order

COR.

What is the anticipated percentage of remote/telework versus onsite work?

Will any of the work allow fully remote contractors?

Could the government please clarify what percentage of the task orders will be remote work vs. onsite?

See response to question #19.

86 RFQ Solicitation Document, Section 21, Instructions to Offerors, page 95

Email attachments.

What is the maximum size for email attachments?

It is recommended that Offeror limit emails to 20MB. Offerors may submit multiple emails if needed due to space. As stated in the solicitation under 21. Instructions to Offerors, it is the Offeror’s responsibility to confirm receipt of all proposals and/or questions by the closing date of this announcement by contacting the above Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer.

87 RFQ Solicitation Document, Section 21, Instructions to Offerors, page 99

The Government, in the last statement on Page 99, is validating acceptance of Past Performance examples from both the Prime and its Subcontractors.

1. Please clarify the Government’s definition of Offeror. Is it the Prime, the Prime and Major Subcontractors, or the Prime and all Subcontractors?

For the purposes of the solicitation, the Offeror is the entity submitting the proposal.

For the purpose of the last statement on page 99, “The Offeror shall submit the SAM UEI number of the prime Offeror and each team member, partner, or subcontractor included in the proposal. Include written consent from all subcontractors or team members to allow the Government to address any evaluated past performance

2. Please clarify the Government’s intent relative to the evaluation of Past Performance from both Prime and Subcontractors.

directly with the prime offeror,” the entity submitting the proposal should, in addition to themselves, include SAM UEI numbers for all proposed subcontractors.

FAR 15.305, Proposal Evaluation, specifies that “the evaluation should take into account past performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience, or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to the instant acquisition.”

88 Attachment 5, Pricing Worksheet

There are no hours reflected on the pricing worksheet.

What are the total estimated FTEs on this IDIQ?

See response to question #2.

89 General System requirements.

1. Other than USAStaffing, what systems are in place that need to be supported? Are they homegrown (built in‐house) systems or 3rd party vendors or a combination of both?

2. Is there a system and/or automation platform in place for case management, workflow management, and resource management which can be integrated with other HR Information Systems (HRIS)?

3. What are the SLA requirements to support each of the following systems?

1. Other than USAStaffing, there are applications built in Coldfusion with a SQL backend, also utilizing Canvas JS for charting that will need to be maintained or enhanced.

2. Currently there isn’t a COTS platform in place for case management, workflow management, and resource management which can be integrated with other HR Information Systems (HRIS).

3. From a technical perspective, the technical team should respond to technical system inquires within 48 hours after received. The SLAs for the business processes are currently handled outside of the system communicated by email.

90 RFQ Section 5, page 27.

Personnel Security Clearance

The RFQ states all positions require a “Level 5 security clearance (public trust).” Can the government please clarify which federally tiered investigation standard (Tier 1‐5) is associated with this requirement?

As stated in the solicitation under 17. Security Language, and under 20. Contractor Personnel Security Clearance Standards and Residency Requirements (October 2017), the risk designation for this IDIQ contract is Tier 1.

91 General 1) Are any contracted companies currently performing any or all of the scope of work for this requirement?

2) If so, please provide the contractor name(s) and contract number.

Yes. See response to question #32.

92 General If there is incumbent contractors, has there been any changes (increase/ decrease, etc.,) to the scope of work for this solicited effort in comparison to the current contract(s)?

No, the level of work is expected to remain the same.

93 General If there is incumbent contractors, please provide the current level of effort/ historical workload.

The Government’s estimated level of effort is not being provided as part of the solicitation. See responses to questions #2 and #32.

94 General 1) If there is incumbent contractors, are all contract positions staffed?

2) If not, what positions are currently vacant, as this information will help to prepare the transition process.

There are no vacancies among current contractor staff.

95 General 1) Are any Government personnel currently performing any or all of the scope of work for this requirement?

2) If so, what task elements are being performed by Government personnel, and how many?

Yes, there are Government personnel currently performing this work across all task areas.

96 General What is the anticipate start date of the contract? See response to question #12.

97 3.3.1 Recruitment and

Staffing Support

1) How many announcements via Merit Promotion/DEU?

2) How many applications are received for MP/DEU for qualification analysis monthly?

Number of actions agency‐wide does not correspond to the level of effort under this IDIQ for staff augmentation in this task area.

98 3.3.2 Human Resources Administrative Support

1) Are the Recruitment Case files and supporting documents for personnel actions maintained in a case management system?

2) If so, which system is being used?

ATLAS ‐ Applicant Tracking Lifecycle and Analysis Solution.

99 3.3.2 Human Resources Administrative Support

1) Preparation of SF‐75 – is this completed via an automated system or manual?

2) How many actions are processed on a weekly, monthly basis?

Preparation of SF‐75 is via an automated system. The Office of Talent Solutions processes an average of 110 actions per month.

100 3.3.3 Personnel Actions Processing Support

1) How many actions are processed on a weekly/monthly basis?

2) For Return to Duty actions, would this include all applicable calculations for the employee as well (i.e. WGI, SCD, Tenure, Probationary, etc.)?

See response to question #97.

101 3.3.6 Workers Compensation Support

1) How many Claims are processed monthly/annually?

2) How often will training be conducted?

See response to question #97.

102 3.3.7 Employee Benefits Support

1) Does FEHB processing include the annual Open Season?

2) How many forms are processed per pay period (bi‐weekly) and/or monthly?

3) Are the FEHB forms processed via an automated system or manually?

See response to question #97.

103 5.3 Resume Database What is the average anticipated lead time for receiving a TORP and TO start date?

As stated in the solicitation under 2.5 Ordering, the Contractor will typically have a minimum of ten (10) business days, unless otherwise specified, to provide a proposal in response to the RFTOP. Time between issuance of a RFTOP and task order start date may vary based on the requirement.

104 6. PERIOD OF

PERFORMANCE

Text: The period of performance for this IDIQ contract consists of one

(1) five‐year (60‐month) ordering period.

Question: Attachment 5 Pricing Worksheet indicates 5 Ordering Periods. Please confirm whether this is IDIQ consists of a 5‐year Base ordering period, or multiple option periods.

The one (1) five‐year (60‐month) period of performance is split among five (5) one‐ year Ordering Periods for pricing purposes. There are no options. See revised solicitation under 6. Period of Performance, attached.

105 7. PLACE OF

PERFORMANCE

Text: Place of performance will be specified in individual task orders.

Question: For pricing purposes, will the Government please clarify whether submitted pricing should be for Government site in the Washington, DC metro area, or remote/ Contractor site.

Alternatively, it may be helpful during the life of the IDIQ if the Government requests pricing for both Government site and Contractor site, which would require an amended Attachment 5 Pricing Worksheet.

See responses to questions #19 and #25.

106 21.1.2. Technical Factor 2: Relevant Experience (maximum of ten (10) pages) and

21.3 VOLUME III –

PAST PERFORMANCE

PROPOSAL

INSTRUCTIONS

Are relevant Experience references from a subcontractor permissible? See response to question #37.

107 21.2 VOLUME II –

BUSINESS/PRICE

PROPOSAL

INSTRUCTIONS

Text: The Offeror shall also provide a narrative in sufficient detail to determine whether the proposed staffing solution represents the best value to the Government.

Question: As this proposal response is to the IDIQ, and not any individual Task Order, offerors cannot not providing a Staffing Solution

The proposed Staffing Solution is at the IDIQ level and should describe task order management between the IDIQ Senior Project Manager, Individual Task Order Project Managers, proposed subcontractors and Corporate.

at the IDIQ level. Will the Government please clarify the intent of this requirement.

108 21.1.3. Technical Factor 3:

Management Plan (maximum of ten (10) pages), page 97‐98 p.97: "Technical Factor 3: Management Plan (maximum of ten (10) pages)" p.98: "The IDIQ Senior Project Manager key personnel resume, which shall not count against the Technical Factor 3‐page limitation, shall include and address the following specific areas..."

Can the government confirm that the hyphen in “3‐page” on p.98 is a typo, and thus should read "shall not count against the Technical Factor 10 page limitation"?

“3,” in this instance, describes the Technical Factor number, not the page limitation number. The hyphen has been removed to read “The IDIQ Senior Project Manager key personnel resume, which shall not count against the Technical Factor 3 page limitation.” See the attached revised solicitation. Confirming that the IDIQ Senior Project Manager key personnel resume shall not count against the 10‐page Technical Factor 3 page limitation.

109 Section 22. ‐ Basis of Award and Evaluation Criteria, page 100

"The following evaluation factors, listed in descending order of importance, apply to this solicitation:

• Technical Factors (descending order of importance):

o Technical Factor 1: Technical Approach o Technical Factor 2: Relevant Experience o Technical Factor 3: Management Plan

• Past Performance

• Price"

Can the government confirm the relative importance of the individual Technical Factors relative to the non‐Technical Factors?

Are the technical factors understood to be the most important evaluation component of a “best value” judgment collectively, or is each Technical Factor individually more important than each non‐ Technical factor? i.e., is each individual technical factor also more important than other factors listed underneath it per the prior sentence? For example, is "Technical Factor 3: Management Plan" understood to be more important than "Past Performance"?

Can the government provide any additional clarification on how the evaluation of these three individual technical factors in volume 1 will be weighted against the evaluation of the other volumes?

As stated in the solicitation under 22. Basis of Award and Evaluation Criteria, all evaluation factors, other than cost/price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. Single technical factors will not be individually weighed against non‐technical factors.

110 Section 2.2 ‐ Pricing terms, page 10

"The Contractor shall comply with FAR Clause 52.212‐4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items (Oct 2018) in regard to the firm‐fixed‐prices for individual task orders. The total amount specified in Firm‐Fixed Price (FFP) task orders shall be fixed for the task order period of performance and shall not be subject to adjustment; except, as a result of a direct action or inaction by the Government which delays the Contractor from completing the task order within the time specified in the order."

Please confirm that adjustments will be allowed to price for task orders in accordance with FAR Clause 52.222‐43.

Yes. As stated in the solicitation under 16.4 Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clauses Incorporated in Full Text, FAR clause 52.222‐43 is checked off as appropriate within FAR clause 52.212‐5.

111 Section 3.3.9 ‐ Strategic HR Consulting Support, " Review current and projected human capital and financial/budget information and assess impact on workforce planning."

Can the government confirm that contractors with access to financial / budgetary information will not be OCI'd from future opportunities supporting FDA?

FDA cannot issue an award to a contractor that possesses an OCI unless that OCI has been avoided, mitigated, or waived.

112 Section 3.3.12 ‐ HRIS Support, Maintenance, and Development, page 22‐23

"Provide subject matter expertise and support for the development, coordination, and management of HRIS Infrastructure to include new (HRIT Solutions, websites, and digital communication tools."

The parentheses after "new" does not close; are there any words or information missing from this bullet?

No, revised to “Provide subject matter expertise and support for the development, coordination, and management of HRIS Infrastructure to include new (HRIT Solutions, websites, and digital communication tools).” See amended solicitation under 3.3.12.

Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) Support, Maintenance and Development, attached.

113 Section 2.1 / Section

7.0 / Attachment 4

Immediately after the list of labor categories in Section 2.1, the government states specific positions will be "*Covered by Service Contract Labor Standards". The government provides Attachment 4, which is the list of SCA rates for Frederick and Montgomery Counties in Maryland. Section 7.0 (Place of Performance) states "place of performance will be specified in individual task orders."

Can the government clarify that all SCA positions will work from locations within Frederick and Montgomery Counties? If SCA positions for specific task orders are not located in Montgomery County, will the

See responses to questions #16, #19, #25, and #54.

government allow changes to rates based on the SCA rate tables of the place of performance?

114 Section 2.1 / Section

7.0 / Attachment 4

Immediately after the list of labor categories in Section 2.1, the government states specific positions will be "*Covered by Service Contract Labor Standards". The government provides Attachment 4, which is the list of SCA rates for Frederick and Montgomery Counties in Maryland. Section 7.0 (Place of Performance) states "place of performance will be specified in individual task orders."

Can the government confirm the Computer professionals are exempt under 29 U.S.C. 213 (a) (1) and 29 U.S.C. 213 (a) (17)?

See response to question #26.

115 Section 2.5 Ordering, Pricing of Orders

1. Proposals submitted in response to a RFTOP must be in accordance with the Ordering Period rates in the IDIQ Price Schedule based on the performance start date of the task order, and that rate must be used for the duration of the task order performance period; however, if a task order’s performance period is longer than 12 months, the Contractor may propose the applicable ordering period rate for that portion of the performance period after the 12 month period. The Contractor may propose lower rates in response to a RFTOP.

2. RFTOPs may include option periods in accordance with FAR Clause 52.217‐9 (Mar 2000). However, option periods must utilize the Ordering Period rates listed in the IDIQ Price Schedule, based on the performance start date of the option period. The performance period end date of the last option cannot exceed twelve (12) months past the performance end date of the IDIQ contract.

Would the Government consider removing items 1 and 2, or revise to allow pricing of the Task Orders utilizing the rates and escalations timelines in accordance with the Ordering Period rates in the IDIQ Price Schedule?

No. Section 2.5, Ordering, already allows and requires task order pricing to utilize the IDIQ Ordering Period labor rates.

116 Section 7 ‐ Place of Performance, page 38

It is expected that most work will be performed during normal hours of operation; however, there may be instances when contractor support will be required outside normal hours of operation, to include

Yes.

weekends. For contractors that work onsite at FDA, telework may be authorized for work conducted on the weekends, by approval of the Task Order COR.

Will the government allow the contractor to bill the government time and a half if overtime is required for SCA positions?

117 RFQ Section 5.4, Qualifications; p. 34 of

SCA Labor Categories: The Solicitation states several labor categories are covered by the Service Contract Labor Standards. Will the Government please provide rationale as to why the Analyst I – III labor categories are annotated as covered by the SCA? It appears that the requirements and description for these labor categories clearly fall within an Exempt (non‐SCA) category. The job description states:

Directs and participates in all phases of software development with emphasis on analysis, coding, testing, documentation, and acceptance phases. Emphasis on “Directs” indicates an exempt level role amongst other requirements within the job description.

See response to question #26.

118 Will the RFP accept a Teaming Agreement document and if so to use this company past performance?

Yes, but see response to question #24 regarding past performance.

119 Is there a current company executing the work included in the RFP (75F40123R00013)?

Yes. See response to question #32.

120 At least two (2)…