Budget Analyst staff support Q_A 95476721Q0100.pdf

USHMM RFQ 95476721Q0100

Questions and Answers

1. Is this a staff augmentation contract (new requirement as needs dictate), or is this work currently being performed by an incumbent or by government employees? If the latter, who is performing the work?

This is a new requirement.

2. What has driven the need for 3 budget analysts? (i.e., current FTEs retired, increase in volume of work, etc.)

Natural attrition attributable to retirements and a shifting workforce leaves us presently short-staffed. We expect to rely on contracted staff until we are able to fill these vacancies permanently via the HR process.

3. As it relates to Requirement 1B, please define "remote work" - does this mean work performed from the Contractor's facilities, or can it be from the employee's home?

Either is acceptable. For purposes of the solicitation "remote" means "not at a location owned or controlled by USHMM."

4. With the role being remote, does USHMM supply the equipment or will the offeror/employee supply the equipment such as computer/printer, etc? We understand that the employee must have internet/VPN capability.

The Contractor must demonstrate the ability to completely fulfill all performance requirements for any Contractor staff performing remotely including internet capability via a system with minimal windows OS levels (Windows 10 build 2009), a valid commercially available (no free-ware) anti-virus with a signature update every 3 days, and all critical patches. USHMM will provide the VPN client.

Contract employees working at Museum offices will be provided with a Museum laptop.

5. COVID Protocol: are employees currently reporting to work at USHMM offices, or are they working remotely from home? Does the Government have an anticipated Return to Work site date?

As of the date of publication, the great majority of USHMM employees are working remotely (either from home or from some other location). Museum management has made intermittent exceptions to permit work at USHMM offices as dictated by circumstances and permitted by safety protocols, but such exceptions would likely not apply to the awardee's contract staff.

There remains as yet no guidance that would permit anticipating the date that staff may return to the worksite.

RFQ 95476721Q0100 Q&A Page 1 of 4 Published 1/29/2021

6. If the same contract employee fulfills the first year of the contract, please confirm if USHMM would want a different person for the next 1 year modification or if the existing employee would continue on the modification?

Should circumstances require, we would prefer to continue rather than replace a successful contract employee. Because USHMM follows the spirit of OPM guidelines and regulations in this respect, even a successful contract employee is unlikely to be continued past a period of 24 months.

7. Does USHMM want the offeror to submit the Technical and Price proposal in 2 separate attachments?

Yes.

8. What are the educational requirements for the Budget Analysts position? Is there any difference in qualifications or levels of experience or responsibility between the three Budget Analysts? Is there a requirement regarding years of experience?

Is an Accounting or Finance degree required?

Candidates must hold, at minimum, a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution of higher learning and be able to demonstrate practical knowledge and applicable experience. We have not stipulated minimum qualifications beyond this as our focus will be on identifying strong candidates capable of fulfilling our requirements, rather than those whose resumes happen to match our minimum certification standard.

9. Page 2, B2 of the SOW states there should be knowledge of the Museum’s financial management and program objectives. Does this mean that you are looking for a contractor that previously worked for USHMM?

USHMM budgets in accordance with GAAP. Successful performance will require reference to and ultimately (the ability to acquire) familiarity with (knowledge of) the Museum's financial management and program objectives. This is not a requirement for former staff or contract employees.

10. Do you want resumes for 1, 2, or 3 Budget Analysts? Do you want letters of commitment? Is the Offeror permitted to provide more than three (3) resumes of qualified candidates?

With regard to RFQ paragraph 7(C)(3) ("Key Personnel"), the intent is that Offerors submit letters of commitment for at least three (3) resumes. Offerors may submit more than three resumes in response to the RFQ (to demonstrate staff sourcing capability, provide a greater range of choice, etc.), however, USHMM reserves the right to limit its consideration to candidates bound by a letter of commitment.

RFQ 95476721Q0100 Q&A Page 2 of 4 https://www.opm.gov/news/testimony/111th-congress/temporary-employee-practices-how-long-does-temporary-last/

11. What is the GS pay grade that you are expecting to pay for this position? (i.e., GS-9 Step 1, GS 11…etc.

Offerors are encouraged to present candidates capable of fulfilling our requirements at competitive rates. USHMM will make a best value award(s).

12. Will USHMM interview proposed personnel prior awarding a contract(s)? Or will

USHMM award a contract(s) on the basis of only the offeror’s proposal, and then interview the awardee’s personnel as appropriate?

USHMM is likely to interview the most promising candidates prior to award, using a best value approach that takes trade-offs into account but retains discretion regarding its evaluation approach.

13. What is the maximum number of potential contract awards?

We prefer to hire up to three candidates via a single award, but reserve the right to award up to three contracts to fulfill our requirements if need be.

14. Can companies from outside the USA apply for this (like, from India or Canada)?

Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA (like, from India or Canada)?

We are limiting our search to US suppliers proposing US citizens as contract staff candidates.

All contract staff candidates must be demonstrably capable of performing (including participating in meetings) during normal business hours (i.e., between 7 AM - 6 PM Eastern Time, Monday - Friday).

15. Will contract staff be required to travel to the Museum/Washington, DC for meetings? There would be a labor price difference between employees located in and working at government facilities in the national capital region (NCR) vs. work performed by employees located in and working from offices in Georgia. Should we provide two sets of rates i.e., for (a) remote workers, and (b) for workers onsite at USHMM (in DC or at SCCRC in MD).

This is a moot issue at the moment. USHMM prefers candidates capable of performing onsite at the Museum's administrative offices in Washington, DC or Bowie, MD without need of travel reimbursement, but reserves the right to waive the preference for an especially desirable candidate. Offerors should price in a manner consistent with their proposed solution and state any pricing assumptions or contingencies.

RFQ 95476721Q0100 Q&A Page 3 of 4

16. Can we submit our proposal via email?

Doing so is a published requirement of the solicitation. See paragraph 8.A, which reads, "Offerors shall email their full proposal to <bfalk@ushmm.org>."

17. Requirement at 8B states, "USHMM intends to award one or more fixed-rate labor hour contract(s) on a best value basis considering pricing in conjunction with…" If you were to issue more than one contract, wouldn't that make this an IDIQ contract? or BPA? How would the work be awarded (e.g., via Delivery Order?), and what would be the criteria for that/those awards?

As stated in paragraph 8(C) of the RFQ, USHMM will consider both open-market (commercial item) and federal schedule offers (e.g., GSA, NASA SEWP, MAS, etc.) and reserves the right to award by line item or all line items together, on any applicable standard form (e.g., SF18, SF1447, SF1449, OF347, etc.). USHMM does not intend to establish an ID/IQ (contract for delivery orders established against a minimum annual payment commitment). If USHMM awards multiple contracts and subsequently identifies a new vacancy, USHMM reserves the right to solicit candidates from one or more of its awardees on a BPA basis (mutually agreed upon terms, no contractual commitment), augmenting its staffing further by contract modification (in effect, a delivery order predicated on the awardee's successful response). If a contract employee departs the engagement at any time during the life of the contract, USHMM reserves the right to request a replacement or terminate the contract for convenience in whole or in part (because USHMM is unsatisfied with the contractor's efforts to source a suitable replacement candidate in a timely manner, no longer has need of the contractor's services, has decided not to refill the vacancy, or for other reasons).

18. Appendix A, Section 1b. states that the government must confirm the Contractor has “verified the Contract employee has R1 credit rating.” Could the Government please define its interpretation of an “R1 Credit Rating”? Appendix A, Section 5 then states, “For employees cleared through this process while employed by a Contractor who is subsequently replaced by another Contractor, the succeeding Contractor is not required to submit item 1(b) above.” Could the Government also please clarify if this applies to Contractor employees previously cleared by another Federal Government Agency?

R1 and R9 are notes left on credit reports by creditors. These notes are used to indicate the status of the credit items on reports. In this case, the R1 indicates that the account is a revolving account in good standing (e.g., the credit recipient has not been late on any payments). R9 indicates a revolving account with very poor standing.

RFQ 95476721Q0100 Q&A Page 4 of 4 mailto:bfalk@ushmm.org