Addendum_1,_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

ADDENDUM 1

Invitation for Bid (IFB) #24-0009

Bilingual Proficiency Testing and Certification Services (Personal Services)

Questions and Answers (Q&A) March 27, 2024

1. Q: Cost Proposal states the contractor shall include the cost of providing rights under various Labor/Unemployment Codes. As we are providing language proficiency assessment services, and are not the employer, please clarify what is need here outside of providing the specific costs for the language testing services to be utilized.

A: If the vendor employs employees to provide these services to CDFA, it is necessary for the Vendor to include in their cost proposal all costs related to labor and unemployment codes.

Costs should be wrapped into the items listed in the cost proposal.

2. Q: Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise Participation Declarations, DGS PD 843 DVBE as a required document, but page 7 indicates the DVBE is waived. If a company is not a DVBE entity, and this document is to be waived, how would you like this addressed in the IFB response?

A: CDFA request that you mark N/A for that document. If a vendor chooses to use a DVBE, this form needs to be filled out.

3. Q: What is the breakdown of an estimated volume of tests by language to be conducted? Example: does the CDFA anticipate a higher volume in commonly tested languages such as Spanish, Arabic, French, etc. vs languages of lesser diffusion such as Croatian, Ilocano, etc.

A: Please see the breakdown of languages below per year. Although we have only received bilingual exam requests for the languages listed below, the vendor must be able to provide exams in all languages listed in Attachment 2 of the IFB.

2022 2023 Spanish – 51 Spanish – 112 Hindi -1 Punjabi – 2 Mandarin – 1 Punjabi Eastern – 1

Addendum # 1 – IFB #24-0009

Romanian -1 Romanian – 1 Vietnamese – 1 Cantonese – 1 Tagalog – 1 Vietnamese – 1 Korean - 1

4. Q: Do you require client references? If so, is there a minimum number you’d like to see?

A: References are not a requirement of this Invitation for Bid (IFB).

5. Q: Can you share the projected volume or budget for this contract?

A: It’s difficult to predict the volume. For example, in 2022 CDFA received 55 requests for bilingual proficiency exams and in 2023, CDFA received 120 requests for bilingual proficiency exams. The budget for the entire contract will be $30,000.

6. Q: For live tests, is a 9am – 6pm Eastern Time window acceptable?

A: Yes, this is acceptable. However, CDFA will work within our Pacific Standard time window when scheduling tests.

7. Q: Section “PRIORITY HIRING CONSIDERATIONS”: Could you please provide further clarification on the requirement to give priority consideration in filling vacancies to qualified recipients of aid under Welfare and Institutions Code Section 11200, as stipulated in the IFB? Specifically, we are interested in understanding:

- How the priority consideration process should be documented and reported to ensure compliance with the Agreement.

- The definition of 'qualified recipients' in the context of our specific contract obligations and industry standards.

- Any specific procedures or guidelines we should follow to align this priority consideration with existing collective bargaining agreements, federal affirmative action obligations, and nondiscrimination compliance laws of California.

A: Every contract for services more than $200,000 shall contain a provision requiring the contractor to give priority consideration in filling vacancies in positions funded by the contract to qualified recipients of aid under Welfare and Institutions Code § 11200 (PCC § 10353). A sample contract is provided in the IFB document.

8. Q: Section “TARGET AREA CONTRACT PREFERENCE ACT”:

Regarding our obligations under the Target Area Contract Preference Act (Government Code Section 4530, et seq.) and the attendant rules and regulations (Title 2, California Administrative Code, Section 1896.30, et seq.) as mentioned in the IFB, could you please provide additional guidance on:

-The process for determining eligibility and certification as a business that qualifies for the Target Area Contract Preference Act.

-Specific documentation or criteria required to demonstrate compliance with TACPA for the purposes of this RFP.

-How the bid preference for businesses meeting TACPA requirements is calculated and applied during the bid evaluation process.

A: The Target Area Contract Preference Act (TACPA) is a preference program designed to stimulate business in geographic areas determined to be economically distressed. The Procurement Division, Dispute Resolution and Preference Programs Section administers this program. Certain criterion must be met in order for TACPA preference to be applicable. To learn more about TACPA, please see the website: About the Target Area Contract Preference Act - State of California - Dept. of General Services. A sample contract is provided in the IFB document.

9. Q: Regarding satisfying a Self-Insured Retention (SIR) -Could you please clarify if there are specific provisions or endorsements that the State requires to satisfy the SIR clause, especially regarding third-party payments on behalf of the contractor?

-In the event that our insurance carriers have restrictions on third-party payments for SIRs, could the State provide guidance or exceptions in scenarios where carriers prohibit such payments due to ethical concerns or conflicts of interest?

A: CDFA does not have any additional provisions or endorsement to share regarding SIR. The required documents, endorsements, and language for insurance will be listed in the Exhibits of the Contract. The contractor shall fully comply with all insurance requirements. CDFA recommends that the vendor reach out to their insurance provider with the Insurance Requirements listed in the Exhibits. A sample contract is provided in the IFB document.

https://tacpa.dgs.ca.gov/Home/About https://tacpa.dgs.ca.gov/Home/About

10. Q: Regarding Workers Comp and professional Liability -Regarding the IFB’s requirement for primary insurance clauses for workers' compensation and possibly professional liability insurance: Could you specify if the State has a particular form or endorsement in mind that contractors should use to ensure these insurances are considered primary and non-contributory to any other insurance the State may carry?

-If our current workers' compensation and professional liability insurance policies do not specify a primary clause in alignment with the IFB requirements, would the State accept alternative proof of compliance?

A: The contractor shall display an Acord certificate of insurance.

Endorsements need to be a separate attachment. The contractor shall fully comply with all insurance requirements. The required documents, endorsements, and language for insurance will be listed in the Exhibits of the contract. CDFA recommends that a vendor reach out to their insurance provider with the Insurance Requirements listed in the Exhibits. A sample contract is provided in the IFB document.