Questions_for_Scanning_Digitization_Solicitation-_Corrected.pdf

Questions for solicitation AG-3151-S-17-0043

1. What is the volume of work for this requirement? Please provide an estimated monthly volume for documents to be digitized. Please provide more information on file sizes/documents to be scanned, saved, adequately titled, and stored in the respective folders.

Answer: Overall workload is approximately 200 boxes / 1,400 folders / 400,000 pages to be scanned/digitized. With the primary emphasis being placed on obtaining acceptable

PDFs, the Government is somewhat flexible concerning a firm expectation as to the monthly volume of documents to be scanned/digitized. However, the Government does expect the vendor to when compared to the prevailing industry standard, make reasonable progress on completing the scanning/digitization.

2. Are the paper files to be scanned packed in boxes or are they stored in a file room? If boxes, what are the dimensions of the boxes and the approximate box count? If in a file room, how many and what are the dimensions of the filing cabinets or shelves containing the files to be scanned?

Answer: The files are in boxes (approximately 200 in total). The boxes are 14" by 12" by 9".

3. Are paper docs in individual folders? Are all files clearly and uniquely identified on the folder itself?

Answer: Yes

4. Do all documents within a file have the same records disposition applied to them?

5. Are indexes/metadata available on the first page of each document? Does it require any special technical knowledge to identify the indexes/metadata?

Answer: Yes. No special technical knowledge will be required.

6. What is the ratio of Color & B/W documents and single & double sided documents?

Answer: It will mostly be B/W, and any color document can be scanned in B/W

7. Are non-document items in folders, such as sticky notes, required to be scanned and, if so, how should the notes be scanned and organized?

Answer: No, non-documents are not required to be scanned

8. Is there any media (e.g. USB drives, CDs/DVDs/etc.) to be encountered in the paper files that will also need to be processed?

Answer: No

9. What information should vendor need to index from the documents?

Answer: CEPD will provide the naming convention

10. Will there only be staples/binder clips/paper clips holding the pages together? Do any documents have stitch/glue/library binding or spiral binding to be removed?

Answer: Yes. We will remove any glue and bindings before scanning.

11. If there are books or spirals, does Government require these items to be rebound according to the original binding?

Answer: No

12. Will the Government provide the power, phone, network support (for the vendor’s scanning/processing/server hardware)?

13. What size docs are to be scanned? 8.5'' X 11''? Are there any large format paper docs?

Answer: 8.5" x 11". There is no expectation that scanning/digitization of larger format documents will be required.

14. Would contractor personnel need to be at the facility every day, or can scanning take place one week a month for example (obviously depending on the amount of data to be scanned)?

Answer: Every workday (excluding weekends and Federal holidays) until the initial project is completed.

15. Besides vendor’s responsibility for the safekeeping of the files, If Government is providing facility space and the files are in the same vicinity (no actual vehicular transport of the files), can vendor assume physical security of the files will be dependent upon security of the Government facility? Similarly, if vendor is utilizing Government network, can vendor assume network security is dependent upon the Government?

Answer: Yes. The physical security of the files will be dependent upon security of the Government facility. Yes, but there is no expectation that the vendor will need/have access to the Government network.

16. Does the Government have a list of approved scanners / digitizers for use on the USDA network? If so, please provide a copy of this list.

Answer: The intent is to scan to a government provided external drive. The plan is not to have the vendor equipment (i.e., scanner) connected to a USDA network.

17. Will there be a different scanner equipment required for classified and unclassified documents?

Answer: We don't have classified documents

18. Is an automatic feeder scanner acceptable for this work? Are there fragile documents that require flatbed scanning only?

Answer: Yes. Yes.

19. Please confirm that it is the Government’s intent to require vendors to supply hardware and media equipment and if so, how far in advance will it have to be made available to be certified by security?

Answer: The vendor must provide all personnel/management (i.e., labor), equipment, and supplies necessary to perform the administrative and technical processes needed to scan and digitize the records. Since the vendor equipment will not be connected to a USDA network, a certification by security is required.

20. What is the amount of workspace to be provided by the Government for the onsite work?

Please provide an estimate of the total square footage of space that will be provided to the vendor to perform under the contract, to include but not limited to personnel offices/cubicles, equipment housing, file storage, document preparation, meetings, etc.?

Answer: 246 square feet

21. What is the distance of the workspace from the files to be scanned?

Answer: Boxes of files will be delivered to the workspace.

22. Please provide the core hours for performance of the SOW tasks, and the hours during which personnel have access to the required work space to include weekends if applicable?

Answer: The core hours are 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Monday through Friday

(excluding weekends and Federal holidays). The vendor may work with the Government to establish the workday start and stop times.

23. What do you mean by database? Is there an existing database platform database in place at USDA that is to be used for this contract support? If yes, please identify the database software. If there is no existing searchable database currently supporting this work, would the vendor be able to use an existing USDA database platform? Would you be okay with a Microsoft Access database where PDFs are incorporated into the database? Or do you just want searchable PDF files?

Answer: There is no existing database. The plan is obtain just the searchable

PDF files that have been placed into the proper folders on the government provided external drive.

24. Is there an electronic data dump that vendor can use which contains file information such as file code, description and filing instructions, disposition, and disposition authority?

Answer: Yes. The FSA File Maintenance and Disposition Manual.

25. Does the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation under solicitation number AG3151S170043 contain requirements similar to a current contract? Except for the period of performance, are the task requirements the same as those identified in solicitation AG-3151-S-17-

0039? In light of the previous award under AG-3151-S-17-0039, when does the

Government expect the release of award under AG-3151-S-17-0043?

Answer: No known similarities exist to a current contract. Solicitation AG-3151-

S-17-0039 has not yet been awarded. All similarities are part of a government initiative to move from paper files to electronic ones. Each requirement contains specific needs and instruction unique to the respective solicitation.

26. Please confirm that in order for a small business to submit an offer, the organization must be a small business under NAICS Code 561110 and have the socio-economic set-aside classification of WOSB, EDWOSB, and SDVOSB. Does the vendor have to meet all the small business set aside classifications indicated or just one?

Answer: This solicitation is open to only small business but has not been set aside for a specific classification of small business.

27. If it is an ongoing requirement, how many Federal employees or contractors are currently performing tasks related to this requirement? How many FTE's (Full Time Equivalent) are required to fulfill this opportunity?

Answer: No Federal employees are currently performing the scanning/digitization of paper records.

28. What level of Security Clearance is required to perform on the contract?

Answer: Vendor personnel must successfully complete a Government conducted public trust background check.

29. The accuracy of OCR using automated industry standard commercial OCR techniques is greatly affected by the quality of the source material. Will use of these automated, industry-standard commercial OCR techniques be acceptable or does Government require manual correction?

Answer: The expectation is that the majority of the source material will be of sufficient quality for standard commercial OCR techniques to result in an acceptable

PDF. Manual correction for individual documents will not be required.

30. What is the Government’s expected turnaround for the scanning and delivery of each set of files?

Answer: The Government is more interested in obtaining acceptable PDFs. The expected turnaround time is flexible/secondary to obtaining acceptable PDFs however, overall performance will be within the contract’s period of performance.

31. Is there a pricing template Government wishes vendors to use to provide detailed pricing information? Is there any specific format for Pricing?

Answer: No template exists however vendors shall provide complete, accurate, and detailed pricing to allow for proper review by the government. Proposals that do not contain detailed pricing breakdown may not be seen as compliant with the needs of the solicitation.

32. The RFP instructions for proposal preparation require vendors to fully discuss three factors: 1) Technical Approach, 2) Past Performance, and 3) Pricing, within a maximum of 10 pages, exclusive of covers, TOC, etc. Please clarify if each factor should be addressed in a separate stand-alone document.

Answer: All three factors shall be part of the vendor’s proposal but may be submitted as appendices. Per page 3 of the solicitation, “the total page count for all volumes of the proposal should not exceed 10 pages. Proposals exceeding the number of pages will be removed from consideration. Cover pages, resumes, table of contents, and appendices are excluded in the page count.”

33. The instructions to vendors on page 4 of the RFP require submission of resumes for Key

Personnel that meet the qualifications of the position in the SOW. However, the SOW does not specify Key Personnel positions or qualifications. Please clarify which staff are considered Key and what their required qualifications for those positions are.

Answer: The expectation is that a vendor familiar with scanning/digitization will be in a position to self-identify key personnel.

34. Do we need to submit each volume (Technical, Past Performance, Price) in separate files? And each volume should not exceed 10 pages. Do we need to count resumes also in page limit? Do we need to submit each volume (Technical, Past Performance, Price) in separate files? And each volume should not exceed 10 pages. Do we need to count resumes also in page limit?

Answer: Per page 3 of the solicitation, “the total page count for all volumes of the proposal should not exceed 10 pages. Proposals exceeding the number of pages will be removed from consideration. Cover pages, resumes, table of contents, and appendices are excluded in the page count.”

35. Is there a time limit within which the projects cited in Factor II – Past Performance must have taken place?

Answer: Yes. Within the past 3 years.

36. Is budget for this RFP already available?

Answer: Yes however budget information will not be made available.