J.4 Offeror Questions Template_v1.pdf

Attachment J.4

Offeror Questions

RFP AOCSSB26R0050 – Congressional Cable TV System Assessment

Reference Page, Section, Paragraph

Offeror’s Question Government’s Response

Att. J.1 SOW, p.2, §C.1.1; site visit

Task 1 states the assessment covers two sites, a primary and a secondary head end. During the site visit, room SRB-27 28 was identified as the primary head end and SRB-30 as the new head end; however, SOW Section C.1.1 lists the secondary head end as located in the Capitol Power Plant (CPP) Annex building. Will the CPP Annex site be part of the Task 1 assessment? If so, is it identical to SRB-2728; and if it is not identical, should offerors allocate a similar timeframe and level of effort for it in the bid, given that it was not included in the site visit?

Refer to the revised track changes to the Statement of work referencing C.1.1 Task 1

– Existing CCTS System Assessment.

Att. J.1 SOW, p.2, §C.1.1; site visit

During the site visit, offerors were advised that SRB-30 is the new head end. Please confirm whether SRB-30 requires any assessment or documentation under Task 1, or whether the new head end is excluded from the Task 1 scope.

Refer to the revised track changes to the Statement of work referencing C.1.1 Task 1

– Existing CCTS System Assessment.

Att. J.1 SOW, p.1, §4.1; p.2, §C.1.1

Section 4.1 references As-Built Systems Drawings for the CCTS. If these drawings are provided, is the contractor expected to field-verify their accuracy against the installed system as part of Task 1, and will the contractor be held to the FFP if field conditions differ materially from the as-built drawings?

The government has revised Section 4.1 Applicable Policies and Standards. All applicable policies are available upon request only.

Att. J.1 SOW, p.2, §C.1.1(2)

Task 1 item 2 requires a “Line diagram of connections (all mediums).” Please confirm that the requirement is to document existing cable numbers or other identifiers as they are currently labeled on the cables, and not to create a new cable numbering or labeling plan.

No new labeling is required. The government is not requesting for a port-to-port assessment

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Offeror’s Question Government’s Response

Att. J.1 SOW, p.2, §C.1.1(3)

Task 1 item 3 requires a “Network diagram.” Please confirm that this network diagram pertains only to the CCTS solution and its connected devices, and does not include the general office or facility networks serving other spaces in the area.

Yes, this only pertains to the CCTS.

Att. J.1 SOW, p.2, §C.1.1(6); §C.2

Task 1 item 6 requires reporting equipment age and part availability, but the SOW furnishes no procurement or installation dates and Section C.2 states “No GFE.” Will the Government provide the procurement/installation dates and specifications for all existing equipment, or is the contractor expected to derive equipment age and part availability solely from on-site inspection and manufacturer research?

The government’s response is that it is solely from on-site inspection and manufacturer research

Att. J.1 SOW, p.1, §4.1

SOW Section 4.1 references As-Built Systems Drawings for the CCTS and security specifications as applicable documents. Will these documents be made available to offerors prior to proposal submission, or only after award?

Yes, Upon request

Att. J.1 SOW, pp.2–3, §C.1.2; site visit

Please confirm whether all Task 2 improvement-planimprovement plan solutions and recommendations are to be developed for the new head end in SRB-30, or whether they must also address the existing/legacy head-end equipment.

The improvement plan is for the entire

CCTS.

Att. J.1 SOW, pp.2–3, §C.1.2

Task 2 requires an improvement plan providing options for ten enumerated items “but not limited to the improvement plan.” Because the requirement is open-ended, offerors cannot bound the level of effort for firm-fixed pricing. Please confirm that the ten enumerated items constitute the complete set of required improvement-plan topics for pricing purposes, or identify any additional topics the Government expects to be addressed.

The improvement plan shall be constrained to the ten (10) items listed in section C.1.2 of the SOW.

Att. J.1 SOW, p.3, §C.1.3

Task 3 requires a control room upgrade plan providing options for six enumerated items “but not limited to the improvement plan.” As with Task 2, the open-ended requirement prevents offerors from bounding the

The Control room upgrade plan shall be constrained to the six (6) items listed in section C.1.3 of the SOW

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Offeror’s Question Government’s Response analysis and level of effort. Please confirm that the six enumerated items constitute the complete set of required upgrade-plan topics for pricing purposes, or identify any additional topics the Government expects to be addressed.

Att. J.1 SOW, p.4, §C.1.6

Section C.1.6 requires reports in native Word and PDF format, “in addition 10 printed and bounded reports.” Are the ten (10) printed and bound copies required for each task deliverable, or only for the final submittal package?

The government requests ten (10) copies at the time of the Final Task 1, 2 and 3 submittals. Which is 14 days prior to the end of the contract period of performance

Att. J.1 SOW, p.4, Table 1

Table 1 lists the “Task 3 review” as due “Within 7 days of Task 2 submittal.” Should this read “within 7 days of Task 3 submittal”?

Yes, Within 7 days of Task 3 draft submittal

Att. J.1 SOW, p.6, §C.6

Section C.6 establishes core working hours of 6:00 AM to 2:30 PM ET and notes that certain activities may require evening or weekend work, while overtime shall not be performed unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer. Can daily work hours be extended beyond the core hours with COR approval, and how should offerors account for potential evening or weekend work in the firm-fixed price?

Upon the government’s review. Overtime is not authorized for this requirement.

Att. J.1 SOW, p.7, §C.9; p.6, §C.6

Section C.9 states the Offeror will be escorted at all times when accessing AOC facilities. Please confirm that Government escorts will be available throughout the core working hours (and any approved evening/weekend work) for the duration of on-site assessment activities, and whether escort availability could constrain the contractor’s schedule within the 180-day period of performance.

Upon the government’s review, the contractors shall be badged, and escorts are not required and have been stricken from this section.

Att. J.1 SOW, p.7, §C.9

Section C.9 requires each contractor employee to submit an E-Verify form and a U.S. Capitol Police background check form (CP-491) and to complete a contractor badging request prior to performance of work. What is the expected processing time for the CP- 491 background checks and badging;

does that processing time fall within the 180-day period of performance;

The contractor badging process takes on or about 3 weeks and will fall within the 180-day period.

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Offeror’s Question Government’s Response and may contractor personnel begin any on-site or off-site work before badging is complete?

Att. J.1 SOW, p.6, §C.6 and §C.7

Section C.7 states that travel is not authorized, yet all work is performed on site at AOC facilities (Russell Senate Office Building and the CPP Annex). Please confirm that local commuting to and from the work sites is the offeror’s cost and that no separate travel line item is permitted in the firm-fixed price.

That is correct. Also, the annex is not part of the statement of work.

Att. J.1 SOW, p.6, §C.3; Att. J.3, pp.4–5, §L.3.5 and p.8, §M.1.2

Key personnel – Senior Broadcast Engineer/Technician: SOW Section C.3 lists a “Senior Broadcast Engineer,” while Sections L.3.5 and M.1.2 require a “Senior Broadcast Technician.” First, which title and qualification set applies, so that the resume is evaluated against the correct labor category? Second, please clarify why a broadcast engineer/technician is required for a CATV assessment and design effort: the requirement is a cable television (CCTS) system rather than a broadcast production system, and during the site visit it was stated that the solution will not support SMPTE ST 2110 (a broadcast-over-IP standard). Would a senior engineer with CATV/IPTV assessment and design experience satisfy the key-personnel requirement in lieu of a broadcast-specific background?

The “Senior Broadcast Engineer” was revised to Senior Broadcast Technician” by track changes.

C.3 Key Personnel within the SOW has been updated to provide Experience, Certifications, Skills as well as degrees.

Government will accept qualified personnel per Section C.3 Key Personnel as long as they meet the Experience, Certifications, Skills as well as degree for the labor category.

Att. J.3, p.3, §L.3 (Volume table);

p.4, §L.3.5

The Volume I organization table in Section L.3 limits Factor 2 – Key Personnel and Staffing to a maximum of 7 pages, while Section L.3.5 states a maximum of 12 pages. Which page limit governs?

The government’s response to this question is maximum of 12 pages. This will be identified in the track changes that will be posted in amendment 001

Att. J.3, p.3, §L.3 (Volume table);

p.6, §L.3.6

The Volume I organization table in Section L.3 limits Factor 3 – Corporate Experience and Expertise to a maximum of 10 pages, while Section L.3.6 states a maximum of 5 pages.

Which page limit governs?

The government’s response to this question is maximum of 10 pages. This will be identified in the track changes that will be posted in amendment 001

Att. J.3, p.6, §L.3.6 (Note)

The Note in Section L.3.6 states that offerors providing narratives on fewer than three (3) IPTV/CATV services tasks “within sections 5.1 of the

The linkage is the combination of Task 1, Task 2, and Task 3.

The government reduced the requirement of no less than 2 past projects instead of 3

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Offeror’s Question Government’s Response statement of work (SOW)” will be rated non-compliant. Please clarify the required linkage between the three past projects and the tasks in SOW Section 5.1.

past projects. This will be identified in the track changes that will be posted in amendment 001

Att. J.3, p.9, §M.1.3.B; p.6, §L.3.6

Section M.1.3.B evaluates the offeror’s Management Plan, Quality Control Plan, and Safety Plan under Factor 3;

however, Section L.3.6 requires only a management plan and does not list a Quality Control Plan or Safety Plan as submission requirements. Are the Quality Control Plan and Safety Plan required submissions, and if so, do they count against the Factor 3 page limit?

The government updated L.3.6 to add the Safety Plan. The government also increased the page limit from 10 to 15 page maximum. The Quality Control Plan was removed. This will be identified in the track changes that will be posted in amendment

Att. J.3, p.8, §M.1.2

Section M.1.2 requires that no more than half of the work be subcontracted.

How will the Government measure the prime’s share of work — by labor hours, dollar value, or number of SOW tasks?

This government decided to remove this requirement. This will be identified in the track changes that will be posted in amendment 001

Att. J.3, p.3, §L.3 (Volume table);

p.6, §L.3.7; SF33 Section J, p.43

The Section L.3 volume table identifies the price submission as “Excel Attachment J.6” containing 7 tabs;

Section L.3.7 directs offerors to complete all tabs of “Attachment J.2 Pricing Sheet – Sec B”; the Section J List of Attachments describes J.2 as an Excel file with 2 tabs; and the J.2 file as furnished contains 3 tabs.

Attachment J.6 as furnished is the EEO Poster. Please confirm (a) that Attachment J.2 is the correct pricing attachment and (b) the number and identity of tabs offerors are required to complete.

The changes have been applied to J.3 Instructions to Offerors and Basis for Award_v1. This will be identified in the track changes that will be posted in amendment 001

Att. J.2, “Option Year 3” tab; SF33 Section B, p.4

The furnished J.2 workbook contains an “Option Year 3” tab with CLINs 301–304 for 12-month general repair, facility maintenance, operations, and project management services. The solicitation is a 180-day firm-fixed-price requirement with CLINs 0001– 0003 and no option periods. Please confirm whether the “Option Year 3” tab was included in error and whether offerors should leave it blank.

J.3 Instructions to Offerors and Basis for Award_v1 will be coming out in amendment 001 that removes any hidden sheets.

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Offeror’s Question Government’s Response

Att. J.1 SOW, title page; SF33 Section J, p.43

Attachment J.1 is titled “CCTV System Assessment SOW,” while the requirement concerns the Congressional Cable TV system (CATV/CCTS). Please confirm the title refers to the Congressional Cable Television System and not a closed-circuit television (security camera) system, and confirm the attachment numbering.

Due to file name number of character constraints. The file name was abbreviated for that reason. No this is not a closed-circuit television (security camera) system.

Section L.3.6 – Corporate Experience

May the Corporate Experience requirement be satisfied through the combined experience of the Prime Offeror and a committed subcontractor that will perform a significant technical role under the contract, provided the Prime Offeror remains responsible for contract management and performs more than 50% of the work?

This government decided to remove this requirement. This will be identified in the track changes that will be posted in amendment 001

Section G / Payment Provisions

Could you please clarify whether payment under this Firm-Fixed-Price contract is expected only after final acceptance of all deliverables (Net 30), or whether the Government will permit progress or milestone invoicing following acceptance of individual deliverables or project phases?

The government has determined that billing can occur at the time of acceptance per each task completed

SOW – Existing Documentation

Will existing network diagrams, rack elevations, fiber diagrams, and other system documentation be provided to the contractor, or is the contractor expected to create all documentation as part of this assessment?

No. a list of equipment and panels will be provided with amendment 001

SOW – Tools and Equipment

Are there any specific testing tools, software applications, or survey platforms that the Government requires the contractor to use, or may equivalent commercial tools be used?

No there are no specific tools nor applications needed in the requirement.

SOW – Roof Access Will the assessment require rooftop or exterior access to inspect antennas, satellite equipment, cable entry points, or related infrastructure?

No, it only pertains to the interior structure of the building.

SOW – IPTV

Modernization Recommendations

For the IPTV modernization recommendations, does the Government expect conceptual budgetary estimates, detailed implementation cost estimates, a phased implementation plan with milestones, or all of the above? Is there a preferred format or level of detail?

Yes, refer to section C.1.2 in the SOW that pertains to C.1.2. Task 2 – Comprehensive CCTS “Improvement Plan”.

SOW – Site Access and Parking

If awarded the contract, will contractor personnel receive temporary identification badges or credentials for expedited building access? Additionally, is contractor

Please refer to C.9 security. No there will not be reserved parking.

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Offeror’s Question Government’s Response parking available closer to the work locations, or should contractors plan to use public parking throughout the project?

General When we initially read the RFI, we assumed the AOC was looking for respondents to propose an actual plan for improvement. However, the more I read section 3.1 in J1 the more it reads like the AOC wants someone to propose a plan for discovery and improvement rather than the actual plan. The plan will be the deliverable for the vendor that wins the award. It reads like an award for research and design rather than a solution included in the proposal.

Can you clarify this for me or perhaps for all of us?

Task # 1 is the “Discovery”, and Tasks # 2, and #3 are the proposed plan. The pricing only pertains to the deliverables as shown in section C.1.6 Deliverables. The cost to upgrade the proposed upgrade

General During the walkthrough we were not allowed to take pictures of the various spaces. AOC was going to request permission to release images and post them on SAM.gov with the contract. Do you have an update on that request?

No photos were allowed to be released, however. J.7 CCTS_System_Assessment_equipment_list is comprised of the equipment list by location.

General Please clarify that the AOC’s long-term goals are to stay with QAM and not to migrate to a more diverse IP delivery platform?

That is correct. The agency can only deliver in clear QAM.

General In room 30A there is a significant amount of equipment that was described as “intended for the new/future cable headend” such as the video router and QAM blades.

Is that equipment and its integration in the RF distribution and management of the system within scope of this project?

Yes, it is, is also included in J.7 CCTS_System_Assessment_equipment_list

5.1 TASKS

C.1.1. Task 1 – Existing CCTS System Assessment

Task 1 references an assessment of the power plant headend. We were not given an opportunity to inspect that location. Are there any additional details you can provide regarding what equipment, or signals will continue to originate and distribute from that location?

Refer to the revised track changes to the Statement of work referencing C.1.1 Task 1

– Existing CCTS System Assessment.

C.1.2. Task 2 – Comprehensive

CCTS

Task 2 mentions an improved firewall. What is the current security designation of the CCTS

The current Firewall is CISCO FTD.

Yes, it to prevent intrusion from the internet, and not within.

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Offeror’s Question Government’s Response

“Improvement Plan” support network and is the firewall intended to prevent intrusion from the public internet, from the administrative network in the AOC facilities or to protect those network from the CCTS support network?

C.1.2. Task 2 – Comprehensive

CCTS

“Improvement Plan”

What are the SAP requirements for the CCTS system and network?

Currently there are none.

C.1.2. Task 2 – Comprehensive

CCTS

“Improvement Plan”

If the CCTS system is to stay in the RF QAM medium, what IP networking functionality is the AOC looking for? Efficient management and control via IP but not delivery?

Yes, that is exactly what the government is looking for.

To clarify, even though the agency does not deliver IP, the agency processes IP streams internally for modulation.