B08_Attachment_6_Evaluation_criterion_and_instructions.docx

52.212-1 Addendum: Instructions to Offerors

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

A. To assure timely and equitable evaluation of proposals, offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors or sub-factors. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale. The response shall consist of five (5) separate parts; Part I - Technical Proposal, Part II- Key Personnel, Part III – Prior Experience Part IV - Past Performance and Part V - Price Proposal.

B. The Contracting Officer (CO) has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition in this acquisition. Upon examination of the initial offers, the CO will review this determination and if, in the CO's opinion, adequate price competition exists no additional cost information will be requested and certification under FAR 15.406-2 will not be required. However, if at any time during this competition the contracting officer determines that adequate price competition no longer exists; offerors may be required to submit information to the extent necessary for the contracting officer to determine the reasonableness and affordability of the price.

C. Specific Instructions:

PART I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL - Limited to no more than __8__ pages. Submit electronic format only, via email to casey_winters@nps.gov.

Offerors provide a detailed plan that describes the technical approach to the PWS, including development methods, staffing approach, quality assurance methods and project management methods outlined in Factor 1 of the Evaluation Criteria section.

PART II – KEY PERSONNEL - Limited to no more than ___2___ pages per resume. Submit electronic format only, via email to casey_winters@nps.gov.

Provide evidence of technical qualifications and experience of the firm and/or sub-contractors (if applicable) in areas listed in the Factor 2 of the Evaluation Criteria. The NPS is requiring that offerors provide resumes for those people who will work on the contract if they win. Any substitutions of personnel must be approved by the NPS.

PART III – PRIOR EXPERIENCE INFORMATION- Limited to no more than ___5___ pages per contract listed. Only references for same or similar type contract desired. Submit electronic format only, via email to casey_winters@nps.gov.

Provide evidence of a minimum three (3) years’ experience in areas listed in the Factor 3 of the Evaluation Criteria Section.

PART IV – PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION - Limited to no more than ___5___ pages for all three contracts. Only references for same or similar type contract desired. Submit electronic format only, via email to casey_winters@nps.gov.

The government will evaluate the quality and extent of offeror's performance deemed recent and relevant to the requirements of this RFQ. The government will use information submitted by the offeror and other sources such as other Federal Government offices and commercial sources, to assess performance. Provide a write-up detailing three (3) past actions similar in scope and complexity within the last five (5) years of the date of issuance of this RFQ. Recent and relevant contracts include previous development of Custom environments based or integrated solutions which demonstrate at least some experience with federal government information system security requirements. The evaluation of past performance information will 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 acquisition. Furnish the following information for each contract listed:

Subcontractors JOINT VENTURE OFFERORS: If the offeror is a joint venture, the offeror shall provide all required solicitation information for all parties including a copy of the joint venture agreement. The agreement shall include information that identifies the responsibilities for each entity under the subsequent contract. The agreement shall demonstrate the relationship between the firms; and, identify contractual relationships and authorities to bind each entity of the joint venture. If the joint venture is comprised of 8(a) firms, the Small Business Administration (SBA) must approve the joint venture agreement prior to award.

SUBCONTRACTOR CONSENT: Past performance information pertaining to a subcontractor cannot be disclosed to the prime offeror without the subcontractor’s consent. Provide with the proposal a letter from all subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement, consenting to the release of their past performance information to the prime contractor.

PART V – PRICE PROPOSAL - Submit as a separate document in electronic format only, via email to casey_winters@nps.gov.

To be eligible for consideration, documents submitted in response to this RFQ must be fully responsive to and consistent with the following:

1. Requirements of the RFQ (CLINs & SOW) and government standards and regulations pertaining to the SOW.

2. Evaluation Factors for Award.

3. Any limitation on the number of proposal pages. Pages exceeding the page limitations set forth in these Instructions will not be read or evaluated, and will be removed from the proposal.

52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021)

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: (See Below)

Technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price.

This requirement is Service Contract Act applicable and will fall under SCA restrictions and wage rates.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Award will be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal conforms to the solicitation and represents the best value to the Government based upon an integrated assessment of the evaluation factors and sub-factors listed below. The Government will consider: Technical Approach, Key Personnel, Prior Experience, Past Performance and Cost/Price. The factors listed below are in descending order of importance.

All evaluation factors other than cost/price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost/price; however, cost/price will contribute substantially to the selection decision. The evaluated price will not be rated or scored, but will be a consideration for reasonableness in the final source selection decision.

Factor 1 – TECHNICAL APPROACH (limited to 12 pages)

Offeror shall provide a detailed plan that describes:

a. Understanding and approach to ensuring compliance with the following federal policies, memorandum and standards: Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4, OMB Circular A-130, and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

b. Technical approach and capability for evaluating existing data, developing and executing plans required to resolve technical issues and meeting new requirements. This includes the technical approach and capability for performing requirements gathering, writing requirements statements, development and execution of requirements, identifying and developing full end-user test cases, and updating system documentation.

c. Technical approaches to project execution using waterfall and agile development methodologies. Please include your approach to documentation using these development methodologies.

d. Approach to ensure appropriate staffing by technical disciplines to meet the requirements of this contract.

e. Approach and capability for performing management oversight of contractors, and how offeror will plan, implement and assess the effectiveness of its quality control processes.

· Fully identifies technical approach for key life cycle of software development (e.g., analysis to requirements gathering to testing to documentation).

· Identifies innovative approaches to accomplishing work.

· Identifies some but not all of key aspects of technical approach to life cycle of software development (e.g., identifies approach to evaluating but not requirements gathering).

· Identifies boiler plate approaches only.

Yellow

· Uses buzz words but has little indication of knowledge of approach.

Orange

Marginal

· Indicates knowledge of but does not address understanding or ensuring compliance with any federal policy.

· Does not address technical approach for management of key life cycles of software development (e.g., evaluating system data, requirements documentation, test cases).

· Does not address performance management oversite of contractors.

Red

Unacceptable

· Does not address understanding or approach to ensuring compliance with federal policies.

· Does not address performance management oversite of contractors.

· Does not ensure appropriate staffing by technical disciplines.

· Does not identify technical approach to project execution.

Factor 2 – KEY PERSONNEL (limited to 2 page per resume)

The key personnel will be evaluated on their relevant education, experience, demonstrated technical knowledge and expertise to fulfill the requirements of the SOW and possession of substantial, relevant knowledge within their respective subject areas. While specific job titles will not be required within this evaluation factor, the personnel comprised within the team should demonstrate:

a. The organizational structure for the team including identification of a Program Manager/Team Lead or equivalent as well as relationship to other team members.

b. Rationale for selection of key personnel identified by the Offeror.

c. Program Manager /Team Lead or equivalent should show demonstrated leadership, demonstrated experience in performing work similar in size, scope and complexity.

d. Experience and relevant knowledge based on the identified skills/tasks within the statement of work, this may include education, certifications, and/or licenses.

e. Specific experience with Adobe ColdFusion development in versions released within the last 5 years, JavaScript development in versions released in the last 5 years, Oracle Database Administration, SQL development and tuning experience, reports writing using Cold Fusion or other tool(s) such as BI Publisher, OBIEE or Tableau, and developing web applications for Internet Explorer and Google Chrome.

f. Experience with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

· Missing Program Manager or Database Administrator

Factor 3 – COMPANY EXPERIENCE (limited to 5 pages) The offeror shall provide a detailed company resume that describes a minimum of three (3) years’ experience in performing work with software products currently installed/used in the Budget Systems. Please describe work experience in the following areas listed in descending order of importance:

a. Adobe ColdFusion development in versions released within the last five (5) years.

b. JavaScript development in versions released in the last five (5) years.

c. Oracle Database Administration.

d. SQL development and tuning experience.

e. Writing reports in ColdFusion as well as in one or more of the following tools: BI Publisher, OBIEE, or Tableau.

f. Developing web applications for Internet Explorer and Google Chrome.

· Experience is identified in all noted software experience for more than 3 years.

· Experience is also noted in compatible software experience above and beyond noted software.

· Experience is identified in all noted software experience for at least 3 years.

· Experience notes at a minimum ColdFusion, Oracle Database Administration, SQL, Report building.

· Experience is identified in most noted software experience but is 3 years.

· Experience notes at a minimum, ColdFusion, Oracle Database Administration, SQL development.

Orange

Marginal Proposal has not demonstrated an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements, and/or risk of unsuccessful performance is high. Proposal is unawardable without discussions

· Experience is identified in all noted software but is less than 3 years or missing.

· Experience at a minimum identifies ColdFusion and Oracle Database Administration.

Unacceptable Proposal does not meet requirements of the solicitation and thus contains one or more deficiencies, and/or risk of unsuccessful performance is unacceptable. Proposal is unawardable without discussions.

· Experience is missing from key software of ColdFusion and Oracle Database Administration.

Factor 4 – PAST PERFORMANCE (limited to 5 pages)

a. An evaluation of offeror’s past performance information will be conducted subsequent to the technical evaluation. The offeror must have demonstrated successful operations and maintenance of similar contract, to include scale and complexity. Preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate past performance of similar projects related to management of parks and protected areas.

b. The evaluation will be based on information obtained from the write-ups, other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government, and any other information supplied by the offeror, to include problems encountered on the identified contracts and corrective action taken.

c. The Government will assess the relative risks associated with each offeror. Performance risks are those associated with an offeror’s likelihood of success in performing the acquisition requirements as indicated by that offeror’s record of past performance.

d. The assessment of performance risk is not intended to be the product of a mechanical or mathematical analysis of an offeror’s performance on a list of contracts, but rather the product of subjective judgement by the Government after it considers all available and relevant information.

e. When assessing performance risks, the Government will focus on the past performance of the offeror as it relates to all acquisition requirements, such as: 1) the offeror’s record of performing according to specifications, including standards of good workmanship; 2) the offeror’s record of controlling and forecasting costs; 3) the offeror’s adherence to contract schedules including the administrative aspects of performance; 4) the offeror’s reputation for reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction; and 5) the offeror’s business-like concern for the interest of the customer.

f. The Government will consider the currency and relevance of the information, sources of the information, context of the data and general trends in the offeror’s performance. The lack of a relevant performance record may result in an unknown performance risk assessment, which will neither be used to the advantage nor disadvantage of the offeror.

g. Note: Contractors submitting offers without past performance will receive a neutral rating.

h. Offerors shall provide three (3) projects completed in the past five (5) years with a similar scope and complexity. (Note: Listing completed projects does not address this criterion. A narrative that articulates past experience and description of technical expertise in methods and analysis for these needs should be discussed).

Blue

Substantial Confidence Based on the Offeror’s past performance record, the government has a high expectation that the Offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

Green

Satisfactory Confidence Based on the Offeror’s past performance record, the government has an expectation that the Offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

Limited Confidence Based on the Offeror’s past performance record, the government has a low expectation that the Offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

No Confidence Based on the Offeror’s past performance record, the government has no expectation that the Offeror will be able to successfully perform the required effort.

None

Cost/Price

a. Offeror’s cost proposal will not be point scored or adjectively scored but will be evaluated on price reasonableness. The price proposal will also be used as an aid to determine the Offeror understands of the requirements of the solicitation, price reasonableness and to assess the validity of the offeror’s approach to managing and performing the work.

b. Total potential price, inclusive of all NTE Labor Hour requirements combined with FFP quote totals for all years will be considered the overall value of each quote.

c. The offeror shall submit a price proposal separate from all other volumes; any pricing information found in the technical or past performance volumes will be removed prior to evaluation.

d. The Government will evaluate the price proposal for reasonableness. The Government will evaluate the base period and all option period costs combined to determine best value to the Government. The Government will also evaluate cost with regard to the ability of the offeror to meet requirements in terms of skills required, complexity of disciplines and job difficulty, if the Government deems such analysis necessary. Please be sure to include pricing for both the base period and all option periods.

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