B08_Attachment 6_Solicitation Feedback_Consolidated Security Cooperation.docx

Vendor Questions Draft Solicitation for Security Cooperation

W91CRB-20-R-0010

22 Jan 2020

1. Request: That the government please clarify the contract Period of Performance start and end dates. Issue: In Section A, page2/56, para 1. the government specifies a period of performance of 17 March 2020 thru 16 March 2025 consisting of one (1) year base and four (4) option periods. In Section F, page 37/56, Section Volume 5 - Factor 4 - Cost/Price, the government requests pricing data for "pricing for the base and two (2) one (1) year option periods for a total of three (3) years". Further down the section, under subpara "Other Requirements, Terms and Conditions of the Cost Volume", subpara a., the government specifies that, "The Government shall provide the required labor categories and hours within the cost volume for each of the three (3) contract performance periods (base + two options)...".

Answer:

a. Page 51/56, Volume 5 – Factor 4, para 1: Sentence changed to “A totaled copy of Section B shall be submitted as part of the price proposal with pricing for the base and four (4) one (1) year option periods for a total of five (5) years”.

b. Page 51/56, Volume 5 – Factor 4, Other Requirements, Terms and Conditions of the Cost Volume. Sentence changed to “ The Government shall provide the required labor categories and hours within the cost volume for each of the five (5) contract performance periods (base + four options), and the contractor shall provide the direct and indirect costs associated with the given level of effort, in accordance with the provided cost model. No variance from these hours is permitted.

c. Government labor categories and hours – see attachment in Section J.

2. Request: That the government please clarify the contract Period of Performance start and end dates. Issue: In Section A, page2/56, para 1. the government specifies a period of performance of 17 March 2020 thru 16 March 2025 consisting of one (1) year base and four (4) option periods. In Section F, page 37/56, Section Volume 5 - Factor 4 - Cost/Price, the government requests pricing data for "pricing for the base and two (2) one (1) year option periods for a total of three (3) years". Further down the section, under subpara "Other Requirements, Terms and Conditions of the Cost Volume", subpara a., the government specifies that, "The Government shall provide the required labor categories and hours within the cost volume for each of the three (3) contract performance periods (base + two options)...".

Answer: Answered in previous question.

3. Request: That the government please clarify the total number and identification of required Key Personnel. Issue: In Para 1.6.8 (Key Personnel), the government names six (6) Key Personnel. In Para 1.6.9 (subparas 1.6.9.1 thru 1.6.9.7) the government describes seven (7) categories of Key Personnel for as many as a total of nine (9) personnel. In Section L, para Sub-factor 3 (Key Personnel Qualifications), the government describes the requirement to submit seven (7) Key Personnel resumes.

Answer: Page 21/56, 1.6.8 Key Personnel.

a. Change paragraph to: “The following personnel are considered key personnel by the Government: Senior Program Manager and two (2) Alternates, Two (2) Senior Subject Matter Experts, Two (2) Senior Operations Analysts, Two (2) Senior Program Analysts, Contract Manager, Information Functional Analyst 3, and the Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) Subject Matter Expert. Prior to any key personnel reassignment, removal, or resignation, the Contractor shall provide written notification at least ten (10) calendar days in advance to the COR and/or Government Task Manager (GTM) and shall submit justification (including proposed substitutions and its resume) in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the impact of the proposed change on the program and its schedule. All proposed key personnel replacements will possess qualifications equal to or superior to those of the key person being replaced”.

b. Answer. Page 21-22/56, 1.6.9. Add sentence after the first sentence: “Below, the government describes seven (7) categories of Key Personnel for a total of twelve (12) personnel.”

1.6.9.1 Senior Program Manager and Two (2) Alternates: The contractor shall provide a senior program manager who shall be responsible for the overall performance of the work. The name of this person and the two (2) alternates who shall act for the contractor when the senior program manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer and COR. The senior program manager or alternates shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all program matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The senior program manager and alternates shall at a minimum possess a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school and at least six (6) years of either security assistance and/or armaments cooperation experience. However, the requirement of a Bachelor’s degree may be waived if the program manager has had at least ten (10) years of applied security assistance experience while serving as a uniformed member of the armed forces or a US government employee.

1.6.9.2 Senior Subject Matter Expert: Two (2) of the Senior Subject Matter Experts shall be considered Key Personnel. All Senior Subject Matter Experts must possess a 4-year degree and a minimum of four (4) years of experience in international affairs and/or national security policy and must be knowledgeable of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. The senior subject matter experts shall have a working knowledge of munitions licensing the rules governing that function, and are knowledgeable on the rules and procedures associate with disclosure agreements. The requirement of a Bachelor’s degree may be waived if the individuals have had at least ten (10) years of applied security assistance experience while serving as a uniformed member of the armed forces or a US government employee.

1.6.9.3 Senior Operations Analyst: Two (2) of the Senior Operations Analysts shall be considered Key Personnel. All Senior Operations Analysts must possess a 4-year degree and a minimum of four (4) years of experience in international affairs and/or national security policy and must be knowledgeable of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. The Senior Operations Analysts shall possess a minimum of four (4) years’ experience in international affairs and/or national security policy. The senior operations analysts must have a working knowledge of munitions licensing and the associated rules and procedures, and be knowledgeable in the areas of technology transfer and the rules governing that function. The requirement of a Bachelor’s degree may be waived if the individuals has had at least ten (10) years of applied security assistance experience while serving as a uniformed member of the armed forces or a US government employee. One of the Operations Analysts shall possess a minimum of a four year Operations Research-related degree; possess at least two years’ experience applying to operations research best practices, working with Access databases and queries, building analytic dashboards, performing analysis in Excel; and be able to obtain expertise in Common Workforce Analysis Tool models, data fields, annual updates, and change implementation without jeopardizing project schedule.

1.6.9.4 Senior Program Analyst: Two (2) of the Senior Program Analysts shall be considered Key Personnel. All Senior Program Analysts must possess a 4-year degree and a minimum of four (4) years of experience in international affairs and/or national security policy and must be knowledgeable of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. The Senior Program Analyst shall possess a minimum of four (4) years’ experience in international affairs and/or national security policy. The senior program analyst shall have the ability to write and develop policy, capable of intensive research that results in technical writing. This individual shall have knowledge of security assistance policies and laws, and be knowledgeable in the laws and policies that govern export controls and technology transfer. The requirement of a Bachelor’s degree may be waived if the individual has had at least ten (10) years of applied security assistance experience while serving as a uniformed member of the armed services or a US government employee.

1.6.9.6 Info Functional Analyst 3: One (1) Functional Analyst shall be considered Key Personnel. All Functional Analysts shall possess a 4-year degree and a minimum of 4 years of experience in International Armaments Cooperation (IAC). The Analyst 3 must have a working knowledge of International Agreements, negotiations and requirements for co-development of new technology. The requirement of a Bachelor’s degree may be waited if the individual has had at least ten years of applied security cooperation experience while serving as a uniformed member of the armed forces.

Note: No changes to: 1.6.9.5 and 1.6.9.7.

c. Answer. Page 48/56, Section L, Sub-factor 3 -Key Personnel Qualifications. Change paragraph to: “For each of the positions designated as Key Personnel in the PWS, the offeror shall submit resumes addressing the education and experience requirements. Resumes may not exceed two (2) pages each, which may be single spaced. Award of a contract will constitute the Government’s acceptance of initial Key Personnel. While only twelve (12) resumes are required, all personnel must meet the PWS requirements. In addition to resumes, offerors shall also provide a Personnel Matrix to include all key personnel, and a plan detailing the availability of current personnel, its ability to recruit new employees and replace those who depart, its ability to provide replacements with equivalent qualifications and how quickly these replacements can be on-boarded”.

4. Request: That the government clarify the 48-hour limitation. Issue: In Para 5.5.3 (CWAT Training), the government states: "Contractor shall develop and maintain a computer based training course of instruction for the primary users of the FTE estimating tool, ensure the CWAT user guide is updated as needed, train primary users of the FTE estimating tool; within 48 hours of question." Can the government clarify the timeline for each specified task outlined in the statement and specify the time constraints in terms of "business days" or "calendar days" rather than hours.

Answer: Page 26/56. TASK 5, section 5.5.3. Change paragraph to “CWAT Training Contractor shall provide training support, when required, to DASA DE&C and ASAE, within five (5) business days, to ensure the quick and efficient adoption of the Full-time Equivalent (FTE) estimating tool, the Common Workforce Analysis Tool (CWAT), across the Army’s Security Assistance Enterprise (ASAE). Contractor shall develop and maintain a computer based training course of instruction for the primary users of the FTE estimating tool, ensure the CWAT user guide is updated as needed, train primary users of the FTE estimating tool; within two (2) business days of question. The contractor will provide a “help desk” capability to ensure that during normal working hours all questions and concerns are addressed. The delivery of the curriculum will be accomplished via CBT. Contractor shall participate in CWAT CCB meetings, develop meeting minutes and track changes needed to training material as a result of Request for Changes”.

5. Request: That the government complete or clarify the fragmented sentence. Issue: In Para 5.5.3 (CWAT Changes) in second sentence, the government states: "Contractor shall provide a method by which the database for each Claimant’s tools."

Answer: Page 27/56. TASK 5, section 5.5.5. Change paragraph to: “CWAT changes Contractor shall provide support to the CWAT and have sufficient knowledge of the tool to affect changes, upgrades and modification to include changes/adjustments to the methodology used to originally develop the tools. Contractor shall provide a method by which models can be updated with the claimant, as needed. Contractor shall provide a method by which the database for each Claimant’s tool can be updated electronically on a yearly basis, or more frequently as required, with pertinent information required to produce a dependable, and valid output. Contractor shall provide routine maintenance on the FTE Estimating tool, including data reconciliation as needed”.

6. Request: That the government consider an alternative contracting strategy for the design, develop and deployment of IT systems other than FFP. Issue: CPFF or T&M could be more appropriate given the nature and risk of work, given uncertainties with development using / modifications to legacy and proprietary software outside of government control.

Answer: The government has determined that FFP is the appropriate contract strategy.

7. Request: That the government either provide a Not To Exceed (NTE) travel/ODC plug or provide a basis for estimating and pricing travel/ODCs for business travel and ODCs associated with supporting this PWS. Issue: Government states, "Travel and other direct costs have been provided and shall not be changed."; however, not provided in this pre-solicitation.

Answer: Page 51/56, Volume 5 – Factor 4 – Cost/Price. Change paragraph to: “The price proposal shall identify labor categories, descriptions, and fully burdened labor rates. Travel is not to be included in the price of any task. Travel and other direct costs have been provided and shall not be changed. A totaled copy of Section B shall be submitted as part of the price proposal with pricing for the base and four (4) one (1) year option periods for a total of five (5) years. The total evaluated price (TEP) will be the sum of all CLINs in Section B except for transition in. Pricing information shall be contained and addressed ONLY in the Factor 4 - Price Volume.

8. Request: That the government clarify the font size and page margin requirements for the proposal. Issue: Font size and page margin requirements not explicitly stated.

Answer: Proposals shall have a minimum “12” font size with one (1) inch page margins.

9. Request: That the government clarify the number of volumes required for industry response. Issue: In Section L, page 46, para 3 File Packaging, the government specifies "Proposals shall be submitted electronically in four (4) volumes, as outlined below"; however, the table on page 46/56 describes five (5) volumes.

Answer: Page 46/56. Section L, File Packaging. Change paragraph to: “Proposals shall be submitted electronically in five (5) volumes, as outlined below. The title page of each volume shall clearly identify each volume-by- volume number, and volume name, (i.e., Volume I, Introductory Volume), Request for Proposal (RFP) number, and date of submission. Use indexing table of contents to identify all sections within a particular proposal volume.

10. With the development of the new DoD Security Cooperation Workforce Certification Program, What certification equivalence is DASA DE&C seeking for the key personnel?

Answer: Certification of contractor personnel has not been determined at this time. Additional on-line training, if any, will be conducted during normal working hours.

11. Is there a minimum time for the non-key personnel to have worked for the military or government (1.6.10)?

Answer: Page 22/56. 1.6.10 Other Non-Key Personnel. Change paragraph to: “All other contractor personnel performing work under this requirement not specified by level shall possess AT A MINIMUM: A four year degree; OR have three (3) years military experience in Security Assistance/International Affairs; OR have worked in a similar International Affairs position for a minimum of three (3) years.”

12. Section 1.6.8 of the PWS lists 6 key personnel and Section 1.6.9 lists 8 key personnel. Additionally, Section L, Volume 2, Factor 1, Sub-Factor 3 states the requirement for resumes for 7 key personnel. Can the Gov't clarify the number of key positions and their position titles?

Answer: Answered in previous response.

13. In the Solicitation, Section A, General Instructions, Para 1, the Period of Performance is listed as one base year plus 4 option periods for a total of 5 years and in Section L, Volume 5, first paragraph, the period of performance is stated as one base year plus 2 option periods for a total of 3 years. Can the Gov't clarify the period of performance for this solicitation?

Answer: Answered in previous response.

14. Section L states, “The offeror shall provide narrative descriptions of three (3) recent, relevant contracts performed by the offeror as a prime contractor, and two (2) recent, relevant contracts performed by each major subcontractor or team member. For any efforts previously performed as a subcontractor, the offeror shall ensure that contact information provided includes contact information for personnel who are familiar with the offeror’s work as a subcontractor.” To confirm, the Government is allowing both a Prime and Subcontractor the opportunity to submit a past performance contract performed as a subcontractor.

In order to promote a competitive bid, we recommend allowing the Prime and each Major Subcontractor the ability to submit a past performance contract in which it performed in a subcontractor role.

Answer: This solicitation does allow the Prime and each Major Subcontractor the ability to submit past performance in which it performed in a subcontractor role.

15. Section L states, “The offeror shall provide narrative descriptions of three (3) recent, relevant contracts performed by the offeror as a prime contractor, and two (2) recent, relevant contracts performed by each major subcontractor or team member…. A “major subcontractor” is defined to be a subcontract that is proposed to provide a minimum of $2.5 million in effort in any single year during the period of performance.” Can the Offeror be allowed to submit a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) past performance references that can demonstrate the depth of team experience? This would be in lieu of three (3) recent, relevant contracts from the Prime and two (2) recent, relevant contracts of each major subcontractor.

In order to promote a competitive bid, we recommend that the Offeror be required to submit a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) past performance contracts that can be from either Prime or Subcontractors.

Answer: The current requirements promote a competitive bid.

16. Is this a new requirement; if not can you provide the incumbent name and contract number?

Would the government be willing to upgrade Secret FCL to Top Secret?

What is the expected level of effort for this opportunity for each labor categories specified?

Would the government consider setting aside this for 8a small business?

If teaming, would the government be open accepting past performance from the subcontractor on the specific portion of work subcontracted out?

Answer: This is not a new requirement, W91CRB-15-C-0021, General Dynamics. There is no need to upgrade to TS, Secret FCL is sufficient. Vendor must meet all required Specific Tasks and Services listed in the Solicitation. DASA (DE&C) will not prescribe the number of labor hours and skill mix, to promote innovative and cost-saving solutions. Based on market research, this requirement would be very difficult for an 8(a) to meet the full spectrum of the complex work elements of this solicitation. YES.