Beta_Sams_Attachment 4_0081 - Government Response.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ )#: 12319821Q0081

ATTACHMENT 4 – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

# RFP Section # / Page # Question Government Response

1 RFQ Section 1.1.1/Page 1

Would FNS allow for any tasks in the PWS to be awarded on a time and materials basis?

Correction: No. There will not be any task order set out as T&M. All tasks will be based only on Firm Fix Prices.

An addendum will be release removing all T&M material from the RFQ.

2 RFQ Section 1.1.2/Page 1 What is the anticipated level of effort and budget for the two required components and optional component?

The government anticipates that the level of effort and budget will be based upon the methodology proposed by the offeror.

3 RFQ Section 2.4/Page 5 Can the vendor request a Past Performance Questionnaire and Past Performance Reference for the same project?

Yes, Vendor are allowed to request a PP Questionnaire and Refence.

4 PWS Section 3.0/ Page 15 Considering that the survey is a census of all State agencies, the participants in the pretest will need to be selected from state agencies for the pretesting to effectively reflect the characteristics of state programs. Does this match FNS’s expectation?

FNS expects that State Agencies selected for pretesting will also participate in the final survey.

5 PWS Section 3.0/ Page 11 Will FNS supply a list of contacts at each of the 53 agencies and if so, how up-to-date is this contact list?

FNS will supply its most up-to-date list of contacts for State Agencies.

6 PWS Section 3.0/ Page 11 Will it be possible to state that the agencies are required to participate in the study activities based on their receipt of funds from FNS for these programs?

FNS will provide all reasonable assistance in gaining the cooperation of the States.

7 PWS Section 3.0/ Page 13 Will FNS provide contact information for each of the 53 agencies to be surveyed under Component 1?

FNS will supply its most up-to-date list of contacts for State Agencies.

8 RFQ Section 4.0, Page #5 Page 5 of the RFQ instructs “The length of the technical capability volume shall not be more than 60 pages total.” Can FNS please confirm if there are requirements?

Requirements are:

• Technical Capability (not to exceed 60)

• Cover Page (not to exceed 1)

• Executive Summary (not to exceed 2 pages)

• There are no other requirements

9 Section 4.1, Quotation Submission, Page 4

If key personnel are current employees of the prime contractor, do they need to submit letters of commitment?

If the key personnel work for the company a letter of commitment is not required.

10 Section 4.1, Quotation Submission, Instructions for the Price Volume, Item #4, Page 5

The RFQ states the following: “Using Attachment 2, the Vendor shall list each labor category it proposes to use in performance of the PWS (consistent with its Task Order schedule), indicate the unburdened unit price (hourly rate) for each proposed labor category, and indicate the proposed number of hours for each labor category listed. The Base Year and each Option Year/Period on the Attachment 2 spread sheet, shall be populated by the Vendor.”

Can FNS confirm that bidders can use their GSA labor categories rather than unburdened rates?

Yes, GSA labor categories must be used.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

# RFP Section # / Page # Question Government Response

11 Section 4.1, Quotation Submission, Page 4

If key personnel are current employees of the prime contractor, do they need to submit letters of commitment?

If the key personnel work for the company a letter of commitment is not required.

12 Section 4.1, Quotation Submission, Instructions for the Price Volume, Item #4, The RFQ states the following: “Using Attachment 2, the Vendor shall list each labor category it proposes to use in performance of the PWS (consistent with its Task Order schedule), indicate the unburdened unit price (hourly rate) for each proposed labor category, and indicate the proposed number of hours for each labor category listed. The Base Year and each Option Year/Period on the Attachment 2 spread sheet, shall be populated by the Vendor.”

Can FNS confirm that bidders can use their GSA labor categories rather than unburdened rates?

Yes, GSA labor categories must be used.

13 Section 4.1, Quotation Submission, Instructions for the Price Volume, Item #7, The RFQ states the following: “This BPA Call includes FAR Part 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services. For evaluation purposes only, Vendors should include an additional six (6) months price utilizing Option Year Four (4) rates.”

On a separate Pricing sheet used the same format for the six months and label the pricing sheet 6-month pricing sheet.

The six month pricing should be broken down by the task and subtask for a six month period only.

Can FNS please clarify how this additional 6 months of pricing should be presented in Attachment 2—Pricing Sheet?

14 Proposal due date Would FNS consider extending the due date to be at least 3 business days after responses to questions are released?

No. There be no extension. The RFQ date remains 8/30/2021

15 RFQ 4.1 Quotation Submission, The government specifies the Technical Capability should not exceed 60 pages. Should the response be single or double spaced?

Single space will be fine.

16 PWS 4.0 Research Objectives, The objectives for component 2 describe LEP regulations and policies in NAP. We know that Puerto Rico primarily serves NAP applicants and participants in Spanish. Is the government interested in learning about how Puerto Rico serves English speakers and speakers of other languages with low Spanish proficiency? Or is the focus exclusively on low English proficiency?

In territories where English is not the predominant language (e.g., Puerto Rico or American Samoa), FNS is interested in learning about how these territories serve English speakers and speakers of other languages with limited proficiency in the predominant language spoken in the service area

17 PWS Section 5.0 / Page #30 Task 3, Page 30 states: The Contractor shall develop all instruments necessary to implement the methodology. This includes but is not limited to protocols for document review, a web-based survey, protocols for interviews, and administrative data requests.

These shall be submitted to FNS for review by week sixteen (16) of award. FNS will have access to web version of the draft survey for review. – Subsequent to this point in the study timeline, the web-based survey will be reviewed and revised based on feedback from FNS, then submitted for Cognitive pretesting, further reviewed and revised and finalized. In

FNS must be able to review the web-based survey in order to determine if there are problems that need to be resolved (e.g., missing question, typos, broken skip patterns). Hence, FNS requires that it be able to review the draft, revised, and final web-based surveys.

Contractors are free to propose an alternative method for FNS to review the web-based survey as long as it allows FNS to review the web-based survey at least as many times as the PWS currently calls for and that any changes FNS requires at any stage will be corrected at no further cost the government.

the interest of reducing the amount of re-programming needed at each stage of this process, would it be acceptable to not program the survey for the initial review, and instead program it for the cognitive pretest?

18 PWS Section 5.0 / Page #31 Is FNS able to submit PRA packages under as expediated clearance request from

OMB?

FNS will most likely not be able to submit the PRA package under expediated clearance.

19 PWS Section 5.0 / Page #35 Task 6; page 35 states: If a State is unwilling or has trouble providing documents or responding to the survey the Contractor shall inform the COR as part of the weekly data collection memo and on the next progress call. The COR shall be informed of the exact nature of the problem and the magnitude of the problem. For refusals from any States the Contractor shall document what efforts they have made to gain the State’s participation including the name of their contact at the State and the person who declined to participate. This information shall also be included in the weekly data collection memo and discussed during the regular update meetings and shall be clearly and comprehensively included in the next monthly report. – After all efforts are made by the contractor to get the State to cooperate and prove unsuccessful, will FNS take steps to encourage the State to cooperate with the contractor?

The contractor shall inform that project officer as soon as they feel a State is being non-responsive. The project officer will take appropriate steps to encourage the State to cooperate with the contractor.