Attachment_5_CFPB_Response_to_Questions.pdf

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ATTACHMENT #5

CFPB Response to Questions Regarding RFP # CFP-14-R-00006

1. Is this a follow-on requirement? If so, could you please provide the incumbent contract number for this opportunity? If not, is this a new requirement?

This is not a follow-on requirement. This is a new requirement.

2. The Statement of Work says “the CFPB seeks to establish an Indefinite-Delivery

Indefinite-Quantity (ID/IQ) contract” (p. 7). Under an ID/IQ contract, how is pricing determined for deliverables that are not included in the SOW?

All deliverables will be in accordance with the ID/IQ Statement of Work set forth in this

RFP. Such deliverables will be determined at issuance of individual Task Orders. Please note that the labor categories and labor rates proposed by the awardee will be incorporated into the resultant Contract and represent the ceiling labor rates for any services required under the ID/IQ.

3. The Scope of Work describes work related to Performance Management, Compensation, and Hiring, but Task Order 0001 relates only to Performance Management. When responding to the RFP, should vendors be responding only to the Performance

Management component of the RFP or to the Compensation and Hiring components also?

The Offeror’s Technical Approach to Task Order 0001, relating only to Performance

Management, will be evaluated under the non-price Factor 1 – Technical Approach. Factor

2 – Expertise and Factor 3 – Past Performance will be evaluated in relation to all three of the subject matter areas set forth in the ID/IQ Statement of Work.

4. If vendors should be responding only to the Performance Management component, how will the work for Compensation and Hiring be offered and a vendor selected?

See Answer to Question 3. Task Order 0001 is representative of only part of the work required under the ID/IQ and it is anticipated that future Task Orders will be issued that will cover the remaining work included in the RFP. Interested Offerors are expected to meet all of the criteria set forth in the RFP. If an Offeror only has the capacity or expertise to meet only part of the criteria, teaming or subcontracting with other organizations capable of performing the remaining work would be required for an Offeror to be determined capable of performing all work that may be ordered under the ID/IQ contract.

Request for Proposal Number CFP-14-R-00006 Diversity Compliance Support Services

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5. Is it necessary that the compliance tool described in the Performance Management Phase

2 Deliverables be an automated tool? Could it be a set of decision rules and a process for implementing these decision rules?

No, CFPB does not require an automated compliance management tool related to performance management. The last row of the table in page 8 of the solicitation appears to be an erroneous repetition of the last row for the Compensation, Phase 4 task. The RFP has been amended to remove this row.

6. Page 10 of the RFP discusses a compensation compliance management system for ongoing use by CFPB internal staff. Based on the description, we presume that system would be used to identify subgroup members adversely impacted by preliminary pay-setting decisions before pay is finalized; is that correct? Are there other factors the

CFPB would like to address as part of this system?

CFPB contemplates asking the Contractor to assess the existing compensation review processes and related program evaluation processes and to make recommendations as necessary for process improvement to ensure compliance with internal policies and with applicable law and regulation. The full scope of work for Phase 4 related to Compensation would be further specified in a future Task Order based upon the Bureau’s needs at that time.

7. Page 12 of the RFP discusses a hiring compliance management system for ongoing use by CFPB internal staff. Based on the description, we presume that system would be used to identify subgroup members adversely impacted by hiring decisions? Are there other factors the CFPB would like to address as part of this system?

CFPB contemplates asking the Contractor to assess the existing hiring processes and related program evaluation processes and to make recommendations as necessary for process improvement to ensure compliance with internal policies and with applicable law and regulation. The full scope of work for Phase 4 related to Hiring would be further specified in a future Task Order based upon the Bureau’s needs at that time.

8. Page 21 of the RFP indicates that the non-price volume is 20 pages. Is that for

Performance Management only or for Performance Management, Compensation, and

Hiring?

Please review the Evaluation Criteria for information regarding how CFPB will evaluate proposals. Please see page 21 of the RFP for the Non-Price Submission Instructions, which describes what is included and excluded from the Non-Price Volume page limitation.

9. Can a statistician or I/O psychologist with a high level of statistics and analysis skills replace the Economist?

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The specific degree held by the Offeror’s proposed Key Personnel is less critical than a demonstration of experience with the variety of statistical, psychometric, multivariate modeling techniques appropriate to the components outlined in the Statement of Work.

Offerors should provide information responsive to Factor 2 in sufficient detail to ensure experience with applicable performance management analyses conducted within the last five years from solicitation release.

10. If we have the competence on staff to identify litigation risks, draft expert reports, and prepare expert testimony, it is necessary for the vendor to include an attorney as part of the project team?

An attorney is preferred, but the degree held by the Offeror’s proposed Key Personnel is less critical than a demonstration of experience with the variety of techniques appropriate to the components of the Statement of Work.

11. Page 84 discusses a “validation” memo. In this context, validation seems to refer to confirmation of CFPB’s analysis of performance ratings. Is that correct?

The memo should provide an objective evaluation and, if applicable, confirmation of the general conclusions drawn from CFPB’s analysis of performance ratings. The analyses supporting such conclusions and recommendations should be fully described.

12. Does CFPB plan to issue Task Orders for Scope Components B and C (RFP Section 3.0) so that work on those Task Orders would be performed concurrently with Task Order

0001 (which relates to Scope Component A)? Please provide details as to the relative schedule expectations of the three Components.

It is anticipated that future Task Orders will be issued that include elements of

Component(s) B and/or C. There is not an anticipated timeframe for the issuance of these contemplated Task Orders at this time, but it is possible that the Task Orders could be issued to require concurrent performance.

13. Task Order 0001. 8.0 “Government Furnished Information” states that CFPB will provide “the data set regarding (1) performance management, (2) compensation, and (3) hiring.” Will this data set be provided electronically in searchable format?

All data will be provided in searchable electronic format. Given the timing and in concert with future Task Orders specific to different components of the IDIQ, multiple data sets will be provided for 1) performance management; 2) compensation; and 3) hiring.

14. What demographic/other data fields are included (and searchable) in CFPB’s Human

Resources Information System (“HRIS”)?

A large number of employee and job related variables are captured in the different systems supporting CFPB personnel processing. A detailed list of data elements in CFPB’s primary

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system of record for human capital data is available at https://www.nfc.usda.gov/Insight/docs/Data_Dictionary.xls.

Generally, employee related variables in available datasets would be provided to the

Contractor specific to each Task Order. These datasets, variables and the associated codes are all electronically searchable.

15. Please provide the number of employees in each (a) division, and (b) office.

The CFPB has seven (7) Divisions, approximately forty-five (45) offices, and a total employee population slightly above 1,350 employees. Offerors may wish to refer to the

CFPB Annual Human Capital report and the recently published report from the Office of

Women and Minority Inclusion. Those reports can be found on the CFPB website

(http://www.consumerfinance.gov/reports/). The number of employees by individual division and office will be provided to the contract awardee.

16. RFP Page 12 refers to “qualification assessments,” which may be a reference to pre-employment test(s). Please confirm if Contractor will be reviewing and/or validating pre-employment tests if the statistical analyses reveal disparate impact, and if so, how many different such tests are there.

The CFPB uses a variety of selection tools and assessments in the hiring process. The scope and extent of analysis under Component C to be required will be determined at the task order level. As such, the full scope of work for the review of qualification assessments would be specified by future task order(s) based upon the Bureau’s needs at that time.

17. Can you please confirm that the 10% factor applied to non-small business concerns will be in effect for this proposal if a small business concern is successful in submission?

The price evaluation preference contained in FAR 52.219-4 will be applied to the Total

Evaluated Price proposed by each Offeror that is not a HUBZone small business concern or otherwise successful small business concern. If no HUBZone small business concern submits a proposed, the price evaluation preference will not be used.

18. Would the CFPB consider amending the RFP to provide for a partial small business set aside to increase small business participation within this field?

No small business set-aside is contemplated for this RFP. A full and open competition is being conducted.

19. For resumes for all proposed Key Personnel – is there a page limit for the resumes? Do we need to provide full details of careers or simply sufficient detail to establish the required training and experience to comply with the specified skill sets identified within the RFP?

https://www.nfc.usda.gov/Insight/docs/Data_Dictionary.xls http://www.consumerfinance.gov/reports/

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Resumes for all proposed Key Personnel are not subject to a page limitation and do not count toward the Non-Price Volume page limitation. The information contained in resumes for proposed personnel should demonstrate compliance with the expertise requirements and respond to the evaluation criteria set forth in Factor 2 – Expertise.

20. For Factor 3 - what is the time specified for past performance questionnaire submission?

Past Performance Questionnaires are due no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on

Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Any questionnaires received after that deadline will not be considered.

21. For the ID/IQ Price Model – is a yearly / option period escalation factor acceptable to be submitted as part of the price model or is the CFPB preference for the price ceiling to already reflect any escalation and allow for Task Orders to be at prices potentially lower than those listed in the ID/IQ model on a period and task by task basis?

The ceiling rates contained in an Offeror’s completed ID/IQ Price Model are to reflect any proposed escalation, thus allowing for Task Orders to be based on pricing at or lower than those listed in the ID/IQ Price Model on a task order basis. The labor categories and labor rates proposed by the awardee in its completed ID/IQ Price Model will be incorporated into the resultant Contract and represent the labor categories and ceiling labor rates for each performance period.

22. We understand the minimum/maximum contract values, including option year, however, clearly indicate the duration of this effort, i.e. base year and number of option year(s).

The contract includes a one-year base period and 4 one-year option periods exercisable at the discretion of the Government, totaling 5 years.

23. Relative to past performance, we encourage CFPB will equally consider during evaluations the experiences of offerors personnel and subcontractors as equivalent to past performances of the offerors.

Please refer to the evaluation criteria detailed in the solicitation. Note that the term

“Offeror,” as used in the solicitation (including the evaluation criteria), is defined as the firm, any major subcontractors, consultants, teaming partners, and related entities.

24. Will CFPB extend the due date by two weeks?

The proposal submission deadline has been extended by two (2) additional business days.

Proposals must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, June 20, 2014.

25. Is there a firm, CFPB personnel and/or contractor which has performed these services in the past as well as currently?

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Please see the answer to Question #1.

26. Can the Government please clarify what volume (Non Price or Price Volume) pricing for

TO 0001 should be included?

Pricing for Task Order 0001 should be included in a separate Task Order 0001 Price

Volume and may not exceed five (5) pages. The Task Order 0001 Price Volume does not count toward the ID/IQ Price Volume page limitation. The RFP has been amended to clarify this.

27. If TO 0001 Pricing is to be included in the Pricing Volume, can the Government please clarify if it is included in the 5-page maximum?

Please see the answer to Question #26.

28. In order to submit appropriate pricing, can the Government please clarify the Period of

Performance of TO 0001?

The Period of Performance of Task Order 0001 is six (6) months from date of task order award.

29. In order to submit appropriate pricing, can the Government please clarify the Level of

Effort required for TO 0001?

Offerors shall propose the level of effort necessary for performance of Task Order 0001 based on its expertise and understanding of the task order work requirement.

30. Can the Government please confirm the maximum Past Performance References/

Questionnaires allowable from the Prime?

CFPB will consider up to five (5) Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) for each

Offeror. If CFPB receives more than five (5) PPQs for an Offeror, only the first five PPQs received will be evaluated and any PPQ’s beyond the limit will not be evaluated.

31. Can the Government please confirm the maximum Past Performance References/

Questionnaires allowable from each Subcontractor?

Please see the response to Question #30.

32. We understand the fixed labor hours of 8,050 hours and further understand that it appears, CFPB will rely on the contractor to apportion hours among the team to discharge their respective duties. in the event of changed circumstances or unforeseen circumstances, will CFPB increase the hours, even if the maximum value is exceeded.

Noting that CFPB has allocated a value of $4M dollars, since we are an 8(a) certified firm, is CFPB amenable to a sole source award.

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The 8,500 hours provided in the IDIQ Price Model are for price evaluation purposes only and only the labor categories and labor rates proposed by the awardee will be incorporated into the resultant Contract.

A sole source award is not contemplated for this procurement. A full and open competition is being conducted.

33. Can the Government please confirm if this is existing work? If Yes, can the Government please state who the incumbent is?

Please see the answer to Question #1.

34. Does CFPB anticipate that Task Orders will be on a short-term project basis, or based on the knowledge of the workload, will it require a full-time team for each year?

The level of effort required for each Task Order will be dependent on each task order requirement and will be determined by the Offeror in its response to each Task Order

Proposal Request.

35. Will there be a requirement for any work on-site other than client meetings?

It is unknown at this time whether there will be any other requirements for on-site work.

36. Regarding Component A, when and how was the performance management tool developed?

The performance management system was originally developed in Federal fiscal year (FY)

2011, and implemented in FY2012, with a program design based upon several inputs to include Title 5 requirements, Federal best practices for performance management and models offered by benchmarked federal organizations

37. Regarding Component A, are there any union issues that vendors should be aware of?

The CFPB and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) have agreed to move to a new, two-level performance management system for the current and next two fiscal years.

The CFPB and NTEU have also agreed to continue partnering on these issues through a joint labor management working group.

38. Regarding Component A, is there pending litigation related to the performance management system that vendors should be aware of?

Such information is not necessary for proposal development and will not be provided to

Offerors as part of this solicitation. In the future, any information necessary to achieve successful task order performance will be provided by CFPB to the Contractor as appropriate.

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39. Regarding Component A, does CFPB expect performance disparity analyses by relevant strata including location, grade, band, etc.? What other strata would be appropriate?

The analyses for which we seek external review in the first Task Order include several stratification variables, e.g., functional unit (i.e., Division and Office), occupational series, tenure, pay grade/pay band, location (i.e., in the various regions versus headquarters), and bargaining unit status, in addition to race, gender, ethnicity, and age. The CFPB seeks from the Contractor confirmation of such analyses and an expert opinion on any additional considerations relevant to the determination and understanding of the observed disparities.

40. Regarding Component B, how many employees are expected to be covered in this analysis?

The total employee population as of the most recent FY2014 pay period was approximately

1,350 employees and no significant increase in employees is expected to be covered in relation to Component B over the duration of the contract period. However, the specific tasks relating to Component B will be specified by task order based upon the Bureau’s needs at that time.

41. Regarding Component B, how many jobs are expected to be covered in this analysis?

The current staff of approximately 1,350 employees at CFPB (as of FY2014 PP9) holds a job within one of 36 occupational series, as defined by OPM. However, the specific tasks relating to Component B will be specified by task order based upon the Bureau’s needs at that time.

42. Regarding Component B, are there available similarly situated employee groupings or will these have to be co-developed by the vendor and CFPB?

The specific tasks relating to Component B will be specified by task order based upon the

Bureau’s needs at that time. As part of the task order process, the CFPB would be open to discussing with the Contractor methods to define “similarly situated employee groupings” based on position titles, occupation, functional unit, demographic characteristics and/or other variables of interest.

43. Regarding Component C, how many applicants (and employees for promotion) are expected to be covered in this analysis?

According to demographic tables captured in our applicant processing system, between

April 2011 and December 2013, more than 65,000 applicants submitted over 145,000 applications to a CFPB vacancy. The specific tasks relating to Component C will be specified by task order based upon the Bureau’s needs at that time.

44. Regarding Component C, what is the time period of interest for this analysis?

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The scope and extent of analysis, including time period covered, relating to Component C will be specified by task order based upon the Bureau’s needs at that time.

45. Regarding Component C, how many jobs are expected to be covered in this hiring analysis?

Please see Answer to Question 43.

46. Regarding Component C, are there pools available for promotions analyses or will those have to be co-developed by the vendor and CFPB?

The scope and extent of analysis relating to Component C will be specified by task order based upon the Bureau’s needs at that time. As part of the task order process, the CFPB would be open to discussing with the Contractor methods to define the appropriate “pools” or combinations of applicant or employee groupings for analyses that would best address the identified needs.

47. Will more than one contractor be awarded an ID/IQ contract?

As a result of this RFP, the CFPB intends to make one award to the responsible Offeror whose proposal conforms to the RFP and is the best value to the Government, price and non-price factors considered. However, the CFPB reserves the right to make multiple awards or no award.

48. What is the likelihood of litigation as a result of the personnel practices for which you seek support services?

Such information is not necessary for proposal development and will not be provided to

Offerors as part of this solicitation. In the future, any information necessary to achieve successful task order performance will be provided by CFPB to the Contractor as appropriate.

49. What is the likelihood that the contractor will be asked to provide expert testimony?

The provision of expert testimony is part of the scope of work and may be required, however, such information is not necessary for proposal development and will not be provided to Offerors as part of this solicitation.

50. Would working on Task Order 0001 preclude the contractor from working on future task orders that may result? For example, if the contractor makes recommendations for remediation of the performance management system, would that contractor be able to work on a future task order that involved implementing the recommendations?

Though not anticipated, an organizational conflict of interest may arise relating to the performance of additional or follow-on work to work ordered under the contract.

However, before precluding the Contractor from consideration for the performance of

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such work, the CFPB would first consider the nature of the identified conflict(s) and the adequacy of any mitigation plan proposed by the contractor to address such conflict(s).