Questions_and_Answers_55-79_Amendment_0002.pdf

RFP DJD-15-R-0023

Amendment 0002

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 57-79

57. QUESTION: In Section 3.9.1 at the bottom of the 1st paragraph on page 3-31, you list the Minimum Education for the position of Program Manager as a “Master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree” Can we substitute 25 years of experience as a DEA special agent in lieu of the Master’s degree?

ANSWER: No, however a Bachelor degree will be accepted. The candidate’s resume must illustrate considerable depth and breadth of experience performing program/project management work.

Replacement page 3-31 is attached hereto and is hereby modified. Changes are indicated with a vertical line in the right margin.

58. QUESTION: Will incumbent employees be available to transfer to the successful contractor to continue on the contract?

ANSWER: The solicitation includes FAR clause 52.222-17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (May 2014) (E.O. 13495). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (l) of FAR clause 52.222-17.

No amendment to the solicitation is required.

59. QUESTION: Please provide the tenure of each incumbent employee and the associated Department of Labor job description category?

ANSWER: The Government will provide the list to the successful offeror.

60. QUESTION: What is the total value of the current contract?

ANSWER: The contract value for DJD-10-C-0014 is $25.4M. For the work being performed under DJD-11-C-0008 for the current requirement, the value is $30.3M.

61. QUESTION: Section 9.1 Price, page 9-6, “The Government will evaluate cost/price in the Sample Task Order and the maximum ceiling amount in Section 2 using proposal analysis techniques prescribed by FAR Part 15.4…” Pricing spreadsheets are required for the Cost/Price; is there additional information required for the Government to evaluate cost/price in accordance with FAR 15.4?

ANSWER: The Government will review the offeror’s cost breakout of the loaded rate.

https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/current/far/html/52_222.html%23wp1147587 https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/current/far/html/52_222.html%23wp1147587

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 57-79

62. QUESTION: Section 2.5, page 2-1, first paragraph: Instructions indicates that the proposed loaded rate for each non-exempt CLIN should incorporate the Wage Determinations of all locations under this requirement. The wages of non-exempt positions vary significantly. For example, the wage for an Accounting Clerk I in Puerto Rico is $9.72. The wage for an Accounting Clerk I in Washington DC is $15.08. This is a difference of $5.36 per hour. Similarly, the wage for an Accounting Clerk II in Puerto Rico is $11.72. The wage for an Accounting Clerk II in Washington DC is $16.92. This is a difference of $5.19 per hour. Likewise, the wage for an Accounting Clerk III in Puerto Rico is $14.27. The wage for an Accounting Clerk III in Washington DC is $22.30. This is a difference of $8.03 per hour. In these examples, it is not in the government’s interest to procure an Accounting Clerk in Puerto Rico at a loaded rate that meets Wage Determination requirements for all locations. In addition, the incumbent, having knowledge of the current labor category distribution across all locations, will have the advantage of pricing each CLIN competitively. We therefore request the government to provide the work location(s) for each CLIN so that the government may receive the best rate possible.

ANSWER: The only labor category subject to wage determination that will be used in the Field Divisions is General Clerk III. New CLINs have been added to Section

2.0 “Schedule of Services”. Replacement pages 2-1 through 2-29 attached hereto and are hereby modified. Changes are indicated with a vertical line in the right margin.

63. QUESTION: REFERENCE: RFP, page 3.31, Section 3.9.1, Key Personnel, Program Manager (PM) states: “…Minimum Education: Master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree…” Will the government please replace the requirement for the PM to have a “Master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree” to a “Bachelor’s or equivalent degree?”

RATIONALE: None of the information contained in the PM position description (preceding the requirement for a “Master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree”) appears to support the need for the PM to hold a “graduate degree” to satisfactorily perform the PM functions for this work.

ANSWER: A Bachelor’s degree will be accepted. The candidate’s resume must illustrate considerable depth and breadth of experience performing program/project management work.

Replacement page 3-31 is attached hereto and is hereby modified. Changes are indicated with a vertical line in the right margin.

64. QUESTION: RFP contains information indicating there will be 40 separate labor categories and up to 200+ place of performance locations where personnel on the resultant contract may be required to serve. There is no information provided, however, on what labor categories or the number required for each of the 200+ performance locations. Will the government please provides more precise information on where the government will require specific labor categories to work and the number required at each specific location? RATIONALE: It is virtually impossible to create an accurate price proposal without specific information on where the government requires services to be provided by specific labor categories and in what level of effort.

ANSWER: See response to Questions 62.

65. QUESTION: Referencing Sec 3.8, Page3-13-28, paragraph A, Page 3-14: The solicitation identifies the labor categories Administrative Assistant I and Administrative Assistant II as both mapping to SCA labor category Administrative Assistant (SCA 01020). Please confirm this is correct.

ANSWER: That is correct. There are two positions that map to one SCA category.

66. QUESTION: Section 8.0:8.1, Page 8-6, Paragraph 7 (ix), & 2-1 Table. The instructions for filling in the table in section 2.5 indicate that the Non-Exempt positions are to incorporate the Wage Determinations in Exhibit 2 for all of the locations under the contract. Is the Government’s intention for these rates to be maximum rates for the positions since no location breakdown is provided?

ANSWER: See response to Questions 62 and 64.

67. QUESTION: Evaluated Price. The proposal instructions (page 8-6, paragraph ix) state that Offerors shall complete both the Schedule of Services worksheet (Section 2.5, page 2-1) and the Sample Task Order Worksheet in Section 7 (Attachment 1, page 7-31). The Sample Task Order instructions are clear that the proposed fixed, hourly rates for each CLIN must be identical in both tables. However, the Evaluation Factors section (Section

9.1 – Price, page 9-6, 1st paragraph) is not clear on how the total evaluated price will be calculated. This section states that the Government will calculate “the total evaluated price for all five (5) years proposed”, but it does not state which of the price tables will be used for this purpose. Can you please clarify if the total evaluated price will be calculated using the Sample Task Order or the maximum ceiling amount in Section 2.

ANSWER: The Evaluated Price will be the totals of the base and all options in Section 2, replacement page 2-29.

68. QUESTION: Information Required for Pricing. Exhibit 2 (page 7-21, entire page) contains a list of 27 cities where services may be required. For SCA positions, the wage determination varies widely in these cities. As an example, the WD hourly wage for a Secretary III is $26.92 in New York and $13.48 in Puerto Rico. Although non-SCA positions do not have a mandated minimum, the market rate for most non-SCA positions also varies widely by city. Despite this large range in wage levels, the pricing tables in Section 2 and the sample task order call for a single nationwide rate regardless of location. In addition, the RFP gives no information regarding the likely geographic location of the expected positions. The incumbent contractors are knowledgeable about

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 57-79

the current quantity of each labor category in each city. Based on this knowledge, the incumbent contractors can make reasonable assumptions and calculate realistic blended billing rates. However, a new bidder does not have access to this information and therefore cannot do this. This lack of information puts new bidders at a significant competitive disadvantage. Would DEA consider providing additional information about the expected quantity and location of each possible labor category?

ANSWER: See response to Questions 62, 64, and 66.

69. QUESTION: Section 3.8 Labor Categories, page 3-14, is a substitution of education and experience allowed for all positions in this RFP?

ANSWER: No. Please refer to pages 3-14 through 3-29 under “Minimum Education” for each labor category.

70. QUESTION: How does the Government want offerors to demonstrate that all contractor personnel meet the qualifications of the PWS? Is this a requirement for resumes? If so, should we base the number of resumes on the staffing levels in Attachment A to Amendment 0001, should we base it off of the pricing schedule in Section 2, or should we base it off of the Sample Task Order, Attachment 1?

ANSWER: The resumes are for Key Personnel only.

71. QUESTION: Are resumes for non-key personnel required before or after contract award?

ANSWER: No. The resumes are for Key Personnel only.

72. QUESTION: Is the Government now requiring Offerors to secure commitment letters for all of the proposed project personnel?

ANSWER: No. Commitment letters are only for Key Personnel only.

73. QUESTION: Are offerors required to supply candidates within the performance location?

ANSWER: No. Permanent change of station or relocation are not reimbursed.

74. QUESTION: Will the Government provide incumbent contact information to allow offerors to offer them the right of first refusal as required for individuals covered by the

SCA?

ANSWER: See answer to Question 59.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 57-79

75. QUESTION: Will the evaluation of resumes be extended to all proposed project personnel? Currently Factor 3 on page 9-3 and 9-4 states that, "The Government will evaluate the Offeror's ability to fill all Key Personnel positions for this contract" as well as their qualifications and the commitment letters. Is it the Government's intent to evaluate all resumes and thereby make all project personnel key personnel?

ANSWER: The only resumes required for evaluation purposes are for the Key Personnel. Refer to page 4-5 of the solicitation.

76. QUESTION: Attachment A: The Government provided a list of labor categories who all work at DEA Headquarters in Arlington and the DC metro area. Are we to assume that there is only one person per labor category working at this location? Please clarify the number of FTEs per category at each location.

ANSWER: Only one person for Accounting Clerk III, Administrative Assistant II, Business Analyst, Data Analyst, General Clerk II, Management Analyst I, Mathematician/Statistician, On site Supervisor/Manager, Program Manager, Scientist II and Technical Specialist.

Two FTE’s for Accounting Technician, Business Analyst (Senior), General Clerk III, Program Analyst II. Four FTE’s for Subject Matter Expert II. Five FTE’s for Regulatory Affairs Specialist II. Six FTE’s Management Analyst II. Eleven FTE’s Program Analyst I. Twelve FTE’s Secretary III.

See amended Attachment A.

77. QUESTION: Is it the Government's intent to limit competition by requiring offerors to secure resumes for 100-254 proposed project personnel with only one (1) week left until proposal responses are due?

ANSWER: No. See responses to Questions 71 and 75.

78. QUESTION: Proposal Instructions – Factor 3 (Section 8.1, page 8-3, paragraphs 2 and

3). The first sentence of the instructions makes reference to all contract staff (“describe staff including Key Personnel”, “provide evidence that its proposed project personnel satisfy all performance relatable requirements”). However, the remainder of the instructions and the evaluation factor wording (Section 9.1, page 9-1, paragraph 3;

Section 9.1, page 9-2, paragraph 2/list at top of page; Section 9.1, page 9-3, paragraph 3) appears to indicate that this section is limited to Key Personnel only. Can you please clarify if Factor 3 is meant to address Qualification and Experience of all contract staff, or only of Key Personnel?

ANSWER: The Government will evaluate the offeror’s ability to describe how they will satisfy all performance relatable requirements. However, only resumes and commitment letters are required for Key Personnel.

79. QUESTION: Will the Government allow a three (3) week extension to allow offerors to secure resumes and letters of intent for all proposed project personnel?

ANSWER: The Government will allow a one week extension. The due date is now October 27, 2015 @ 11:00 AM Eastern.