RFP AMENDMENT 1.pdf

See attached for answers to questions submitted.

Please sign this amendment and return with the proposal.

X

5. PROJECT NO.

CODE7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED

BPA NO. 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODECODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended, X

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning ___1______ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR AC- KNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 10-83)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office.is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

BY

Contractor X 1

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30NSN 7540-01-152-8070

PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

(Type or print) (Type or print)

(Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

(If other than Item 6)

(Specify type of modification and authority)

(such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(If applicable)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

(X)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1 7

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

0001 8/27/09

OASAM Office of Procurement Services U. S. Department of Labor

RM S4307

200 Constitution Ave., NW Washington DC 20210

OASAM Office of Procurement Services U. S. Department of Labor

RM S4307

200 Constitution Ave., NW Washington DC 20210

To all Offerors/Bidders DOL099RP20767

X 8/11/09

Responses to questions for RFP DOL099RP20767

1. Section B-2 identifies the program location, noting headquarters and associate grantees. Shall our estimated fixed price assume all records to support claimed costs will be only in the locations noted? Therefore, to perform the review of the Bolivia program, will travel to Quito, Ecuador be the only location necessary to review supporting documentation for claimed costs (not including the travel related to school visits)?

Answer: Travel to Quito, Ecuador and project sites in Bolivia would be required in this case.

2. Will financial reports submitted to DOL be in US dollars? Will financial records that support those financial reports be in US dollars, or local currency?

Answer : The reports should be in US dollars and the records should reflect the reports from the local currency.

3. Can OCFT provide information as to how the grantees listed in Section B-2 were selected (size, past performance, etc.)?

Answer: Only that Grantees were selected by an internal assessment process which considers a number of factors.

4. Has OCFT contracted for this, or similar work in the past (or performed the work internally)? If so, are estimates of time spent available for our review?

Answer. There is a previous contract but no estimates are available.

5. If OCFT has contracted for this, or similar work in recent history, will the incumbent contractor be eligible to bid on this solicitation?

Answer: Yes.

6. Section B-2 identifies a deliverable to prepare a Trend Analysis report, and states “which will include all previous Attestation engagements.” Will this Trend Analysis include other attestation engagements than those that would be performed in year 1 under this contract (i.e., previous years, previous contractors, internal OCFT reviews)?

Answer: No.

7. The table in Section B-2 for Pricing of the option years indicates that each site will be reviewed each year (i.e.

annually). Please confirm that the sites listed will only be done once.

Answer: Sites will only be reviewed once.

8. Are the sites/programs listed in Section B-2 currently receiving funding? Shall we assume that as work is performed in the later Option years, that the size of the funding to be reviewed will be significantly larger because of multiyear funding, or will the scope of work include only a certain period of funding for all sites?

Answer: Yes. Cumulative expenditures by grantees will increase in future years. The period of funding under review will not exceed two years.

9. In order to estimate time necessary for cost testing, can information be provided on the amount of funding each program has received?

Answer: Information regarding OCFT’s technical assistance projects, including levels of funding, can be found within the following website:

http://www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft/

10. Section C-4 discusses that the maximum and minimum order of the government is identified in “the schedule.”

Please identify what schedule is being referenced.

Answer: Section B.2 Cost/Price Schedule.

11. When does OCFT anticipate an award will be made?

Answer: the estimated date is by September 30, 2009.

12. Please confirm that OCFT anticipates issuing a contract to only one contractor. Section C.10 mentions “contractors.”

Answer: Only one contract is anticipated.

13 Section E-1 (part I(b)) states “Insert proposed estimated rates…”. Please confirm that fixed price amounts for the entire review of that site are required, not hourly or daily labor rates.

Answer : Fixed Prices are required for the base year and estimated priced for the option years.

14. Section E, 3(b). If a teaming arrangement is proposed, can the past performance and offeror’s organizational experience be a mix of the two entities? If a subcontract arrangement is proposed, can the past performance and organizational experience be of the subcontractor along with the prime contractor?

Answer: For a teaming arrangement, yes, both can submit past performance. The past performance for a prime will weigh more then the subcontractor.

15 Please confirm the accuracy of the following (Section E, 3 (a) Section II):

The evaluation of past performance information will not take into account past performance 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 instant acquisition”.

Answer: Yes.

16 Can proposals be submitted electronically? What is the FedEx address for delivery.

Answer: No electronic proposals will be accepted. The address is under block 9. ISSUED BY.

17 Can we assume that all grantees are subject to one of the OMB Cost Principle Circulars, regardless of the grantee’s incorporation or international status?

Answer: No.

18. Are previous attestation, or other type of reports on this program, available for our review?

Answer: Please refer to http://www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft/ for any reports available for review.

19 a. Section B III 4 notes that presentations to ILAB staff may be requested.

Answer: Yes

19 b. Will this require travel to the ILAB site? Are costs to attend these meetings part of the fixed price estimate for each site?

Answer: Yes

19c. If so, how many presentations should be anticipated?

Answer : One or more per examination.

20. Will workpapers prepared by the incumbent auditor for previous engagements be available for review?

Answer: No.

21. Section c.13 notes that we are to specify the Project Director as Key Personnel, however the Task Order document notes that Key Personnel is the Team Lead. Should the Team Lead be identified in the proposal, or only once task orders are awarded?

Answer: The Team Lead should be identified prior to the award of the task orders so they can be included.

22. The SOW includes a requirement to render an opinion on the accuracy and reliability of grantee financial records. In regards thereto:

(a) Please confirm whether the DOL is expecting an audit opinion on financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP (including notes thereto), or whether another form of accountant’s report such as an agreed upon procedures report would be acceptable; with scope and procedures agreed during the planning phase;

Answer: DOL expects the audit opinions on financial statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP.

(b) Please confirm that the grantee organizations maintain auditable accounting records and adequate internal controls, to the best of DOL’s knowledge;

Answer: DOL cannot speak to grantee’s accounting records and internal controls. This is, in part, why DOL is seeking attestation engagement services.

(c) Please confirm that the grantee organizations employ personnel who can draft English-language GAAP financial statements (if needed), financial reports and prepare supporting schedules for our audit. Our independence requirements do not allow us to both draft financial statements, as well as render an audit opinion thereon.

Answer: DOL cannot speak to grantee’s accounting records and internal controls. This is, in part, why DOL is seeking attestation engagement services.

23. Will the DOL allow the use of our in-country offices to perform some or all of the audit procedures? This will help control audit costs, as well as leverage our local expertise.

Answer: DOL reserves the right as per the key personnel clause. Otherwise, DOL does not place restrictions on the origin of office locations.

24. Does the DOL have a requirement for US-based personnel (U.S. citizens or permanent residents) to perform all or a majority of the work under a “Buy-American” or similar requirement? Are we free to staff this engagement in the most efficient way possible, provided our U.S. firm oversees the work and delivers the final opinion/reports.

Answer: DOL does not have a requirement for US-based personnel to perform all or a majority of the work. Again, DOL reserves the right per the key personnel clause and the prime must be in CCR .

25. For each of the 3 grantee organizations to be audited in the first year, and the 8 organizations to be audited thereafter, could you please provide the following information:

- The location (city, country) of the accounting records and accounting personnel; (or confirm that this information is located at the headquarters’ locations).

Usually accounting records will be located at either the grantee HQ, or at project offices within the countries where projects are implemented. Specific location of accounting records will vary from grantee to grantee.

- The approx total revenues or funding that each receives from the DOL and other sources Information regarding DOL’s technical assistance projects can be found on our website. Information regarding funding from other sources is not available from DOL.

- Total assets of each organization as per its latest balance sheet DOL does not maintain this information.

- Whether the organization has previously undergone an audit in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards;

DOL does not maintain this information.

26. Page 7 of the Task Order Request states that “no work involving information furnished under this Task Order” will be subcontracted without the specific approval of the COTR”. Please confirm that audit procedures performed by our network of member firms would not be considered “subcontracted work”.

Answer: Confirmed.

27. Page D-2 of the price/cost schedule asks us to provide our estimated price to prepare a “Trend Analysis Report.”

Could you please explain the requirements of this task more fully, and the type of information that would likely go in such a report.

Answer : It is expected that the trend analysis report would compile information across the attestation engagements conducted under the first Task Order, and its shape and content would be developed in consultation with DOL at the appropriate time.

28. Does the government intend to award to entire contract to one audit firm, or to make multiple awards on this contract?

Answer: One award is anticipated.

29. The task order includes a requirement to update the OFTC Grantee Examination Guide. Can the DOL provide us a copy of the existing guide, or at least the table of contents, so we can estimate better the number of hours needed to update it?

Answer: TOC included below.

30. Is there an incumbent on this contract? If so please provide the name and how long this firm has been the incumbent organization.

Answer: Yes.

Section III (a) II 1. provides that “the evaluation of past performance information will not take into account past performance information regarding…subcontractors who will perform major or critical aspects of the program. Section 3

32. (II) (c) asks us to “provide with the proposal a letter form all subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the contract”; which appears to suggest that subcontractor past performance is relevant in the acquisition process.

Please advise whether it is acceptable to have a subcontractor perform major or critical aspects of the work, as is indicated by Section 3 (II) (c)

Answer: This is required to verify the commitment of the subcontractor.

33. Please confirm that past performance references acceptable to the Government will have to meet two criteria: (i) they are past performance of the prime contractor (and excluding any past performance references of subcontractors) and (ii) they are past performance references for contracts where the offeror acted as the prime contractor to the Federal government. (i.e. both performance as a subcontractor and for a commercial organization should be excluded)

Answer: The past performance must be for the prime and for work done for the government.

34. If a teaming arrangement is contemplated, would it be acceptable to provide past performance references for both team members to meet the requirements in Part III – Past Performance Information.

Answer : Yes.

35. Could you please clarify what type of contracts you would like to see in response to the requirement in Section 3(c) “If this is a first time joint venture, each party to the arrangement must provide a list of past and present relevant contracts.”

i.e. What is meant by “relevant contracts”?

Answer: Government contracts for relevant work.

36. If the no Dun & Bradstreet Report is available, what else can be submitted?

Answer: Either a Dun & Bradstreet Report Business Background Report or a current financial statement is acceptable.

37. We assume that there is no page limit for proposals. Is this correct?

Answer: Correct