SD_RFP_Chgs_Q A.docx

S Dakota OA/CTS DOL12YA20000 Amendment# 1

I. ADDITIONS, DELETIONS, AND CLARIFICATIONS:

1. Page 1, Block 9, of the RFP changes the date the proposals are due to Oct 18. Hour of the day remains unchanged.

2. Section B.2 (page 3) and Attachment J-1 (page 47) omitted mention of CLINS 4001 – 4005:

CLINS 4001 and 4002 are firm fixed price; CLINS 4003, 4004, and 4005 are cost reimbursement.

3. The following statement in Section C.3.A (page 6) is deleted: The contractor’s performance shall be measured against the goals established by the National Director of Job corps each year in Outreach and Admissions Outcome Measurement System.

4. Section G.4, Liquidated Damages (page 21) hereby removes the following statement: In addition, the contractor may be held financially responsible for any peripheral costs associated with placements and/or admissions found to be invalid.

5. Section I incorporates the following FAR clauses into this solicitation:

· 52.222-43 (Sep 2009), Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act – Price Adjustment (multiple year and option contracts)

· 52.229-3 (Apr 2003), Federal, State, and Local Taxes

· 52.232-1 (Apr 1984), Payments

· 52.243-1 Alternate I (Apr 1984), Changes- Fixed Price

6. Section J – Attachment J-4, Past Performance Confirmation Questionnaire is limited to five per offeror.

7. Section J - Attachment J-5, Computerized Property Management Listing is posted with this amendment.

8. Section J – Attachment J-6, Accounting System Certification is incorrectly stated as an electronic attachment. The offeror will submit its own certification.

9. Section B.2 PRICING SCHEDULE, is deleted and replaced as follows:

B.2 PRICING SCHEDULE

The government anticipates a firm fixed price and cost reimbursement hybrid type contract:

CLINS 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 3001, 3002, 3003, 3004, 4001, 4002, 4003, and 4004 will be firm fixed priced.

CLINS 0005, 0006, 0007, 0008, 1005, 1006, 1007, 2005, 2006, 2007, 3005, 3006, 3007, 4005, 4006, and 4007 will be cost reimbursement.

Unit Price

Total Minimum Units

Total Minimum Price

Total Maximum Units

Total Max Price

Not to Exceed Amount

* For capital line items Equipment, and GSA Vehicles, a “not to exceed” (NTE) ceiling will apply for the base period and each option year of the contract. Any portion of the funding not used in each year will be included in the contract ceiling for the next contract year.

**For Demonstration Projects, a “not to exceed” ceiling will be negotiated, if Demonstration projects are identified, and incorporated by contract modification.

10. Section E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE, is deleted and replaced as follows:

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

A. Initial Inspection and Acceptance of Admission Arrivals On the first day of the month, the contractor shall furnish, to the COR, a list of student arrivals made during the prior month. The list shall contain (1) the student’s name, (2) student identification number, (3) the center where the student arrived and (4) the date of arrival. The list shall be identified with the following title: “Arrivals List for Initial Acceptance No. 1” and the list number shall be submitted in sequential numbers.

Upon receipt of the Arrivals List for Initial Acceptance, the COR shall have ten business days to review the student arrivals list and determine acceptance of valid arrivals.

B. Final Inspection and Acceptance of Admission Arrivals Ninety days after acceptance of each Arrival List for Initial Acceptance, the contractor shall furnish, to the COR, an Arrival List for Final Acceptance. The list shall contain those students who were accepted as arrivals in the initial list and have stayed at the Job Corps Center for a period of at least ninety days. The list shall contain (1) the student’s name, (2) student identification number, (3) the center where the student arrived and (4) the date of arrival. The list shall be identified with the following title: “Arrivals List for Final Acceptance No. 1” and the list number shall be submitted in sequential numbers, matching the number of the corresponding initial acceptance list.

Upon receipt of the Arrivals List for Final Acceptance, the COR shall have ten business days to review the student arrivals list and determine acceptance of a valid arrival.

C. Initial Inspection and Acceptance of the Career Transition Placements On the first day of the month, the contractor shall furnish, to the COR, documentation of career transition placements made for the month. The contractor’s documentation shall be in accordance with criteria in PRH, 4.5.

The COR shall have ten business days to review the documentation and determine initial acceptance of a valid career transition placement.

D. Final Inspection and Acceptance of the Career Transition Placements On a quarterly basis the contractor shall furnish, to the COR, a Career Transition Placements List for Final Acceptance. The list shall contain those students who were initially accepted as valid career transition placements and have stayed at the placement for a period of at least six months, as defined in the criteria contained in PRH 4.5. The list shall contain (1) the student’s name, (2) student identification number, and (3) the placement and (4) the date of placement.

Upon receipt of the Career Transition Placements List for Final Acceptance, the COR shall have ten business days to review the student arrivals list and determine final acceptance of a valid career transition placement.

11. Section G.2. FUNDING AND FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION, A. Summary of Funds Available, is deleted and replaced as follows:

LINE ITEM

DESCRIPTION

Line Item Amount

Funds Obligated

Unfunded Amount

Base Period, Period of Performance:

Option Period One, Period of Performance:

Option Period Two, Period of Performance:

Option Period Three, Period of Performance:

Option Period Four, Period of Performance:

* For capital line items Equipment, and GSA Vehicles, a “not to exceed” (NTE) ceiling will apply for the base period and each option year of the contract. Any portion of the funding not used in each year will be included in the contract ceiling for the next contract year.

**For Demonstration Projects, a “not to exceed” ceiling will be negotiated, if demonstration projects are identified, and incorporated by contract modification.

12. Section G.2. FUNDING AND FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION, B. Payment, is deleted and replaced as follows:

B. Payment:

0. Payment Upon Initial Inspection and Acceptance of Admission Arrivals

Upon receipt of the Arrivals List for Initial Acceptance, the COR shall have ten business days to review the student arrivals list and determine acceptance of valid arrivals.

Payment shall be made in the amount of 80% of the total unit price of the arrival upon the initial acceptance of a valid arrival. Once the COR has completed initial acceptance of an arrival, the contractor can submit an invoice that includes request for payment of the initially accepted arrival. The invoice shall specify the student’s name and identification number to enable the COR sufficient information to validate payment.

0. Final Inspection and Acceptance of Admission Arrivals

Upon receipt of the Arrivals List for Final Acceptance, the COR shall have ten business days to review the student arrivals list and determine acceptance of a valid arrival.

Payment shall be made in the amount of 20% of the total unit price of the arrival upon the final acceptance of a valid arrival. Once the COR has completed final acceptance of an arrival, the contractor can submit an invoice that includes request for payment of the finally accepted arrival. The invoice shall specify the student’s name and identification number to enable the COR sufficient information to validate payment.

0. Initial Inspection and Acceptance of the Career Transition Placements

The COR shall have ten business days to review the documentation and determine initial acceptance of valid career transition placement.

Payment shall be made in the amount of 80% of the total unit price of the arrival upon the initial acceptance of a valid career transition placement. Once the COR has completed initial acceptance of a career transition placement, the contractor can submit an invoice that includes request for payment of the initially accepted career transition placement. The invoice shall specify the student’s name and identification number to enable the COR sufficient information to validate payment.

0. Final Inspection and Acceptance of the Career Transition Placements

Upon receipt of the Career Transition Placements List for Final Acceptance, the COR shall have ten business days to review the student arrivals list and determine acceptance of a valid arrival.

Payment shall be made in the amount of 20% of the total unit price of the arrival upon the final acceptance of a valid career transition placement. Once the COR has completed final acceptance of a career transition placement, the contractor can submit an invoice that includes request for payment of the finally accepted career transition placement. The invoice shall specify the student’s name and identification number to enable the COR sufficient information to validate payment.

Please note: If the contractor has generated arrivals, but the arrivals cannot be made to the centers because the centers are at 100% of their designed capacity, then the contractor is guaranteed the total firm fixed price of the minimum goal for arrivals line items. This determination will be made at the end of each year of the contract.

13. Clause 52.215-21, Requirements for Cost or Pricing Data or Pricing Data or Information other Than Cost or Pricing Data – Modifications/Alternate IV (Oct-97) is deleted in its entirety.

14. Section L.1, CONTRACT TYPE, is amended as follows:

52.216-1--TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

The Government contemplates award of a firm fixed price, cost-reimbursement hybrid type contract resulting from this solicitation.

15. ATTACHMENT J-1 is deleted and replaced as follows:

PRICING SCHEDULE

The government anticipates a firm fixed price and cost reimbursement hybrid type contract:

CLINS 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 3001, 3002, 3003, 3004, 4001, 4002, 4003, and 4004 will be firm fixed priced.

CLINS 0005, 0006, 0007, 0008, 1005, 1006, 1007, 2005, 2006, 2007, 3005, 3006, 3007, 4005, 4006, and 4007 will be cost reimbursement.

Unit Price

Total Minimum Units

Total Minimum Price

Total Maximum Units

Total Max Price

Not to Exceed Amount

* For capital line items Equipment, and GSA Vehicles, a “not to exceed” (NTE) ceiling will apply for the base period and each option year of the contract. Any portion of the funding not used in each year will be included in the contract ceiling for the next contract year.

**For Demonstration Projects, a “not to exceed” ceiling will be negotiated, if Demonstration projects are identified, and incorporated by contract modification.

II. QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION AND ANSWERS

1. Does the government expect bidders to use the stated goals as the Total Units on the Pricing Schedule (Attachment J-1)?

Answer: Yes, offerors should use the stated goals as the total units on the pricing schedule. Please see the revised pricing schedule, which includes columns for offerors to calculate the total price for the minimum goals and the total price for the maximum goals.

For CTS, should bidders use the provided Minimum or Maximum as the Total Units? (p.14)

Answer: Please see the newly revised Section B.2 Pricing Schedule

1. How would the government like bidders to number any additional CLINs developed for this proposal? (See RFP p.3)

Answer: Please see the newly revised Section B.2 Pricing Schedule

1. Will the government provide the addresses for the current contract offices?

Answer: This information is proprietary and will not be released.

1. The Pricing Schedule greys out the Total Units, Per Unit Price, and Total Price columns for CLINs 4001–4005. Is this an error?

Answer: Yes, this was an error. Please see the newly revised Section B.2 Pricing Schedule.

1. Will the government modify the contract’s Level of Effort if the government does not/cannot assign sufficient center slots and/or graduates and/or former enrollees to enable the contractor to meet the stated minimum goals of 425 Outreach Arrivals, 230 Graduate Placements, and 116 Former Enrollee Placements? Will the modification include re-negotiated per-unit cost? (See RFP pp.13-14).

Answer: The Contracting Officer does not anticipate re-negotiating the per-unit price. However, in accordance with the newly revised section G.2, B. of the contract, as incorporated in this amendment, if the contractor has generated arrivals but the arrivals cannot be made to the centers because the centers are at 100% of their designed capacity, then the contractor is guaranteed the total firm fixed price of the minimum goal for each line item

1. How often will the government review center slots/graduates/former enrollees assigned to the contract in order to determine the Level of Effort?

Answer: The government has determined the minimum and maximum level of effort for this contract, as stated in the RFP. Therefore, the government will not routinely review center slots minimum and maximums and make adjustments.

1. Will the government allow the contractor to adjust the Per Unit Price if the contract’s Level of Effort is modified?

Answer: The government has determined the minimum and maximum level of effort for this contract, as stated in the RFP. Therefore, an adjustment to the per unit price post award is not anticipated. However, in the event that the government changes the statement of work, by decreasing the minimum number of minimum arrivals, the government will allow for an equitable adjustment under the contract, i.e. a re-negotiation of the per unit price.

1. The RFP states that the contractor shall submit lists of students and include their social security numbers, which is contrary to current Job Corps privacy requirements. Please clarify.

Answer: The requirement for submission of social security numbers was a mistake. Please see the revised Section E.2, Inspection and Acceptance above.

1. Is it the contractor’s responsibility to verify employment at the post-placement 6-month mark, or will the government rely on the current survey system for that information?

Answer: The government will rely on the current system.

1. How will the COR verify the validity of the 6-month placement data?

Answer: The COR will verify the validity of the six month placement data by utilizing the current survey system.

1. Is it the government’s intent to eliminate the Base Fixed Fee, Incentive Fee, and Performance Excellence Bonus structure used in previous solicitations and, instead, have the contractor propose a fee as part of their Per Unit Pricing?

Answer: Base fees and Performance Based incentives will not apply to fixed price units; offerors will propose a per-unit price that will include any fees.

1. To which CLINS does the G&A ceiling rate apply?

Answer: The G&A ceiling rate will apply to CLINs that are cost reimbursement. CLINS 0005, 0006, 0007, 0008, 1005, 1006, 1007, 2005, 2006, 2007, 3005, 3006, 3007, 4005, 4006, and 4007 will be cost reimbursement.

1. Will the new contractor be paid for units (students) already in the system upon assumption of contract responsibility? For example, will the new contractor receive 20% of their CLIN 0001 Per Unit Price for students who arrived on center before contract transition but reach their 90-Day stay mark under the new contractor’s tenure? Similarly, how will the contractor be compensated for graduates/former enrollees placed before the end of the contract and who reach their 6-month employment mark after the contract has ended?

Answer: No, the contractor will not be paid for students that are already in the system. The contractor will only be paid for those students that arrive on the contract post contract award and transition. The contractor will submit an interim final invoice for those CTS placements that have been verified to have reached the six month placement benchmark. The contractor can submit the interim final invoice even post contract expiration.

1. Does the government’s staffing model for this contract mandate the inclusion of all three positions listed as Key Personnel in the RFP: Project Director, O&A Manager, and CTS Manager? (See RFP p.34, p.72)

Answer: Yes, the contractor must at minimum have a Project Director, O&A Manager and CTS Manager.

1. What cost data does the government require in addition to the Pricing Schedule (Attachment J-1)? (See RFP p.37 – FAR 52.215-21 (b) )

Answer: Clause 52.215-21, Requirements for Cost or Pricing Data or Pricing Data or Information other Than Cost or Pricing Data – Modifications/Alternate IV (Oct-97) is deleted in its entirety.

1. To which contract positions does the Wage Determination schedule apply?

Answer: Any positions that match those listed in the WD referenced on page 46 of the RFP are covered by the Service Contract Act. Comment by Matz, Jillian - ETA: Let’s discuss.

1. Does the organization chart required by Staff Resources count against the 20-page limit for this section? The staffing chart is excluded from the 20-page limit, but the organization chart is not mentioned as included or excluded. (See RFP p.72)

Answer: Organization chart or staffing chart will be counted toward 20 page limit.

1. Will the government provide an updated staff compensation supplement workbook and geographic adjustment factors?

Answer: Not available at this time.

1. Please confirm the NAICS code and small business size standard for this solicitation.

Answer: The NAICS code for this procurement is 541611, with a size standard of $14 million. Comment by Matz, Jillian - ETA: Let’s discuss

1. Will the contractor receive the 20% of the total unit price of the placement based on the Survey Results or based on the contractor’s efforts/results of re-verification at 6 months? (See RFP p.12) Comment by Matz, Jillian - ETA: Let’s consult with Job corps

Answer: The contractor will receive the 20% based on survey results.

1. How would the government like bidders to propose transition costs? Should bidders provide a Not to Exceed Amount for CLIN 0006? If not, then in what manner shall transition costs be submitted? Comment by Matz, Jillian - ETA: Let’s have them propose transition costs in the same way they propose them for cost-reim. Type solicaitons.

Answer: There is no specified format. However, the plan should include costs associated with proposed staff, travel, material & supplies, ODC, etc.

1. Please provide the expected Government Cost Model for this Solicitation.

Answer: The government does not release its Independent Government Cost Estimate.

1. Who is the current provider of Outreach and Admissions and Career Transition Services in South Dakota? How long have they held the contract?

Answer: the incumbent contractor is AECOM and has operated this contract since November 1, 2007.

1. Are there any performance reports for last program year and the current program year?

Answer: Document J-7 on page 46 provides link for performance report cards.

1. What is their staffing level by job titles and salaries?

Answer: This information is proprietary and will not be released.

1. What is the current contract amount for Outreach and Admissions and Career Transition Services in South Dakota?

Answer: The current contract value is $3,547,012

1. Do we have to secure our own facilities or is there the possibility of shared space at the Job Corps Centers? What is the current structure of facilities for the current operator? Shared space or stand-alone facilities? If shared, what equipment and furniture is available, if any? What is the current lease costs for space? Where are the current Outreach and Admissions and Career Transition Services being housed?

Answer: The successful contractor must secure their own facilities. The successful contractor will be the primary provider for the Boxelder Job Corps Center in Nemo, SD with arrivals to Clearfield in UT and Kicking Horse in MT. The offeror may negotiate with the center operators for space at any of these centers. The government-owned equipment list will be provided with this amendment.

1. Who are the current operators of the South Dakota Job Corps Centers?

Answer: Boxelder Job Corps Center in South Dakota is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.

1. Travel and ODCs are not listed as line items to be priced. Are offerors to price these as needed or does the Government not expect to reimburse these costs under this contract?

Answer: Costs for travel and ODCs, with the exception of travel and ODCs associated with transition must be proposed as part of the contractor’s firm fixed unit pricing.

29a) If not, considering the geography of South Dakota and the very nature of OA and CTS work, is it the Governments position that the contractor bear the cost of the extensive local travel and supplies needed to perform the SOW?

Answer: Costs for travel and ODCs, with the exception of travel and ODCs associated with transition must be proposed as part of the contractor’s firm fixed unit pricing.

30) Provide an example of a Demonstration Project to include estimated resource requirements, etc. Comment by Matz, Jillian - ETA: Let’s discuss.

Answer: An example would be Centers for Excellence.

31) Are you asking that the contractor provide Firm Fixed Pricing for the OA and CTS support or are you requesting that pricing be done “per piece” and compensation will solely be per arrival (in the case of OA) and per placement (in the case of CTS)?

Answer: The government is asking for fixed unit pricing, which means that the contractor will propose and be compensated on a per arrival and per placement basis.

If requiring pricing to be done “per piece” a number of questions result:

31a) What is the arrivals’ requirement for OA? 425 is stated as “the minimum”. Are contractors expected to price out the minimum?

Answer: Contractors’ minimum requirement for OA arrivals is 425. Please see the newly revised Section B, Pricing Schedule. Contractors should price out the minimum and the maximum.

31b) Are you obligating contractors to provide over the minimum yet only willing to compensate for 425 per year? What is the maximum?

Answer: The contractor is required to provide the minimum number of arrivals and will be compensated for all arrivals, not just the minimum.

31c) What compensation will be provided to contractor in the event of a situation similar to June where all arrivals were frozen?

Paying per piece places all of the risk on the contractor yet DOL reserves the right to freeze arrivals which has a direct result on the contractor.

Answer: In the event that the government changes the statement of work, by decreasing the minimum number of arrivals, the government will allow for an equitable adjustment under the contract, i.e. a re-negotiation of the per unit price.

31d) Will contractors who price “per piece” still be pushed for “cost savings” as was the case this year? How can this be equated or expected based on this pricing structure?

Answer: Because this is a firm fixed price contract, the government does not anticipate requiring contractors to achieve cost savings. In addition, if the government modified the statement of work, then it would negotiate an equitable adjustment to the contract, which may either result in a decrease or increase to the contract’s unit pricing.

32) You are requiring the contractor to furnish a list of arrivals to include the students’ social security numbers. As this constitutes personally identifiable information (PII) and should be protected, is DOL absolving the contractor from potential breach litigation in the event this information is disseminated improperly? Is the SSN absolutely needed? Perhaps this requirement should be changed to be the last four of the SSN or some other non-personal identifier to ensure protection of the students’ PII.

Answer: Please see the revised section E.2, Inspection and Acceptance. Contractors are now required to provide the student’s identification number.

34) DOL is incorporating a STOP WORK clause. In the event of a STOP WORK order, will the contractor still receive compensation for those arrivals pending and those that reach 90 days during that time period?

Answer: Yes, compensation will be given for pending arrivals and those that reach 90 days.

36) Are the page limitations for each proposal section inclusive of cover pages, table of contents, etc.?

Answer: No; however, cover pages & TOC should be kept to a minimum.

37) DOL is asking the contractor to price “per placement” yet is requesting we outline our compensation plans for our staff to include incentives offered and timeline for payment? Why? Comment by Matz, Jillian - ETA: We can discuss

Answer: The quality of the staff compensation is a clear indicator of the contractor’s likelihood of performance success. It assures the offeror’s ability to attract and retain staff. Therefore, offerors are required to describe the type of incentives offered to staff and the timeline for payment.

38) There is a conflict in the direction or oral presentations and states notification will occur “three (2) weeks prior? Is it predicted that Orals will be required? If so, how much notice will the contractors receive?

Answer: As stated in Section L.7, Instructions to Offeror, after the establishment of the competitive range, the Contracting Officer, at his or her discretion may require the offerors to submit a written or oral management capability proposal. In the event that the Contracting Officer requires an oral management capability proposal, two week’s notice will be provided to offerors in the competitive range.