Questions_and_Answers_-_EVS_Solicitation_DOL-OPS-16-R-00044.pdf

Questions and Answers

Department of Labor (DOL)

Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP)

Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation (DEEOIC)

Employment Verification Services (EVS) Support and Maintenance

Solicitation Number DOL-OPS-16-R-00044

1. QUESTION:

Does DOL have performance thresholds / criteria for the required Quality Control Plan?

Reference: SOW Section 1.3 QUALITY CONTROL, Paragraph 1, Page 2

ANSWER:

It is incumbent upon the Vendor to develop and provide a Quality Control Plan that is suitable to ensuring that the requirements of the SOW are met.

2. QUESTION:

Section 5.4 of the solicitation states in part:

“The Contractor shall report to the COR (or other designated Government representative) on a monthly basis, the number of monthly attempted log-ins to the public site.”

The term “log-in” appears to refer to needing a user name to log onto a site. Does the

Government want the public database to require a user name to access the site?

Alternatively, would DOL prefer that sessions are tracked? Meaning that every time the main page is viewed it counts as one (1) session?

Reference: SOW Section 5.3.2 Operational, 5th Bullet, 2nd Sub-Bullet, Page 10; and

SOW Section 5.4 DELIVERABLES, Page 12.

The DOL does not want the public version of the database to require a user name to access the site. The monthly report to the DOL should not only contain the number of unique hits the public site receives each month, but the total number times the database is viewed during that month.

3. QUESTION:

Section 5.4 of the solicitation states in part that Offerors shall:

“Provide a monthly report to the DOL that includes a description of activities performed to achieve the performance objectives.”

AND

“Provide a monthly report all attempts made to demonstrate the activities performed to achieve the performance objectives.”

Can the Government provide clarification of required items / specific information to be included in the monthly report?

Reference: SOW Section 5.4 DELIVERABLES, Item Number 5, Page 11.

The monthly report should contain a listing of all new contractors/subcontractors added to the database during each month. The report should also contain a listing of research attempts and records reviewed to obtain evidence of contractual agreements. For example, researched health and pension funds, researched union records, etc. The DOL expects the report to be as specific as possible.

4. QUESTION:

Does the Government require that Offerors are based in the United States of America (U.S.) in order to respond to this solicitation?

Yes. The DOL requires that the Offerors are based in the U.S.

5. QUESTION:

Does the Government require that the verification be run from the U.S., or can it be done remotely—outside the U.S.?

Yes. The DOL requires that the verification be run from the U.S.

6. QUESTION:

Does the Government require that the “data” and “server” associated with this requirement be located / resident in the U.S.?

Yes. The DOL requires that the data and server associated with this requirement be located/reside in the U.S.

7. QUESTION:

Does the Government provide access to database information such as Trade Union records, Pension Funds, and health records of employees?

The DOL will provide a copy of the existing database but it is incumbent upon the Vendor to obtain and research records using the above resources and any additional resources as appropriate.

8. QUESTION:

Some Vendors have teams with people divided into the different functions and locations globally.

Does the Government require a U.S. based team dedicated to this requirement?

Yes. The DOL requires a U.S. based team dedicated to this requirement.

9. QUESTION:

Please provide more information on the solicitation “Quantity” requirement of 251 days.

Does the Government require that the database is operational for 251 days per year? If so, please indicate when the database is required to be operational.

Yes. The DOL requires that the database be operational for 251 days per year except on Federal

Holidays and weekends.

10. QUESTION:

What is the anticipated number of verifications per year?

The DOL anticipates 2000 - 4000 verifications per year.

11. QUESTION:

Can the Government provide clarification on the solicitation requirement to obtain evidence supporting Contractor / Subcontractor contractual relationship with the DOE?

Reference: SOW Section 5.0.1, Page 9.

No additional information can be provided. Offerors are instructed to carefully review the solicitation regarding the requirement to obtain evidence supporting Contractor / Subcontractor contractual relationship with the DOE.

12. QUESTION:

Which area of the Department of Labor (DOL) does this requirement support?

This requirement will provide service and support to the DOL Office of Workers’ Compensation

Programs (OWCP), Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation

(DEEOIC).

13. QUESTION:

Is this a new requirement? If not, would the Government consider providing the name of the incumbent Vendor and the current contract number?

The Employment Verification Services (EVS) Support and Maintenance is not a new requirement.

Information on the incumbent Vendor is as follows:

INCUMBENT NAME: The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR)

CURRENT CONTRACT NUMBER: DOLJ119E32607

14. QUESTION:

Would the Government consider providing the “not-to-exceed” budget for this requirement for the Base Year and each Option Year?

No. The Government will not provide the anticipated value for this procurement.

15. QUESTION:

What is the anticipated date of award?

The anticipated date of award shall be on or before September 29, 2016.

16. QUESTION:

Will the Government provide the successful Offeror with access to any DOE or related databases

/ records of any kind? If so, which databases / records?

The DOL will provide the successful Offeror with a copy of the database currently used that contains information on contractual relationships between various Contractors / Subcontractors and the Department of Energy (DOE). However, the incumbent is responsible for locating, researching, and obtaining records that support and verifies contractual agreements between the

DOE and contractors/subcontractors. These records are not provided.

17. QUESTION:

If the Offeror has less than three (3) Past Performance references to provide, or no Past

Performance information to submit at all, will the Offeror receive a “Neutral” rating on the proposal submitted?

Will the Offeror be considered “ineligible” for award?

The solicitation states in part that Offerors must provide a minimum of three (3) Past

Performance descriptions to include the following: name of reference; person’s title; agency;

telephone / cell phone number; e-mail address; contract / order number; contract type;

description of work performed; whether or not the contract was performed as a Prime or

Subcontractor; and total dollar value.

The Government will consider / review all Past Performance information submitted by Offerors.

However, in accordance with FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iv), Offerors without relevant Past

Performance experience, or for whom information on Past Performance is not available, shall not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on Past Performance. As a result, the

Offeror shall receive a “Neutral” Past Performance rating.

No Offeror will be considered “ineligible” for award based on Past Performance information submitted.

18. QUESTION:

If an Offeror is registered within the System for Award Management (SAM), is the Offeror still required to submit a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror

Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items?

Yes. All Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror

Representations and Certifications—Commercial Items, with its offer.

19. QUESTION:

Is this requirement a Total Small Business Set-Aside?

No. The requirement for Employment Verification Services (EVS) Support and Maintenance shall be competed utilizing “Full and Open Competition” with no Set-Asides.

Please note that the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code of 541612

(Human Resources Consulting Services) and the corresponding Small Business Size Standard of

$15 Million are provided for informational purposes as part of the combined synopsis/solicitation posting requirements.

20. QUESTION:

Please clarify what should not be included in the “Redacted” version of proposals.

Please note the following information related to the difference between an “Original” and a

“Redacted” proposal, and how the Offeror Code is used in the Redacted proposal.

An “Original” proposal contains information, logos, pictures, symbols, acronyms, contact information, CAGE Code, DUNS Number, etc. to identify the Offeror. The Original proposal can also list the “Offeror Code” (for example, on the first page) as additional identifying information. The Original proposal is used by the Government and becomes part of the contract file. The Original proposal is not used by Evaluators in the Best Value / award determination process.

However, a “Redacted” proposal does not contain any information that can be used to identify the Offeror. Identifying information includes not only the Offerors name, logo, and address, but also includes information such as phone numbers, e-mail addresses, North American Industry

Classification System (NAICS) Codes, etc.

Instead, the assigned Offeror Code is to be used throughout your proposal in lieu of your company’s name, logo, or other identifying information.

All identifying information is removed from the Redacted proposal because it is used by

Evaluators in the Best Value / award determination process.

One of the primary purposes for requiring Redacted proposals is to help eliminate bias in the evaluation process.

21. QUESTION:

Should the alphanumeric “Offeror Code” be used in both the Redacted and non-redacted

(Original) version of the proposal?

No. The alphanumeric Offeror Code is only required for the Redacted proposal.