Amendment 11 30 2011.docx

Solicitation DTRT57-11-R-20017 Amendment 0003 Fire Life Safety Engineering Services Support

This Amendment is issued to incorporate the following changes to Solicitation and also to respond to questions submitted.

1. Insert the Following into Section C, Statement of Work

C.5 LABOR CATEGORY DEFINITIONS AND PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS

The following labor categories, functions, and qualifications apply to the personnel performing under this contract.

Experience is considered qualifying when it is progressively responsible; is in areas directly related to the functions and level of the labor category; and clearly provides the candidate with the ability to perform successfully the duties of the position after a normal orientation period.

Education is considered qualifying when it is obtained from an institution appropriately accredited by an organization recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education.

PROGRAM MANAGER. The Program Manager shall be responsible for the overall management of the contract including cost, schedule and technical quality. The Program Manager shall be competent, experienced and knowledgeable in the field of fire protection engineering, including regulatory analysis, investigations, studies, designs, training and construction oversight support within the specific activities identified in this contract. The Contractor shall designate a Program Manager to act as a single point of contact for coordination of program issues with the Volpe Center. The Contractor shall hold periodic status meetings and manage the implementation of all Remediation Action Contract policy and procedures and take immediate corrective action when performance does not comply with the contract requirements. The Program Manager shall oversee the management and coordination between Contractor staff, subcontractors, and the Volpe Center; including bi-weekly snapshots, and monthly progress / detailed cost reporting, development and implementation of record keeping; administrative, Task Order cost proposals and quality control of project deliverables. The Program Manager requires, as a minimum, the following qualifications:

REQUIRED: B.S. degree from an accredited school in fire protection engineering, or a related field, and including; M.S. degree from an accredited school in fire protection engineering, or a related field, or M.B.A.

A minimum of eight (8) years Program Management experience, with a minimum of five (5) years experience on fire safety programs, including designs, and construction oversight;

Certification as a Registered Professional Engineer (PE - Fire Protection).

Cost and schedule control experience;

Working knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidance in fire safety.

SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEERS. For each fire safety task order issued to the Contractor, the Contractor shall designate a senior Project Engineer with valid Professional Engineers license in Fire Protection (PE). The PE, with the approval of the Volpe Center, may act at more than one site if the execution is sufficiently limited. The Contractor shall identify the PE before issuance of the task order and the PE qualifications, experience and performance history shall be in accordance with the requirements stated below. The PE shall be the single point of contact for the task order, and shall be responsible for the management and execution of the task order in accordance with the approved statement of work, approved work plans, and all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. For field work the PE shall ensure coordination between the Resident Engineers, Project Managers, and Health and Safety personnel to ensure that all site activities are performed in a safe manner. The PE shall also be responsible for implementing the Contractor Quality Control (CQC) system and shall ensure that all work is performed in accordance with the quality specified in the task order, Work Plan, and CQC Plans. The Contractor shall also maintain close technical communication and coordination with the Volpe Center for the duration of the project. The Senior PE category requires, as a minimum, the following qualifications:

B.S. (M.S. preferred) degree from an accredited school in fire protection engineering.

Certification as a Registered Professional Engineer (PE - Fire Protection).

A minimum of eight (8) years Project Engineering experience, with a minimum of five (5) years experience on fire safety designs, and field work;

Cost estimating experience;

Working knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidance related to fire safety.

STAFF ENGINEERS (FIRE PROTECTION). The Contractor shall utilize the services of engineers with knowledge and experience in the fire protection engineering disciplines including regulatory and code standards, design engineering, and construction experience. A Staff Engineer must have, as a minimum, the following qualifications:

An engineering degree (BS or higher) from an accredited school in Fire Protection Engineering.

Demonstrated education and experience in application of fire science principles, engineering design, and field support work.

Five (5) years total fire protection engineering experience, of which at least three (3) years is related to field investigations, designs, and construction activities.

Certification as a Registered Professional Engineer (PE - Fire Protection).

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS (SME’s). The Contractor shall utilize the services of fire protection subject matter experts utilizing engineers who have clearly demonstrated through education, skills and knowledge to master a specific subject. SME’s for this program are referred to beyond general Fire Protection Engineer practices to the mastery of subject expert levels for subjects such as smoke pressurization system design expert, seismic bracing expert, sprinkler/ pipe corrosion expert, fire pumps and standpipes expert, class A fire alarm expert, etc. Some quantifiable characteristics are a Senior engineering level, having numerous years working on a specific subject matter; or performing as an instructor on the specific subject matter, such as NFPA seminar instructor; or having authored numerous papers published in trade magazines or peer reviewed journals on a specific subject; or is widely recognized and highly regarded by their industry peers as expert level on a specific subject matter; has developed a widely adopted performance based design methodology; or when an internet search of the subject matter expert is conducted, there are numerous results returned on their published work.

The SME should have, as a minimum, the following qualifications:

M.S. degree from an accredited school in Fire Protection Engineering.

Certification as a Registered Professional Engineer (PE - Fire Protection).

A minimum of ten (10) years Project Engineering experience in a specific subject matter, including design and field experience.

COMPUTER AIDED DRAFTER: The Contractor shall utilize the services of CAD drafters with knowledge and experience in mechanical, electrical, fire alarm, facilities fire protection discipline in order to successfully detail engineering designs. Drafter should have training and/or experience in both Auto-Cad and Micro-Station (FAA) software. A CAD drafter must have, as a minimum, the following qualifications:

At least 3 years experience in use of a standard industry CAD software.

Willingness to become proficient in the use of Micro-Station within 3 months of contract award.

C.6 TRANSITION PLAN

The contractor may be required to develop and implement a Transition Plan as an initial Task Order and shall address at a minimum; confirm identifying the Program Manager, all assigned Key Personnel; a project plan to further develop key personnel staff understanding of OSHA 1960.20 intent, FAA standard specifications, participate in eLMS web based training on FAA FLS program elements, review of the Technical Implementation Guide, and review of design packages and survey report content. The plan shall also address approaches for minimizing disruption to ongoing projects and mitigating any potential disruptions, including a communication strategy with key stakeholders (e.g., headquarters and Service Area representatives, key Program Managers, the Volpe Center CO, COTR’s and TOCOTR’s.)

2.Insert the following clause into the solicitation in Section H, Special Contract Requirements:

Clause H. 11 Maximum Fee and Profit:

Contractors shall propose an appropriate rate of fixed fee depending on the risk associated with a cost-plus-fixed-fee contractual arrangement and the nature of the work in the task order. However, the proposed task order fixed fee cannot exceed an amount that is the sum of (1) __TBD__* percent of the subcontract, equipment, and travel costs, and (2) ___TBD___* percent of all other costs. In accordance with Paragraph G.10, Payment of Fee – Cost-Plus Fixed Fee, fee will be determined as a percentage of costs expended.

For task orders issued on firm-fixed-price basis, contractors shall propose an appropriate profit based on the risk associated with that contract type and the nature of the work in the task order. The proposed profit included in the firm-fixed-price cannot exceed an amount that is the sum of (1) _TBD___* percent of the subcontract, equipment, and travel costs, and (2) __TBD_* percent of all other costs.

* to be filled in at the time of award of the contract, based on contractor’s proposal Schedule 4.

3. Delete I. 5 in its entirety and Substitute the following:

I.5 TAR 1252.215-70 KEY PERSONNEL (APR 2005)

Fill ins as follows:

Organizational Position Labor Category Key Personnel Program Manager TBD Senior Project Engineer TBD Staff Engineer TBD

4. Revise the following in Section L of this Request for Proposal (RFP).

L.3 FAR 52.233-2 Service of Protest (SEP 2006 Delete: Address Substitute the Following:

DOT/RITA/Volpe National Transportation Systems Center Attn: Linda Byrne, CO, RVP-32 55 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142-1093

5.Insert the following Paragraph provisions to Section L Add to L.4.F SOLICITATION MAILING INSTRUCTIONS Number of copies: one (1) original and four (4) copies Proposals shall be addressed to:

Donald MacGee/Linda Byrne, RVP-32 U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovation Technology Administration Volpe National Transportation Systems Center 55 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142-1001 Solicitation Number DTRT57-11-R-20017

6.Delete L.6 in its entirety and Substitute the Following:

L.6 COST/BUSINESS PROPOSAL – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

L.6.A. INTRODUCTION

Proposals must be structured in accordance with the instructions contained herein. The Cost/Business Proposal shall be submitted in three parts:

Part I - Solicitation Documents;

Part II - Information Other Than Cost and Pricing Data; and Part III - Subcontracting Plan and References.

The cost proposal will permit the Government to determine whether the proposed costs demonstrate cost realism. "Cost realism" means the costs in an Offeror's proposal are:

(1) Realistic for the work to be performed;

(2) Reflect a clear understanding of the requirements; and

(3) Consistent with the various elements of the Offeror's technical proposal.

All information relating to cost or pricing must be included in this volume of the proposal; under no circumstances shall cost or pricing data be included elsewhere.

The cost proposal should be prepared in sufficient detail to permit thorough and complete evaluation by the Government without additional correspondence or communication. During its evaluation, the Government may request clarifications, answers to questions that assist in the Government's understanding of information contained in the cost proposal, or the correction of minor omissions or errors that do not alter the offer. However, the Government anticipates making award on initial offers and does not expect to hold discussions. Consequently, Offerors are advised that failure to provide the required schedules and supporting calculations, narrative explanation, and documentation may result in the rejection of its offer if in the Government's best interest, rather than opening of discussions.

If the Contracting Officer determines that an Offeror's initially proposed costs do not reflect what it would reasonably cost that Offeror to perform the requirements, then the Contracting Officer may make adjustments to the proposed costs to determine probable cost.

For evaluation purposes, Offerors are required to propose estimated costs using the labor hours provided in B.2 Level of Effort - IDIQ, and reiterated below. Offerors shall assume the level of effort will occur evenly over the contract term. Hours should be apportioned between the prime and its subcontractors in a manner consistent with the Offeror's technical proposal.

For planning and proposal purposes, Offerors should assume a contract start date of January 1, 2012.

If any of the cost proposal instructions appears incompatible with established/ approved accounting practices, Offerors shall notify the Contracting Officer within 14 calendar days of the issuance date of the RFP in accordance with paragraph L.6.D.

L.6.B SECTION I - SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS

In this section, Offerors shall submit a completed and signed SF 33 (page 1 of the solicitation) including acknowledgment of any amendments; and Representation, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors (Section K of the solicitation).

L.6.C SECTION II - INFORMATION OTHER THAN COST AND PRICING DATA

L.6.C.1 PART I-DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS

The Offeror shall submit a signed Proposal Cover Sheet (Schedule 1) and information other than cost and pricing data as set forth below. Summary data shall be placed on the Proposal Cover Sheet and Schedules P-2 through P-7 (S-2 through S-4 for subcontractors) should support it.

Accounting System As the preponderance of task orders are anticipated to be cost plus fixed fee, an Offeror must have an accounting system approved for cost type Government contracts by a Federal agency (usually DCAA) to be eligible for contract award. Evidence of approval should be included in the proposal. A company without an approved accounting system may participate as a labor hour or time and materials subcontractor.

Labor For proposal evaluation purposes, Offerors should price out the following level of effort:

Level of Effort

Provide the proposed unloaded hourly labor rates for the labor categories (identified in B.2 Level of Effort - -IDIQ) on Schedule P-4 (S-3 for subcontractors). Show all calculations used to compute the proposed direct labor rates, and provide the basis and rationale for the labor rates; for example, company-wide bidding rates, current salary data for named individuals, survey data, or anticipated new-hires, etc. Show how company categories are mapped to the REP categories.

For individuals whose resumes are provided in the technical proposal, provide the current labor rates from payroll records and also, those labor rates escalated to each contract year. For contingent hires, the Offeror shall provide a separate offering letter showing the offered and agreed upon salary, signed by the contingent hire.

Offerors (not subcontractors) apportion labor cost calculated on Schedule P-4 80% to Schedule 2 and 20% to Schedule 3.

Identify administrative labor categories that may be billable as direct labor during performance consistent with established accounting practice. Only those categories are billable without Contracting Officer approval.

Uncompensated Overtime All offerors should state clearly whether or not uncompensated overtime is included in the proposal. Uncompensated overtime is defined in FAR 52.237-10 as “the hours worked without additional compensation in excess of an average of 40 hours per week by direct charge employees who are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act. Compensated personal absences such as holidays, vacations, and sick leave shall be included in the normal work week for purposes of computing uncompensated overtime hours.”

If uncompensated overtime is used in this proposal, the Offeror must have an accounting system to record all hours worked. Show how it is incorporated into the proposal and its cost impact. Provide an explanation of your cost accounting treatment of uncompensated overtime and a copy of your policy.

If uncompensated overtime is included in the proposal for basic contract award, it will be expected at the task order level as well. See G.10.

Indirect Rates Offerors are required to provide a schedule of their indirect rates (Schedule P-7 for primes and S-4 for subcontractors) and explain the allocation bases. Include all rates that the Offeror maintains in its accounting records which may be used during performance of this contract. Identify indirect rates that a Government audit agency has approved for forward pricing. Show the rates, allocation bases, and evidence of Government review and approval.

If not approved, state the basis of the proposed rate (e.g., previous year's actuals, current fiscal year-to-date, business plan, etc.). Provide historical rate information, rationale, and other factors used to develop and support the proposed indirect rates used to cost the proposal. Also, provide actual expense pool amounts, allocation bases, and rates which have been submitted to the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) (or other cognizant Government audit agency) in your overhead rate proposal for establishing final indirect rates.

If an Offeror has not previously maintained a field overhead rate but proposes one for this effort, it should ensure that sufficient information is provided so that the rate may be evaluated without discussion.

Other Direct Costs (ODC) RFP Stipulated: $40,000 per year of contract performance, without escalation. This ODC estimate is a Government provided estimate for anticipated travel costs, and other minor materials such as digital cameras and minor test equipment (e.g. - hand held digital manometer) that may be required in order to evaluate the performance of an installed fire protection system.

Offeror Estimated ODC: The Offeror should identify by nomenclature and estimate amounts for any additional ODCs which are anticipated to support the proposed effort. ODCs not identified and priced in your proposal will not be billable during performance without prior Contracting Officer approval.

Subcontracts Offerors should apportion subcontractor costs 80% to Schedule 2 and 20% to Schedule 3. Subcontractors must submit a cost proposal in accordance with the cost proposal instructions in this section. Subcontracts estimated to exceed $500,000 should be supported by a Proposal Cover Sheet. All subcontractors must follow the same cost proposal instructions as the prime, except where noted. Regardless of dollar value, subcontract proposals must be adequately documented to facilitate an evaluation of proposed costs.

Offerors that enter into subcontracts other than on a cost-reimbursement type basis may make appropriate adjustments to the instructions and schedules. Information as to the type of subcontract contemplated and documentation to show why the contract type is anticipated must be included. The guidance in FAR Part 16 should be followed. For example, those Offerors contemplating time-and-material or labor-hour subcontracts shall follow the procedures specified in FAR Subpart 16.6. The following information should also be provided for time-and-material or labor-hour agreements (such as those with consultants): (1) Details of what cost elements are included in the rate and what costs, if any, will be charged in addition to the rate; (2) The result of the Offeror's analysis of invoices submitted to other clients by the subcontractor or consultant which support the proposed rate or rates; (3) A signed statement from the consultant or the subcontractor that the proposed rate is a "Most Favored Customer Rate," or the reason it was not offered; and (4) A rate comparison from the Offeror which indicates that the rate proposed is comparable to the rates other consultants or subcontractors receive for performing similar types of work.

The Offeror shall provide the names of the other consultants or subcontractors used in the comparison.

It is the responsibility of the prime Offeror to review and evaluate the subcontract proposal and accompanying cost or pricing data and furnish the results of such review to the Government as part of their cost submission, regardless of whether the details are provided to the prime Offeror or separately to the Government. The prime's review should be as detailed as the information provided by the subcontractor directly to the prime permits. A subcontractor whose evaluation is considered insufficient by the Government, either because the data submitted to the Government is incomplete or because the prime fails to conduct and document a comprehensive evaluation, will be deleted from technical consideration and the prime's technical proposal will be evaluated without it.

Escalation State clearly the escalation rate used and provide rationale. Include actual, historical escalation for the past three (3) years and explain clearly your method of calculating it.

Cost of Money Attach supporting calculations.

Fee Objective The Government considers fee and profit a function of competition, but may utilize the weighted guidelines method in Transportation Acquisition Manual (TAM) Chapter 1215, Contracting by Negotiation and Appendix A for analysis. The Offeror's cost proposal should contain adequate data and rationale for any consideration it wants included for Contract Risk and Special Factors.

Professional Employee Compensation The Offeror must provide the information required by provision 52.222-46, Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees.

L.6.D COST/BUSINESS PROPOSAL SCHEDULES

“Proposal Cover Sheet” Schedule 1: Primes and subcontractors should complete.

"Summary of Proposed Costs and Fixed Fee". Primes complete Schedule P-2 and subcontractors complete Schedule S-2.The schedule should be completed consistent with the Offeror's accounting practices and may be revised accordingly.

“P-3 - Summary of Proposed Costs and Profit”. Primes only.

“Calculation of Labor Cost”. Primes complete Schedule P-4 and subcontractors complete S-3.

“Schedule P-5 – Establishment of Maximum Factors and Calculation of Proposed Amounts for Fixed Fee and Profit” Primes only. These factors will be incorporated into the contract.

“Schedule P-6 - Allocation of Labor Hours Between Offeror and Subcontractors”. Primes only.

“Schedule of Indirect Rates”. Primes complete P-7 and subcontractors complete S-4.

Schedule 1 – Proposal Cover Sheet

2c. STREET ADDRESS

|_| FFP

|_| FPI

|_| CPFF |_| CPIF |_| OTHER

|_| OTHER (Specify)

PRIME OFFEROR’S NAME

6. ESTIMATED COST, FEE AND PROFIT INFORMATION

A. ESTIMATED COST

B. FIXED FEE

C. AWARD FEE

D. PROFIT

E. TOTAL PRICE

7. PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING

CODE

CONTACT AND EMAIL

CONTACT AND EMAIL

agency and determined acceptable |_| Reviewed by cognizant contract administrative agency and determined not acceptable |_| Never reviewed

APPROX DATE OF LAST AUDIT

|_| Reviewed by cognizant contract; administrative agency and determined not acceptable;

|_| Never reviewed

|_| Audited and determined not acceptable;

|_| Never audited

OFFEROR’S FISCAL YEAR

8b. TITLE OF OFFEROR (Typed)

Schedule P-2 - Estimated Costs and Fixed Fee

Prime Name:

Schedule P-3 - Estimated Costs and Profit

Prime Name:

Schedule P-4 - Calculation of Labor Cost

Prime Name:

Labor Hours

Prog Mgr

Sr. Proj Eng/Reg Prof Eng

Subj Mtr Exp

Staff Engineer

CAD

Admin

Total

Labor Rates

Extended Labor Cost

Schedule P-5 - Establishment of Maximum Factors and Calculation of Proposed Amounts for Fixed Fee and Profit

Offeror Name:

Fixed Fee

Total Fixed Fee Dollars (4)

Profit

Total Profit Dollars (6)

(1) The percentage is the fee or profit percentage the Offeror uses to develop fixed fee and profit. The percentages will be incorporated into the contract and will be used to calculate maximum fixed fee or profit at the task order level.

(2) Except Cost of Money

(3) The total costs should equal the total from Schedule P-2 except Cost of Money

(4) The total fixed fee dollars should be inserted on Schedule 2.

(5) The total costs should equal the total from Schedule P-3 except Cost of Money.

(6) The total profit dollars should be inserted on Schedule P-3.

Schedule P-6 - Allocation of Labor Hours Between Offeror and Subcontractors

Prime Name:

Prog Mgr

5,000

Sr. Proj Eng/Reg Prof Eng

30,000

Subj Mtr Exp

3,750

Staff Engineer

18,000

CAD

2,900

Admin

2,500

Total

62,150

Type of Subcontract

Schedule P-7 - Schedule of Indirect Rates

Prime Name:

Proposed Indirect Rates

CFY__

CFY__

CFY__

CFY__

CFY__

Fringe Benefits

Gov-t site Overhead

Home Office Overhead

Mat'l Handling

G&A

Other

(1) Offeror will combine two fiscal years for the Periods unless its fiscal year is January 1 to December 31.

(2) If separate from overhead.

(3) If different from G&A.

(4) Specify.

Schedule S-2 - Estimated Costs and Fixed Fee

Subcontractor Name:

Schedule S-3 - Calculation of Labor Cost

Subcontractor Name:

Labor Hours

Prog Mgr

Sr. Proj Eng/Reg Prof Eng

Subj Mtr Exp

Staff Engineer

CAD

Admin

Total

Labor Rates

Extended Labor Cost

Schedule S-4 - Schedule of Indirect Rates

Subcontractor Name:

Proposed Indirect Rates

CFY__

CFY__

CFY__

CFY__

CFY__

Fringe Benefits

Gov-t site Overhead

Home Office Overhead

Mat'l Handling

G&A

Other

(1) Offeror will combine two fiscal years for the Periods unless its fiscal year is January 1 to December 31.

(2) If separate from overhead.

(3) If different from G&A.

(4) Specify.

L.6.D. PART III - SUBCONTRACTING PLAN

In accordance with FAR 52.219-9, Offerors who are not small business concerns shall submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan. The plan must be submitted in accordance with FAR Part 19 and must comply with FAR 19.704. The Offeror shall show the subcontractor's business size, and the percentage and type of workload estimated to be subcontracted out. All cost and technical information must be included in the appropriate sections of the Offeror's proposal in addition to the submission of the subcontracting plan. The socio-economic Volpe Center goals with the Small Business Administration are currently as follows:

Percent of

These goals are not intended to be mandatory but the Offeror is to keep these goals in mind when developing its subcontracting plan. Please note that these goals must be proposed as a percentage of total dollars being subcontracted. A business may count toward more than one of the goals shown above. For example, a small disadvantaged business owned by a women would count toward three of the four goals.

Offerors are advised that subcontracting plans will be posted on the OSDBU website and that performance will be evaluated under the new DOT partnership with SBA on subcontracting program reviews. Small business offerors are exempt from the subcontracting plan submission and will automatically receive a successful evaluation credit towards subcontracting goals.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. Currently six (6) separate labor categories are listed in the table contained within section B.3. Of these, three (3) are identified as being “key.” Does the Government have any specific minimum qualification requirements for any of these categories; especially those considered to be “key”? Otherwise, is it the Government’s intent that contractors shall utilize their own internal definitions/qualification requirements for each? Is it allowed that contractors also propose (bid) other labor categories that they believe may be beneficial in supporting the work requirements outlined in the statement of work?

A. See Amendment 0003 for the minimum qualifications for Key Personnel and other personnel.

The contractors shall use the labor categories defined.

2. Under section B.3; Level of Effort – IDIQ, there appears to be no subsection (c). Is this simply a typing/formatting error and, in fact, there is no other specific information is missing from the solicitation?

A Yes, the item referenced is a formatting error.

3. As outlined in a previous question, the table in Section B.3 indicates that the Program Manager, Senior Project Engineer, and Staff Engineer categories are “key” positions. However, under item 1.5-TAR1252.215-70 Key Personnel; of the Contract Clauses (Pg 42 of solicitation), only the Program Manager and Senior Project Engineer categories as listed as being “key” positions. Which list of key personnel should be used in responding to this solicitation?

A. See Amendment 0003 for amended language in I. 5 TAR 1252.215-70, Key Personnel (APR 2005), adding Staff Engineer to the list of Key Personnel.

4.Can a copy of 29CFR1960.20 be provided?

A. See copy provided in Amendment 0003.

5.What badging, security and access requirements should be anticipated in the course of performing this work?

A. At a minimum you are required to provide a valid picture identification to access any government building, and a valid drivers license if driving a car on the facility. We will issue DOT badges for the key personnel, which includes a background check. This badge allows you unescorted access to Volpe Center and FAA Hqs. only. Typically, all contractors will be required to be escorted at a facility such as an FAA airport traffic control tower or similar FAA facility.

6.Training. Are there site specific training requirements that need to be considered in the performance of this work?

A. No specific site training. Offerors are expected to provide fully capable personnel as the Government is paying for their expertise. Also, the solicitation requires engineers hold their PE license in Fire Protection discipline. However, it should be noted that the statement of work may require a transition plan with the intent of the familiarizing staff with OSHA 1960.20 inspection criteria, Technical Implementation Guide, survey report, performance based design guide for Hunt Avco type ATCTs, FAA specifications, etc.

4. The RFP contains a category for administrative support. What administrative tasks are envisioned to be billable?

A. The offeror shall provide administrative categories and hours to accomplish the work set forth in the statement of work, consistent with the offerors accounting system.

8 The RFP refers to small scale fire testing. Please elaborate on the types of tests requested and what role is expected of the contractor in performing these tests. For example, is the contractor expected to develop testing plans and provide oversight and supervision of tests performed by a testing laboratory? Will any required fire testing be performed under this contract meaning that the successful bidder will be expected to perform all aspects of the testing or will the successful bidder on this contract provide input to the Department of Transportation?

A. Typically yes to developing test plans and oversight. Types of tests are most likely marine related to International Maritime Organization testing for flame spread, toxicity or heat transfer, smoke movement, new technology testing. See also Section C- Statement of Work.

5. The RFP discusses a requirement to provide fire life safety expertise for various areas related to Transportation Systems, Vehicles, and Facilities. Please provide additional detail about the services required for transportation systems and vehicles.

A. Examples are - develop MARAD state academy training ships fire safety response plans, marine fire alarm design reviews; U.S. Coast Guard / U.S. Army FM-200 flow calculation reports, Nuclear Regulatory Commission fire risks to nuclear flask transportation on rail cars, Federal Motor Carrier use of portable extinguishers in trucking and bussing industry, Federal Rail Administration. Again, majority of work has been FAA, but above are examples of transportation vehicle related tasks and use of Subject Matter experts.

6. Will an addendum be released with the webinar presentation(s) since we were not able to view it online?

A. Yes, the presentation is posted in Amendment 0002 on FBO, with the solicitation.

10. Reference Solicitation SOW Section C.1: Is the Contractor required to have in-house facilities to complete small scale fire testing or can these services (if required) be provided by a sub-consultant on an as-needed basis? If a sub-consultant can be utilized, do they need to be identified (qualifications and rates) with the initial proposal or can this be negotiated after award?

A. Offerors may subcontract any work that they obtain in that manner. The offeror needs to ensure that all response times can be met, prime or subcontractor and also to submit their technical proposal in accordance with the proposal instructions and Section M of the solicitation

12. Reference Solicitation SOW Section C.2.2, page 8: Does a contractor meet this qualification if they only have the capability to provide design drawings in Auto-Cad only?

A. No, micro Station is the standard used. Contractors must be able to convert AutoCad into fully functional / usable micro station files.

13. On page 56, Section L.6.A, its mentioned that we should assume the contract starts on November 2010. If this is a typo, when would the contract begin?

A. The planned start date of the contract is January 2012.

14. Would a DCAA audit completed in 2008 be recent enough in meeting the solicitation qualifications?

A. Yes, if DCAA approved the firm’s accounting system in 2008, it would be acceptable verification of the system to account accurately for costs under this contract; as long as no changes to the system have been made since that time.

15. Are security clearances required? If not required, would it be a benefit to our firm if we already had security clearances?

A. There is no security clearance requirements (i.e. secret) , however, contractors will be expected to pass a background check to get DOT badged. Also, please see enclosed DOT Policy Contractors Security and Agency Access.

16. Do you require all personnel to be U. S. Citizens?

A. Yes, as long as DOT/FAA security policy is followed..

17. Is the current contract holder allowed to pursue this solicitation?

A. Yes, the solicitation is being competed on a full and open competition basis.

18. Is “relevant past performance” as used in Section L.5 (a) of the solicitation limited to work on the FAA Air Traffic Control Towers (ATCTS)?

A. Relevant past performance is as described in Section L.

19. In evaluating an offeror’s “relevant past performance”, how heavily weighted is specific prior experience with ATCTs?

A. Relevant past performance will be evaluated as stated in the solicitation.

20. Is fire protection engineering work for the US Federal Government, on other airport facilities (not ATCT), or another transportation facilities considered “relevant past performance”?

A. As stated in the previous answer above, relevant past performance is as described in Section L of the solicitation.

21. If “relevant past performance” is limited to prior fire protection engineering work experience on FAA ATCT, would a sources sought solicitation be considered to verify that an acceptable number of potential offerors are available?

A. Relevant past performance will be evaluated as stated in the solicitation.

22. For the purposes of responding to Section L.5(b) how are Senior Fire Protection Engineers and Staff Engineer (Fire Protection) defined in terms of, for example, education, licensure, and experience?

A. See key personnel qualifications added per Amendment 0003.

23. Pgs 54 and 55- Relevant work samples—Please clarify the page limitation for this section. It is our understanding that the discussion portion of each work sample is limited to 5 pages and there is no page limitation to the actual work samples.

A. No page limit on the actual work samples.

24. Are hard copies required? If so, how many copies? Q Where is the proposal to be shipped/mailed?

A. Please see Amendment 0003, Section L for Amended paragraphs to include number of copies and the submittal address. Yes, one page of each sample is adequate.

25. Under the “Accounting System” paragraph in Section L.6.C.1 of the solicitation appears to include a requirement that any contractors interested in pursuing this contract as a prime must have an “approved” accounting system; ostensibly having received an audit by the DCAA. Is it the intent of the DoT to specifically prohibit new or small businesses that have yet to receive a contract award from a Federal agency from pursuing this contract as a prime? Although we are supporting (and have supported) numerous Government contracts, these have mostly been as a subcontractor due to the fact that they were multi-disciplinary contracts and our focus is strictly Fire Protection Engineering & Research. Since we follow all Government (FAR) guidelines that dictate what is, or is not, allowable; in terms of overhead costs, we have never been audited by the Government for our accounting system. Although I understand the need to “pass” such an audit as being predicated on receipt of an award, I do not understand how such a requirement can be mandated to even pursue a contract such as this. If this is, in fact, the DoT’s position, it seems to be a bit of a “catch 22” … you can’t attempt to receive a contract if you haven’t already been awarded one in the past, which basically means you never will. Can you please clarify and/or explain this requirement, including why new/small businesses may only be allowed to support the DoT as a “subcontractor”?

A.

26. The Solicitation discusses that prospective bidders must submit evidence that their accounting system has been approved by the DCAA or similar. We are a small company that possesses the expertise that is requested in the Solicitation but we do not currently have any clients that require this type of accounting system. Our investigations into this requirement have revealed that only a Contracting Officer can request a DCAA audit or even a pre-award audit. So this requirement seems to exclude all bidders who do not currently have a DCAA approved accounting system. Is this the intent?

For our situation, we can self certify that our accounting system meets the requirements of the DCAA pre-award Survey as listed on Form SF-1208, and we can contract with an accounting system vendor with a proven track record of providing accounting system templates acceptable to the DCAA, but we cannot provide evidence of approval by the DCAA. Will this eliminate our proposal from consideration? If so, this seem contrary to established precedence that allows for providing an award and allowing only Firm Fixed Price type contracts until acceptability of the accounting system can be established.

A. FAR 16.301-3(a)(3) requires that a “contractor’s accounting system is adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract”. The CO uses the services of the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) to establish the adequacy of the accounting system for Government cost type contracts. The Contracting Officer (CO) may fund an accounting system review when he/she determines it is in the interest of the Government. The subject requirement has been identified as primarily cost type. As the CO cannot make award without an approved system, businesses without an approved system may not participate as a prime Offeror, but could participate as a subcontractor.

If your accounting system has not been reviewed and approved, your proposal as a prime will be eliminated from consideration. The idea of making award but have the contract holder ineligible until the accounting system has been audited and approved does not work in a single award environment. The Volpe Center is not unsympathetic to your situation, but believes this issue could best be addressed through the Small Business Administration.

27. Section C.2.10, Subject Matter Experts, indicates the contractor is to “utilize Nationally recognized” SME’s. What constitutes “nationally recognized”? Many of the areas listed are tasks that FPE’s perform on a daily basis. Our Sr. Engineers have passed the “national” professional licensing (PE) exam, many have Master’s of Science degrees in fire protection engineering, and have been working in this field for decades. Certainly one may not be an SME in all these areas, but many are easily qualified … based on education and past experience … in many. This appears to be an evaluation factor that has no quantifiable metric(s) associated with determining who meets this qualification. Many highly qualified fire protection engineers throughout this country can easily be considered “subject matter experts” in many of these areas, but what is the benefit of “national recognition” and how is this achieved for/by most engineers. Can you please provide the qualification requirements necessary to meet your definition of a subject matter expert?

A. The Volpe Center is identifying and requesting “Nationally recognized” experts due to the fact that our primary customer, the FAA, has Nationally reaching Fire Life Safety Program challenges to address. A good example is assigning a Nationally recognized Fire Protection Engineer, licensed PE, residing in California and expert versed in seismic subjects to evaluate and apply appropriate seismic criteria to a new tower under construction in Chicago. This Nationally recognized expert was also be called upon to provide a 1 hour presentation on seismic engineering principles and practices to a National audience, including fielding various questions during the annual held FLS program National Fire Protection Conference.

“Subject Matter Expert or SME” is a common term used in the engineering industry to identify an engineer who has clearly demonstrated education, skill and knowledge to master a specific subject. In our program we are referring to beyond general Fire Protection Engineer practices to the mastery of subject levels such as smoke pressurization system design expert, seismic bracing expert, pipe corrosion expert, fire pumps and standpipes, sprinkler expert, class A fire alarm, etc. Some quantifiable characteristics could be:

· Senior engineering level, numerous years working on a specific subject matter

· Performing as an instructor on the specific subject matter, such as NFPA seminar instructor

· Has authored numerous papers published in trade magazines on a specific subject

· Is widely recognized and highly regarded by their industry peers as expert level on a specific subject matter.

· Has developed a widely adopted performance based design methodology

· When an internet search of the subject matter expert is conducted, there are numerous results on their published work

The solicitation identifies the requirement for licensed FPEs (also as key personnel) in the senior and staff engineers levels to indeed conduct all the traditional fire protection engineering demands. Volpe Center also asks for the Offerors to demonstrate the experience and breadth of subject matter expertise available to call upon for various anticipated program needs, as were exampled above.