DTRT57-13-R-20007_A0003.pdf

(x)

DTRT57-13-R-20007

x x 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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT

THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY 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.

x

RVP-32

Cambridge MA 02142-1001 55 Broadway RVP-32 USDOT/ RITA /Volpe Center

RVP-32

Cambridge MA 02142-1001 55 Broadway RVP-32 Contracts & Tech Support Services USDOT/RITA/Volpe Center

06/13/2013A0003

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

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: (a) By completing

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

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

05/16/2013

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

Recovery:: NON-RECOVERY

(Continued on page 2)

Continued ...

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

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

Alison R. Fecht

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

Previous edition unusable

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.

DTRT57-13-R-20007

Amendment A0003

SF 30, Block 14 - Description of Amendment/Modification (continued)

1. The purpose of this amendment is to provide responses to questions submitted concerning the subject solicitation, extend the deadline for submitting questions regarding the solicitation, and to make the following changes to the solicitation:

2. The following changes are made to provide clarification regarding the structure of the solicitation and the master contract and CORA Task Order 1 award documents:

a) Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J, insert the following three sentences at the end of the “Note” at the top of each section:

“The master contract award document will consist of a Standard Form (SF) 26 and the Part I requirements of Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J. CORA Task Order 1 will consist of an Optional Form (OF) 347 and the Part II requirements of Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J. This note will not be included in the contract and task order award documents.”

b) Section L, insert the following paragraph L.2.J:

L.2.J MASTER CONTRACT AND CORA TASK ORDER 1 FORMAT

Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, and I of this solicitation contain two parts. Section J contains three parts. Part I applies to the master contracts. Part II applies to CORA Task Order 1. Part III applies only to the solicitation. The numbering sequences in Parts I and II are the same in order to facilitate the concurrent issuance of the master contracts and CORA Task Order 1. The master contract award document will consist of a Standard Form (SF) 26 and the Part I requirements of Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J. CORA Task Order 1 will consist of an Optional Form (OF) 347 and the Part II requirements of Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J. The note at the top of Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J describing the multiple parts will not be included in the award documents.

3. Section B, Part I, paragraph B.1, CONTRACT TYPE, the reference to “paragraph B.4” in the first sentence of the third paragraph is deleted and replaced with “paragraph B.3”.

4. Section B, Part I, paragraph B.3, CONTRACT LINE ITEMS, add the following CLIN above CLIN

0001AA:

CONTRACT LINE ITEM NO. (CLIN) SERVICES

0001 CORA SERVICES – NOT SEPARATELY

PRICED

5. Section B, Part I, paragraph B.4, LEVEL OF EFFORT – IDIQ, add the word “Hours” after the word

“Total” in the column header of the table.

6. The contract type for CORA Task Order 1, CLINS 0002 and 0003 is hereby changed from CPFF-completion type to CPFF-term type. As a result, the following changes are made to the solicitation:

a) Section B, Part II, paragraph B.1, TASK ORDER TYPE/PRICING METHOD, the paragraph above the table is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“CLIN 0001 of the task order will be issued on a FFP basis in accordance with CLIN 0001AA of the master contract. CLINs 0002 and 0003 of the task order will be issued as CPFF-term type line items in accordance with CLIN 0001AC of the master contract. Under CLINS 0002 and 0003, specific work requirements will be described in performance-based job orders.”

b) Section L, paragraph L.1.B, FAR (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) - FULL TEXT PROVISIONS, the note at the end of FAR clause 52.216-1, TYPE OF CONTRACT is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“Note: CORA Task Order 1 will be issued on a FFP and CPFF – term type basis in accordance with Section B, Part II, paragraph B.1.”

7. The following changes are made to correct errors in the Level of Effort for CORA Task Order 1:

a) Section B, Part II, paragraph B.2, LEVEL OF EFFORT, replace “946,507” with”899,400” in the first sentence of the paragraph.

b) Section B, Part II, paragraph B.2, LEVEL OF EFFORT, in the Level of Effort table, the amounts in the “Total” column for the Junior Engineer and Administrative Specialist labor categories are deleted and replaced with “12,400” for each of the two labor categories.

c) Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2 (c), the amounts in the “Total” column for the Junior Engineer and Administrative Specialist labor categories are deleted and replaced with “12,400” for each of the two labor categories.

d) Section J, Part III, COST AND BUSINESS PROPOSAL CHECKLISTS AND SCHEDULES, Attachment J.3, Cost and Business Proposal Schedules, Schedule 8 - ALLOCATION OF

LABOR HOURS BETWEEN OFFEROR AND SUBCONTRACTORS - CORA TASK ORDER

1, the amounts in the “RFP Total” column for the Junior Engineer and Administrative Specialist labor categories are deleted and replaced with “12,400” for each of the two labor categories.

8. Section C, Part I, MASTER CONTRACT STATEMENT OF WORK, subparagraphs C.2.A.1 and

C.2.A.2 are inserted under paragraph C.2.A to provide descriptions of the Communications and Operations Research and Analysis (ORA) sub-areas in the master contract. The full text of subparagraphs C.2.A.1 and C.2.A.2 are provided in Attachment 2 to this amendment.

9. Section G, Part I, paragraph G.4, TASK ORDERS ISSUED UNDER 8(a) MULTIPLE AWARD

CONTRACTS, subparagraph B.7 is amended to change the debriefing threshold for consistency with the threshold cited in FAR 16.505(b)(6). As a result, subparagraph B.7 is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“Unsuccessful Offerors may request a proposal debriefing only for those task orders that exceed $5 million. Requests must be made in writing within three (3) days of the notice of award for a specific task order.”

10. Section G, Part I, paragraph G.12, PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS, the date of the clause is changed from “FEB 2011” to “MAY 2013” and the threshold of $100,000 identified in the first sentence is deleted and replaced with “$150,000”.

11. The following changes are made for consistency with FAR 52.219-14, which is referenced in Section

G, Part I, paragraph G.17 and Section H, Part I, paragraph H.16:

a) Section G, Part I, paragraph G.17, SUBCONTRACTING REPORT, insert “the cost of” between the words “of” and “contract” in the first sentence.

b) Section, H, Part I, paragraph H.16, SUBCONTRACT CONSENT UNDER 8(a) CONTRACTS, insert “the cost of” between the words “of” and “contract” in the second sentence of the fifth paragraph.

12. The following changes are made to expand on the requirements that the Offeror’s proposal include a conflict of interest disclosure statement in accordance with Section H, Part I, paragraph H.2, CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE, and its’ approach for completing the security plan and accreditation requirements in TAR clause 1252.239-70 in accordance with TAR clause 1252.239-71:

a) Section H, Part I, paragraph H.2, CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE, is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

H.2 CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE (MAY 2013)

a) An organizational conflict of interest means that because of other activities or relationships with other persons or entities, a Contractor is unable, or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or advice to the Government, or the Contractor's objectivity in performing the contract work is, or might be otherwise impaired, or the Contractor has an unfair competitive advantage. Organizational conflict of interest includes situations where the capacity of a Contractor (including the Contractor's executives, directors, consultants, subsidiaries, parent companies or subcontractors) to give impartial, technically sound advice or objective assistance is or may be impaired or may otherwise result in a biased work product because of any past, present or planned interest, financial or otherwise, in organizations regulated by or assisted by DOT or in organizations whose interest may be substantially affected by Departmental activities.

b) In its master contract and task order proposals, the Offeror shall provide a statement describing in a concise manner all past, present or planned organizational, financial, contractual or other interest(s) with an organization regulated by DOT, or with an organization whose interests may be substantially affected by Departmental activities, and which is related to the work under this solicitation. The interest(s) described shall include those of the proposer, its affiliates, proposed consultants, proposed subcontractors and key personnel of any of the above. Past interest shall be limited to within one year of the date of the Offeror's Technical Proposal. Key personnel shall include any person owning more than 20% interest in the Offeror, and the Offeror's corporate officers, its senior managers and any employee who is responsible for making a decision or taking an action on this contract or task order where the decision or action can have an economic or other impact on the interests of a regulated or affected organization.

c) The Offeror shall describe in detail why it believes, in light of the interest(s) identified in subparagraph b above, that performance of the proposed contract or task order can be accomplished in an impartial and objective manner.

d) In the absence of any relevant interest identified in subparagraph b above, the Offeror shall submit in its proposal a statement certifying that to its best knowledge and belief no affiliation exists relevant to possible conflicts of interest. The Offeror must obtain the same information from potential subcontractors prior to award of a subcontract.

e) The CO will review the statement submitted and may require additional relevant information from the Offeror. All such information, and any other relevant information known to DOT, will be used to determine whether an award to the Offeror may create a conflict of interest. If any such conflict of interest is found to exist, the CO may disqualify the Offeror, or determine that it is otherwise in the best interest of the United States to contract with the Offeror and include appropriate provisions to mitigate or avoid such conflict in the contract or task order awarded.

f) The refusal to provide the disclosure or representation, or any additional information required, may result in disqualification of the Offeror for award. If nondisclosure or misrepresentation is discovered after award, the resulting contract or task order may be terminated. If after award the Contractor discovers a conflict of interest with respect to the contract or task order awarded as a result of this solicitation, which could not reasonably have been know prior to award, an immediate and full disclosure shall be made in writing to the CO. The disclosure shall include a full description of the conflict, and a description of the action the Contractor has taken, or proposes to take, to avoid or mitigate such conflict. The CO may, however, terminate the contract or task order for convenience if he or she deems that termination is in the best interest of the Government.

b) Section L, paragraph L.4.A, INTRODUCTION, insert the following item at the end of the bulleted list in the fifth paragraph:

• Identify and mitigate conflicts of interest.

c) Section L, paragraph L.3.B, VOLUME I, Section 3 – Business Proposal, insert the following text after the phrase “(applicable only to Joint Ventures)”in the first sentence:

“, Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement, and the Offeror’s approach for completing the security plan and accreditation requirements in TAR clause 1252.239-70 (per Section L, paragraph L.1.C).”

The amended sentence reads, “This section shall include the Offeror’s Cost Control Plan, SBA-approved Joint Venture Agreement (applicable only to Joint Ventures), Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement, and the Offeror’s approach for completing the security plan and accreditation requirements in TAR clause 1252.239-70 (per Section L, paragraph L.1.C) in accordance with the instructions provided in paragraph L.4.B, Section 3.”

d) Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 3, add the following subparagraphs 3 and 4:

3) Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement. See Section H, Part I, paragraph H.2, Conflict of

Interest Disclosure.

4) Approach for completing the security plan and accreditation requirements in TAR clause 1252.239-70 (per Section L, paragraph L.1.C).”

e) Section J, Part III, COST AND BUSINESS PROPOSAL CHECKLISTS AND SCHEDULES, Attachment J.2, Cost and Business Proposal Checklist, add the following two rows at the end of the checklist:

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

L.4.B, Section 3 X X X

Approach for completing the security plan and accreditation requirements in TAR Clause 1252.239-70

L.4.B, Section 3 X

f) Section M, paragraph M.3.A, add “Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statements” to the list of bulleted items in the second paragraph.

13. Section H, Part I, paragraph H.10, DOT INFORMATION SECURITY REQUIREMENTS, is deleted in its entirety. This clause has been replaced by the combination of TAR clauses 1252.237-70 and 1252.239-70 already included in Section I. As a result of the deletion, paragraphs H.11 – H.22 are renumbered as follows:

Original Amended Paragraph No. Paragraph No. Description

H.11 H.10 TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES/REFRESHMENTS

H.12 H.11 INCIDENTAL HARDWARE/SOFTWARE

H.13 H.12 REQUESTS TO ACQUIRE EQUIPMENT

H.14 H.13 GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED PROPERTY

H.15 H.14 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITY

H.16 H.15 SUBCONTRACT CONSENT UNDER 8(a) CONTRACTS

H.17 H.16 LEVEL-OF-EFFORT NOTIFICATION

H.18 H.17 MAXIMUM FEE

H.19 H.18 ACCOUNTING SYSTEM

H.20 H.19 INSURANCE

H.21 H.20 SALES TAX EXEMPTION

H.22 H.21 GPO PRINTING REQUIREMENT

14. Section H, Part II, paragraph H.12, EXCLUSION PROVISION, is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

H.12 EXCLUSION PROVISION (MAY 2013)

The awardee of CORA Task Order 1 will be excluded from competing on all subsequent TORFPs.

15. Section I, Part I, paragraph I.1.A, FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER

1) CLAUSES, the following clauses are deleted:

52.203-16 PREVENTING PERSONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST DEC 2011

(as applicable to individual job orders)

52.219-25 SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION OCT 2000

PROGRAM - DISADVANTAGED STATUS AND

REPORTING

52.230-2 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS MAY 2012

52.230-6 ADMINISTRATION OF COST JUN 2010

ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

52.251-1 GOVERNMENT SUPPLY SOURCES APR 2012

16. Section I, Part I, paragraph I.1.A, FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER

1) CLAUSES, the following clauses are inserted:

52.209-9 UPDATES OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION FEB 2012

REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS

52.215-23 LIMITATIONS ON PASS-THROUGH CHARGES OCT 2009

52.222-40 NOTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEE RIGHTS UNDER THE DEC 2010

NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT

52.222-43 FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AND SERVICE SEP 2009

CONTRACT ACT – PRICE ADJUSTMENT (MULTIPLE

YEAR AND OPTION CONTRACTS)

52.222-54 EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION JUL 2012

52.223-17 AFFIRMATIVE PROCUREMENT OF EPA-DESIGNATED MAY 2008

ITEMS IN SERVICE AND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS

52.229-3 FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES FEB 2013

52.232-1 PAYMENTS APR 1984

52.232-11 EXTRAS APR 1984

17. Section I, part I, paragraph I.1.A, FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER

1) CLAUSES, insert the following sentence to the fill-in under clause 52.217-8, OPTION TO

EXTEND SERVICES:

“Substitute “contract and/or task order” for the word “contract” wherever it appears in the clause.”

18. The following changes are made to Section I, Part I, paragraph I.1.B, FEDERAL ACQUISITION

REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) - FULL TEXT CLAUSES:

a) Delete FAR 52.219-17, SECTION 8(A) AWARD in accordance with TAR 1219.811-3(f).

b) Delete FAR 52.247-67, SUBMISSION OF TRANSPORTATION DOCUMENTS FOR

AUDIT

19. Section I, Part I, paragraph I.1.B, FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER

1) - FULL TEXT CLAUSES, the fill-in sentence referring to Section J, Part I, Attachment J.6 within the clause titled, “FAR 52.222-42 STATEMENT OF EQUIVALENT RATES FOR FEDERAL HIRES (MAY 1989) is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following fill-in information:

Employee Class Monetary Wage – Fringe Benefits Administrative Specialist $20.32

20. Section I, Part I, paragraph I.2, TRANSPORTATION ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 12) CLAUSES, delete TAR clause 1252.239-70, CYBERSECURITY REQUIREMENTS

FOR UNCLASSIFIED AND SENSITIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) RESOURCES

and insert the full-text version of this clause in Section I, Part I, paragraph I.2.A, TRANSPORTATION ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 12) - FULL TEXT

CLAUSES. The full text of this clause is included as Attachment 3 to this amendment.

21. The following changes are made to Section I, Part I, paragraph I.2.A, TRANSPORTATION

ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 12) - FULL TEXT CLAUSES:

a) TAR 1252.219-72 NOTIFICATION OF COMPETITION LIMITED TO ELIGIBLE 8(a) CONCERNS - ALTERNATE III (APR 2005), add “Volpe Center” prior to the words “Contracting Officer” in the first line of subparagraph c.

b) TAR 1252.237-73 KEY PERSONNEL, subparagraph b.1 is amended to include identification of the labor category associated with the Contract Program Manager. As a result, subparagraph b.1 is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

Position Labor Category Name Contract Program Manager

(To be completed at the time of contract award)

(To be completed at the time of contract award)

c) Delete TAR 1252.245-70, GOVERNMENT PROPERTY REPORTS.

22. Section I, Part II, paragraph I.1, TAR 1252.237-73 KEY PERSONNEL, the table in subparagraph b is amended to include a “Labor Category” column. The table is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

CLIN Organization Position or

Labor Category

Labor Category Key Personnel

0001 Transition Manager (To be completed at the time of task order award)

(To be completed at the time of task order award)

0002 Task Order Program Manager (To be completed at the time of task order award)

(To be completed at the time of task order award)

0002 Financial Manager (To be completed at the time of task order award)

(To be completed at the time of task order award)

0002 ORA Department Manager (To be completed at the time of task order award)

(To be completed at the time of task order award)

0002 Communications Department Manager

(To be completed at the time of task order award)

(To be completed at the time of task order award)

0002 TBD (in accordance with Contractor’s proposal)

(To be completed at the time of task order award)

(To be completed at the time of task order award)

0003 Professional Analyst (To be completed at the time of task order award)

0003 Professional Analyst (To be completed at the time of task order award)

0003 Professional Specialist (To be completed at the time of task order award)

0003 Professional Specialist (To be completed at the time of task order award)

23. Section K, paragraph K.1, FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1)

PROVISIONS, is deleted in its entirety because the two FAR clauses referenced in this paragraph (52.203-11 and 52.222-38) are already included in paragraph K.2, FAR 52.204-8, ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS. As a result, paragraph K.2, FEDERAL

ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) - FULL TEXT PROVISIONS, is renumbered as paragraph K.1 and paragraph K.3, IMPORTANCE OF ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS, is renumbered as paragraph K.2.

24. Section L, paragraph L.1.A, FAR (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) - SOLICITATION PROVISIONS, delete the following clause, which is now included in Section I, Part I, paragraph I.1.A as a result of this amendment:

52.215-23 LIMITATIONS ON PASS-THROUGH CHARGES – ALTERNATE I OCT 2009

25. Section L, paragraph L.1.B, FAR (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) - FULL TEXT PROVISIONS, insert the word “CERTIFIED” before the words “COST OR PRICING DATA” wherever these words appear within the title of FAR 52.215-20.

26. Section L, paragraph L.1.B, FAR (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) - FULL TEXT PROVISIONS, FAR clause 52.232-2, Service of Protest is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006)

Protests, as defined in Section 31.101 of the FAR, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any

(a) protests that are filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), shall be served on the CO (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from:

U.S. Department of Transportation RITA/Volpe National Transportation Systems Center Attn: Alison R. Fecht, RVP-32 55 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142-1001

(b) The copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with the GAO.

27. Section L, add the following paragraph L.1.C:

L.1.C TAR (48 CFR CHAPTER 12) - FULL TEXT PROVISIONS

1252.239-71 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY PLAN AND (APR 2005)

ACCREDITATION

All offers submitted in response to this solicitation must address the approach for completing the security plan and accreditation requirements in TAR clause 1252.239-70.

28. Section L, paragraph L.2.G, SUBCONTRACT CONSENT, the reference to “Section H, Part I, paragraph H.16 titled, “Subcontract Approval”” is deleted and replaced with, “Section H, Part I, paragraph H.15 titled, “Subcontract Consent Under 8(a) Contracts.”

29. The title of Volume II – Written Technical Proposal, Section 3 is hereby changed to “Contract

Management Approach” for consistency with Section M. As a result, the following changes are made to Section L:

a) Section L, paragraph L.3.B, VOLUME II, remove “and Administration” from the title of

Section 3. The amended title should read, “Section 3: Contract Management Approach”.

b) Section L, paragraph L.3.E.3, Page Limits, remove “and Administration” from the title of Volume II, Section 3. The amended title should read, “Section 3 - Contract Management Approach”.

c) Section L, paragraph L.5.B.1, remove the words “AND ADMINISTRATION” from the title of Section 3. The amended title should read, “SECTION 3 – CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

APPROACH”.

30. The following changes are made to Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2 (d) – Direct Labor

a) Subparagraph 2, CORA Task Order 1, CLIN 0002, insert the following sentence at the end of the paragraph:

“The proposed labor categories identified in Schedule 3 must be consistent with the labor categories identified in Section B, Part I, paragraph B.4 – Level of Effort.”

b) Subparagraph 3 – CORA Task Order 1, CLIN 0003, delete the following sentence:

“Rationale for use of the Government-provided labor rates below is unnecessary.”

c) Subparagraph 3 – CORA Task Order 1, CLIN 0003, insert the following sentence after the sentence that begins with “The Offeror may integrate the Government-estimated labor rates with other labor data…”:

“If using Government-estimated labor rates, the Offeror must confirm that the use of the Government-estimated rates is consistent with Section 4 (Task Order Staffing) of the Technical Proposal.”

31. Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2 (o) – Employee Transportation Cost Reimbursement (Transit

Benefits) is amended to restrict the reimbursement of transit benefits to on-site employees. As a result, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2 (o) is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“The Volpe Center encourages the use of incentives for employees to participate in car or van pools or to use public transportation. The Offeror must describe its transit benefit policy for its on-site prime and subcontractor staff, the estimated cost, and the method of recovery (see subparagraphs g and j above). Outside of transit benefit reimbursement, it is the Government’s expectation that prime and subcontractor staff are responsible for their commuting costs. Local travel for commuting to and from the Volpe Center for permanent staff (including subcontractors) should not be proposed.

Offerors are advised that the DOT federal transit benefit subsidy is the amount that is available for reimbursement to federal employees. The transit benefit amount that is available for reimbursement to on-site prime and subcontractor staff is limited to the amount proposed by the Offeror and accepted by the Government at the time of award.”

32. Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2 (r), Accounting System, insert the following reference at the end of the first sentence in the first paragraph: “(see paragraph L.4.B, Section 2 (b)).”

33. Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2 (s), Joint Venture, replace the word “holder” with the word “awardee” in the third sentence.

34. The following changes are made to clarify the solicitation requirements pertaining to contract past performance and to include a past performance questionnaire for non-federal references in Section J:

a) Section J, Part III, the following attachment is added to the list of attachments (this attachment is included as Attachment 4 to this amendment):

J.5 PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR NON-FEDERAL REFERENCES

b) Section L.5.B.1, Section 7 – Contract Past Performance, the seventh paragraph is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

Federal Government references: If the contracting activity has completed a performance evaluation report in accordance with FAR Subpart 42.15 and provided a copy to the Offeror, a copy of this report is sufficient. If the contracting activity has not provided a copy of the performance evaluation report to the Offeror, the Volpe Center can obtain completed performance evaluation reports via the Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS). The Offeror is responsible for making all reasonable efforts to ensure that performance evaluation reports are entered in PPIRS by the appropriate contracting activity's responding official by no later than the due date for receipt of proposals.

Non-Federal Government references: Offerors must send a Client Authorization Letter (Section J, Part III, Attachment J.4) and the Past Performance Questionnaire for Non-Federal References (Section J, Part III, Attachment J.5) to all non-Federal Government references listed in their proposal to assist in the timely processing of past performance evaluations. Client Authorization Letters must be mailed (or emailed) to individual references by no later than the proposal due date. The Offeror shall include a copy of all completed Client Authorization Letters (or emails) as part of the Past Performance submission. The Past Performance Questionnaire must be completed and submitted to the Contracting Officer by no later than the proposal due date.

The Offeror is responsible for making all reasonable efforts to ensure that a completed evaluation report is provided for each of the five cited contracts by no later than the due date for receipt of proposals. Information contained in the evaluation reports is considered sensitive and will not be released to other Offerors. Failure of the Offeror to demonstrate that it has made all reasonable efforts to provide the required performance evaluation reports may result in an unacceptable rating.

35. Section M, paragraph M.2.A, GENERAL, remove the word “Approach” from Technical Understanding Subfactors A and B and replace with “Understanding”.

36. Section M, paragraph M.2.A, GENERAL, Management Subfactor A, add the words “and

Administration” between the words “Management” and “Approach”.

37. Section M, paragraph M.3.A, add “CORA Task Order 1,” to the beginning of the fourth sentence.

https://www.ppirs.gov/

38. The deadline for submitting questions, clarification requests, or other inquiries pertaining to the solicitation is hereby extended until 3:00 pm on June 18, 2013. As a result, the date in the first sentence of Section L, paragraph L.2.B, INQUIRIES, is changed to June 18, 2013.

39. The following documents are included as attachments to this amendment:

Attachment 1: Solicitation No. DTRT57-13-R-20007, Questions and Answers Attachment 2: Section C, Part I, Paragraphs C.2.A.1 and C.2.A.2 Attachment 3: TAR Clause 1252.239-70 Attachment 4: Past Performance Questionnaire for Non-Federal References

40. Please acknowledge receipt of this amendment with the submission of your proposal.

41. All other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged.

Attachment 1

Solicitation No. DTRT57-13-R-20007, Amendment No. A0003 Attachment 1

Questions and Answers

Q1. Regarding RFP Section 7 – Contract Past Performance, since our customer(s) have not completed a Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) nor a Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) report for the contracts we plan to cite as past performance examples, it appears that our customer(s) can use their own / uniquely developed past performance evaluation form(s).

If that is true, are there specific evaluation indicators that must be addressed as part of their response and/or can Volpe provide a past performance questionnaire template that our customers can use to evaluate our performance?

A1. Refer to Amendment A0003, Item 34, which clarifies the solicitation requirements pertaining to contract past performance. Federal agencies are required to submit past performance reports electronically to PPIRS at www.ppirs.gov in accordance with FAR 42.2503(c). The Offeror may provide a copy of the completed PPIRS performance evaluation report as part of its proposal submission, or the Volpe Center can obtain a copy of the completed performance evaluation report via PPIRS. The Offeror is responsible for making all reasonable efforts to ensure that performance evaluation reports are entered in PPIRS by the appropriate contracting activity's responding official by no later than the due date for receipt of proposals. Non-Federal Government references may use the Past Performance Questionnaire for Non- Federal References included as Attachment 4 to this amendment (and included in Section J, Part III as a result of this amendment).

Q2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, I. Procurement Summary, first paragraph, states that Task Orders will primarily cover the existing, on-site requirement as well as other requirements. Second paragraph states that the first Task Order will provide services in a manner similar to the services being performed under the existing task order with MacroSys. Question – Is any of the work currently being performed under TO DTRTV-T9001 going to be separated out and competed as a subsequent task order? If not, what is the likelihood of additional task orders being awarded beyond CORA Task Order 1?

A2. The Volpe Center is highly committed to maximizing competition and providing 8(a) Program participants with appropriate opportunities. Following the award of the master contract and CORA Task Order 1, the remaining awardees will be given a fair opportunity to compete for subsequent task order awards as work requirements are established. Task Order Requests for Proposal (TORFPs) will be issued for requirements that are determined to be outside the scope of CORA Task Order 1, which will primarily cover the existing, on-site requirements. The Volpe Center is evaluating the work that is currently being performed under Task Order DTRTV-T9001. Although no decision has been made to compete existing requirements under a subsequent task order, the Volpe Center may, at its sole discretion, elect to compete work that is currently being performed under the existing task order.

Q3. Regarding Part I, B.4 Level of Effort – IDIQ and Part II, B.2 Level of Effort (CLIN 0003), should we assume that the difference between the level of effort in Part I (1,348.800) and in Part II (899,400) is to support task orders beyond CORA Task Order 1?

A3. Yes.

http://www.ppirs.gov/

Attachment 1

Q4. Would the government please provide its best estimate of the distribution of the level of effort set forth in Section B.4 for CLIN 0003 by functional sub-area described in C.2.C.1 (Communications Support Services) and C.2.C.2 (ORA Support Services)? We are interested, for example, in knowing what portion of the forecast workload may require skills in the sub-area of Industry Analysis in contrast with Technological Advances and in Graphics in contrast with Web Design and Development.

A4. The Volpe Center is unable to provide an estimated distribution of the level of effort by functional sub-area. As discussed during the pre-proposal webinar, the Volpe Center supports a diverse portfolio of work supporting every mode of transportation and a wide variety of sponsors. Most projects supported under the current on-site task order (DTRTV-T9001) span multiple Communications and/or ORA functional sub-areas. The work can vary at any given time based on the needs of the Volpe Center’s technical projects and its sponsors.

Q5. Regarding Part II, B.2 Level of Effort (CLIN 0003), can you please explain the difference between the LOE estimated in the first paragraph under CLIN 0003 (946,507 hours) and the Total number of hours in the table (899,400)?

A5. The solicitation contained an error in Section B, Part II, paragraph B.2. The total level of effort for CORA Task Order 1, CLIN 0003, is 899,400 hours. Refer to Amendment A0003, Item 7, which makes changes to Sections B, L, and J to correct this error.

Q6. What is being bid for the Contractor Job Order Financial Information System?

A6. In accordance with Section C, Part II, paragraph C.2.A, TRANSITION, the Contractor is required to implement and provide a demonstration of an operational Job Order Financial Information System prior to the conclusion of the transition period (CORA Task Order 1, CLIN 0001). The Job Order Financial Information System, which must interface with the Volpe Center’s User Accountability System (UAS), shall be capable of providing insight into all job orders for tracking and reporting purposes and shall be used to reconcile all invoiced costs for labor, travel, training, and Other Direct Costs (ODC). This system will not be provided by the Government; the Contractor is solely responsible for its development and implementation. The Contractor shall include a description of its implementation plan for the Job Order Financial Information System in its Transition Plan, in accordance with Section C, Part II, paragraph C.2.A. The Contractor may include the cost of the development and implementation of the Job Order Financial Information System as part of its Firm Fixed Price proposed for CLIN 0001, Transition.

Note: Additional clarification has been requested from the firm that submitted this question because the question is not clear.

Q7. Reference: page 92 Section 6 – Task Order Transition. Is the page limit for Section 6 – Task Order Transition, Volume II: Written Technical Proposal, five pages total, including the transition approach, draft transition plan, AND resume for the proposed Transition Manager. Or, is the page limit 7 pages, including five pages for the transition approach and draft transition plan and two pages for the proposed Transition Manager’s resume?

A7. The total page limit for Volume II – Written Technical Proposal, Section 6 – Task Order Transition is 7 pages. The proposed transition approach and draft transition plan is limited to 5 pages, and the resume for the proposed Transition Manager for CORA Task Order 1, CLIN 0001 shall not exceed 2 pages.

Attachment 1

Q8. Reference: page 65-66, paragraphs H.4 INDIRECT COST RATE CEILINGS and H.5 OTHER DIRECT COSTS. Paragraph G.1 CONSIDERATION-COST PLUS FIXED FEE (page 47 and 48), subparagraph (b) states “The Contractor shall be provisionally reimbursed indirect expenses on the basis of billing rates approved by the Cognizant Federal Agency (CFA) pending establishment of final indirect rates.” and paragraph (c) states: “ The final indirect expense rate pertaining to the contract shall be those determined for the appropriate fiscal year in accordance with FAR 42.705 and FAR 52.216-7.”

Additionally, paragraph G.10, PAYMENTS UNDER COST REIMBURSABLE CONTRACTS, subparagraph 6 further specifies that the Contractor shall be reimbursed at billing rates approved by the CFA pending settlement of the final indirect rates.”

While paragraphs H.4 and H.5 indicate that indirect cost ceilings will be utilized, paragraphs G.1 and G.10 indicate that the Contractor will be reimbursed at approved billing rates. Please clarify the Government’s intention regarding indirect cost reimbursement.

A8. The Government intends to reimburse the Contractor at approved billing rates up to the ceilings identified in Section H, Part II, paragraph H.4 – INDIRECT COST RATE CEILINGS. Reimbursement of Other Direct Costs will be limited to those cost elements and amounts that are proposed by task order year without prior approval by the Contracting Officer, as stated in Section H, Part II, paragraph H.5 – OTHER DIRECT COSTS. Refer to Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2 (h), Indirect Cost Rate Ceilings, for Cost and Business Proposal (Volume I) requirements pertaining to indirect cost rate ceilings.

Q9. Section "L.3.D COPIES" of the solicitation states: “Each Offeror must submit one (1) original and two (2) copies of the Cost and Business Proposal (Volume I) and one (1) original and six (6) copies of each of the Technical Proposal volumes (Volumes II and III). Original documents shall be clearly identified as such. The Cost and Business Proposal must also be submitted on a virus-free CD in Microsoft Office 2010 compatible format”. Are CDs required to be submitted for Technical Proposal volumes (Volume II - Technical and Volume III - Oral Presentation)?

A9. No. Only the Cost and Business Proposal (Volume I) must be submitted on a CD.

Attachment 2

Solicitation No. DTRT57-13-R-20007, Amendment No. A0003 Attachment 2

Section C, Part I, Paragraphs C.2.A.1 and C.2.A.2

C.2.A.1 COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES

The descriptions that follow outline the general work requirements typical in each sub-area, not actual task orders:

Writing and Editing

The Volpe Center produces a wide variety of written products in support of its projects and programs; for example:

• Interim and final reports

• Journal articles

• Reference and training manuals

• User guides

• Scripts for videos or presentations

• Newsletters and brochures

• Marketing materials

• Web site text

Work in this area may require the Contractor to prepare original written products to support project requirements as well as editing services to support the production of final written and/or web products from text generated by others. Writing and editing will be in English and will require a full command of the language and grammar as well as an understanding of transportation and technical terminology, familiarity with Federal Government terminology, and knowledge of industry best practices for the production of written products. The Contractor shall have familiarity with the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) Style Manual and other recognized style guides and applicable specifications and standards.

On occasion, the Contractor will be asked to provide translation services for business and technical documents. Translations may be from a foreign language into English and/or from English into a foreign language.

Graphics

Work in this area shall provide graphic arts design and production services to support Volpe Center projects and programs. For task orders performed on site at the Volpe Center, the Government shall furnish equipment and software necessary to provide and produce graphic arts design and production services. These services typically include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Electronic/desktop publishing

• Graphic design

• Computer-aided design and drafting

• Technical illustration

Work in this area may require the Contractor to design and produce graphics for a wide variety of products, including, but not limited to, printed material, projected visuals, exhibit and display components, multi-media presentations, and video titling and transitions. Graphics are generally

Attachment 2 produced using computer application software. The Contractor will be expected to maintain familiarity with computer graphics software and hardware being used by Volpe Center technical initiators in order to originate figures and convert initiator-supplied electronic graphic files into formats that can be modified and/or integrated into electronic documents using electronic publishing systems.

Web Design and Development

Work in this area shall provide web design and development services to support Volpe Center projects and programs. These services typically include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Web page/site design for public and password-protected sites, including SharePoint

• Coding of web pages

Work in this area shall include design and development of web pages for a wide variety of technical projects and Volpe Center organizations. Web pages shall be designed using industry and Government best practices to optimize site usability and accessibility. Specific guidelines include but are not limited to the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Departmental Information Resource Management Manual (DIRMM); Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites; Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines; and the Volpe Center’s Writing Style Guide, Volpe Brand Standards Guide, and Web Style Guide contained in the Volpe Communications Toolkit.

Communications Strategy Development and Stakeholder Engagement

Work in this area shall include the development of Communication Strategies and support of related outreach and stakeholder activities. Communication Strategy activities may include developing research approaches and detailed plans, conducting market research and stakeholder analysis, developing measureable communications goals, as well as developing communications strategies, implementation plans and related material, and prototyping potential communications collateral. The Contractor may be requested to travel to and facilitate meetings, focus groups and workshops designed to gather stakeholder input and inform them about potential communications strategies and outreach activities. In addition, the Contractor may be required to identify potential meeting participants, create agendas, capture feedback, and coordinate logistics to facilitate discussions and exercises with target audiences.

Conference Planning and Logistics

Work in this area shall include planning, organizing, executing, and/or recording conferences, meetings, webinars, peer exchanges, or symposia. Conferences range in size from 20 to 400 attendees and are for periods of several hours to several days. The typical conference lasts one day and has 50 attendees.

Conference planning and logistics support may require significant travel and may require coordination with Volpe Center staff, other Contractors, and conference facility personnel to arrange conferences, meetings, workshops, etc. Conference planning and logistics services typically include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Planning, scheduling, managing, and cost estimation

• Development and maintenance of mailing lists

• Selection and provision of conference facilities and meeting rooms

• Provision and coordination of audio-visual, transcription, and other required support*

• Development of conference literature or graphics, including programs, signs, photography, name badges, and specialty items such as abstracts

• Preparation and distribution of invitations and registration packages

• Preparation of advertising, transportation, lodging, and other logistics

• Processing of participant registrations (including but not limited to web registration)

• Preparing minutes and/or proceedings for final publication

• Processing of invitational travel when these services are incidental to a conference, meeting, webinar, peer exchange, or symposium that the Contractor has been engaged to plan under the task order.

* The Contractor may be required to coordinate and provide light refreshments for specific conferences, meetings, webinars, peer exchanges, or symposia. In accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation and the terms and conditions of this task order, the Contractor may coordinate and provide light refreshments for such events only when approved in advance by the TOCO.

Financial and Administrative Program Support

Work in this area shall include general and specialized program and administrative management support, cost and risk analysis, project planning and scheduling, strategic and operational planning, as well as meeting facilitation and webinar support. Work in this area may include maintaining and documenting the results of program and project reviews; review and analysis of progress reports; generation of cost, budget, and financial analyses; processing invitational travel and Government invitational travel for official project-related activities of the Volpe Center; processing U.S. State Department e-Country Clearances for project-related travel, and providing assistance in the documentation, planning, scheduling, maintenance, and tracking of projects. It may also include the planning, facilitating, and note taking at meetings and webinars as well as the preparation of meeting/webinar summaries and other associated documentation.

Printing and Production Support

Work in this area shall include providing printing and reproduction services and the associated binding and distribution. Color reproduction services shall include the ability to create color copies from black and white copies. Since the Volpe Center is a customer-focused organization, the Contractor must have the ability to provide such services quickly and efficiently and adjust to changing workflows and customer priorities. Incoming jobs may be in hard copy, network electronic files, or removable electronic media such as compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), or optical disks. The Contractor shall provide advice on production, binding, publication, and distribution options; their associated pros and cons; and estimated costs. The Contractor shall arrange for documents to be printed through the GPO and shall serve as the Volpe Center's GPO liaison. All printing and work shall be accomplished in conformance with Title 44, United States Codes, regulations of the U.S. Government's Joint Committee on Printing (JCP); applicable provisions of appropriation acts; applicable regulations issued by the DOT, the GPO, and the U.S. Postal Service; and with copyright laws. The Contractor shall maintain paper stocks that comply with JCP Paper Specification Standards and Executive Orders requiring the use of recycled fiber content.

C.2.A.2 OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS (ORA) SUPORT SERVICES

The descriptions that follow outline the general work requirements typical in each sub-area, not actual task orders.

System Analysis and Policy Impacts

This sub-area covers analyses of the impacts of the flow of people and goods and/or transportation and logistics systems and operations on society and the environment. In addition, this area covers the impact of Government regulation on the transportation industry and commercial enterprise.