Attachment_I__DCAS_Vendor_Day_Conference_Q As_Transription_11.18.14_Final.pdf

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Data Challenges & Appeals Solution (DCAS) Vendor Day Conference Transcription of Questions & Responses - November 18, 2014

1. Will the FSA procure the software licenses directly or will the bidder be responsible for purchasing software licenses?

Response: No, the Government will directly purchase all COTS software licenses that are proposed by the Offeror.

2. Is an existing ATO with FSA required?

Response: No, an existing FSA ATO is not required.

3. Can you clarify the actual DCAS go-live date? When do our [systems need] 1 to be operational?

Response: We are not looking for all of the systems functionality to go live on a single date; but we are assuming a phased-in implementation [approach] with the first date being September 1, 2015 for pre-draft D/E challenge[s].

4. Can you provide any insight into as [to] why the base period was only 6 months as oppose[d] to a year?

Response: We are trying to manage what we need to do internally against having the solution in place. Therefore due to several moving pieces, the Government decided to have [a] less than one year base period.

5. Is there a current learning management system or training management systems that can track training sessions, outcomes of the sessions, delivery or should contractor propose a full suite of training capability?

Response: Within FSA, we do have an internal Talent Management System [TMS] for FSA staff’s training in which they can log-in to register. We do also have that extended to our contractors that support our major projects/initiatives. [TMS] tracks curriculum and courses. [Any use of TMS will be determined through requirement sessions]. The ones that are instructor-led and executed by the selected contractor would need to be managed within their training plan and in accordance to what we agree upon in the contract.

6. Can you explain for us the data manager role? Who they are, where do they live, and how many are they?

Response: Data managers refer to guarantee agencies for FFEL program loans or, for loans held by the Department of Education, those are [the] federal servicers. Basically, they are the current loan servicers servicing the loan because they would have the most current information relative to the challenges or appeals.

7. Would we have ready access to the systems that DCAS would interact with such as NSLDS or others?

Response: The primary one for now is NSLDS that is the calculation system of record.

During the requirement phase, we’ll discuss and identify other potential interface or integration points that may be needed for the solution to [interface to] our network.

8. Of the 300,000 loan challenges referenced in the RFP; do these represent only Cohort Default volumes or online or does it also include an estimate of GE challenges?

Brackets indicate edits incorporated after the event into the questions and/or responses for the purpose of clarification.

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Response: That estimate was based on loan volumes given in the Paper Reduction Act for Gainful Employment, [from] which we extrapolated based on the amount of time and volumes, [for each challenge]. The basis used was somewhat [based on] the experience from Cohort Default Rates.

9. What is the time-to-process estimate per challenge or time-to-review only?

Response: That was already addressed from the pre-conference questions received.

[See question 13b].

10. Does the current solution receive service data for service challenges today? And that includes servicer data?

Response: The eCDR Appeals system currently handles Cohort Default rates challenges and appeals. Correct.

11. Does the FSA LMM Support agile configuration methodology; that is, can it map to that easily?

Response: We will support Agile methodology, if proposed.

12. Do have any insight to average or median number of loans per each case challenge?

Response: The average, that would be hard to say, can be from a couple to more than 10[loans] depending on the cohort [to which] that challenge is related [to]. [It’s the underlying] loans that relate to that borrowers impacting that calculation [at the program level]. As stated previously, the range can be from 10 to 1,000 loans in that case itself and depending on the type of challenge.

13. Based on the definition of a case given today, does that equal the institution in the pricing template?

Response: That has been already answered from the pre-conference questions received. There were answers provided around those 2 CLINs. [See question60] [and amended Pricing Template Rev. 1].

14. Is FSA paying for telecommunications services or would we just be procuring them through FSA?

Response: No, FSA will be paying for it as a separate CLIN (ref to amended PT Rev.1)

15. How many users would be required to be accessing the system?

Response: That also has been addressed from the pre-conference questions. [See question 50i].

16. When an institution submits D/E data from a State data or State System source; is the review and evaluating of that data (to determine validity) to be handled in the DCAS project?

Response: No, initially we are not expecting that Alternative Earnings appeals, which are appeals to D/E challenges, would be part of the DCAS scope.

17. Once data or service challenges have been reviewed and determined to be valid, is the recalculation of the actual rate within the DCAS scope or would that be something that FSA would do?

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Response: No, that would be NSLDS. DCAS creates the file of outcomes, the challenges that were accepted, and that file is submitted to NSDLS to use for the recalculation.

18. Besides in the base year for 4 in-class training sessions, do you have expectation of in-class training sessions for the option years?

Response: No, we do not have a number or count as of yet. There may be opportunities for instructor-led training courses in the option periods; but that would be something you would propose in your training plan under the appropriate sub-factor factor.

19. If we were to host this at FSA VDC, what kind of SLAs would we count on from the data center contractor? Is it negotiated or kind of a standard?

Response: Yes, we do have standard SLAs around availability, response time, and other standard ones for a data center. But we are expecting offerors to propose specific SLAs for DCAS system and have that called out in the PWS.

20. Can we use the same references as the first RFP and, if so, do we need to resubmit?

Response: That has already been answered. [See question 15] and refer to amended Attachment B Rev. 1].

21. [The] first RFP was very system based and a lot of labor categories related to IT. But the amended documents were very business-process oriented based[.] Explain the discrepancy in the approaches. Clarify if you’re looking for technology system, a business process, or both?

Response: First of all, the amended as posted is the controlling document. This is a business-driven operation. The bulk of what is needed for our requirements [are] case flow, case intake, and management processing and getting those outcomes submitted. That is obviously going to rely on a system solution. So to answer your question, it is both; but the emphasis is on the business operational need with all of the training, technical, and ancillary services.

22. From award date to go-live, can you tell us how long it takes to get ATO? How complete must the system be in order to finalize the requirements for that ATO?

Response: How quickly that this approval is granted is based on the quality of the documents submitted by the contractor. Post-conference response (not part of the transcription): The final production infrastructure (servers, storage, and network connectivity) must be established in order to secure an ATO.

23. Is [there] a current backlog of challenges or appeals that is expected [or some portion of a] backlog [to] transfer to the DCAS vendor?

Response: No.

24. Based on the interface requirement, what is the current availability of NSLDS? Is it available 24x7?

Response: It is available 24x7. Post-conference response (not part of the transcription): Although NSLDS is generally available to users on 24x7 basis, there are planned outage windows scheduled through FSA VDC production team when the system is down and data exchanges are unavailable. DCAS contractor would need to coordinate a schedule with FSA in order to determine when the best time would be to transmit its outcome batch file to NSLDS.

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25. Are agreements in place yet to receive the Social Security earnings data? And are challenges allowed?

Post-conference response (not part of the transcription): Institution may challenge the list of completers before it is sent to SSA (i.e. the pre-draft completers list). NSLDS, not DCAS, will be the responsible system for interacting with SSA to obtain earnings data.

26. If schools have 45 days to challenge, then the case gets worked and submitted to ED.

What is the turnaround ED for case completion?

Response: We have an overall calendar that is timeframe within which we have to return those [challenge] outcomes to NSDLS. That will be planned [with] operations, based on volumes. We’ll coordinate with NSLDS to submit those outcomes for recalculations.

27. What is the contract award date?

Response: This has been addressed previously. [See question 8].

28. Interaction with NSLDS, is a batch file thru FTP or something similar?

Response: This has been addressed previously in the pre-conference questions. [See question 13b].

29. Do I understand correctly that the development activities are to be in CLIN 001 as fixed labor rate activities for this new system?

Response: Yes.

30. Is there any expectation that the current law suits from for-profit institutions would impact this procurement?

Post-conference response (not part of the transcription): FSA anticipates no impact on the DCAS solicitation. As indicated in the Statement of Objectives, the DCAS system will act as the successor system to e-CDR Appeals as well as have the flexibility to incorporate challenges to other metrics such as the Debt to Earnings rates for gainful employment or other calculations the Department may incorporate into the Scorecard in the future.

31. In the existing questions it says that the system must be FedRamp certificate[d] by September of 2015 but FedRamp ready would be OK for award. [Given] the fact that there will be test data in the system that may be financial data, is there a hard and fast FedRamp deadline for the system?

Response: If you are talking about live data containing PII [loading into] to the DCAS system, at that time it must be FedRamp certified.

32. What are the projected solution improvements and/or enhancements request? Is there a cap to improvement and/or enhancement request?

Response: No and No.

33. I’d like to know if attendees today at the industry day will be provided via a list. Can we make a roll call of who is in attendance and from what company before we break?

Response: No, [will not] be posting or sharing the roster. You may discuss this all you like either in the lobby or café or after the conference.

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34. Companies can invoice at 75% of price – until FSA approved the case – is there a time frame for FSA to address the case?

Response: This has been addressed previously as to the actual triggers for invoicing the 75% and 25% cost. And what the responsibility of the DCAS contractor will be in this process.

35. What level of security is required for Case Analysts 6(c)?

Response: As stated in the clause and addressed previously, it is 5(c) unless the government designates otherwise.

36. Just so I understand the dates, December 29th is submission deadline and 2 days later orals, and award anticipated in mid-January. Is that correct?

Response: Good question on the timing of the orals. We will make a determination, prior to the evaluation process, as to whether to hold orals. Then we will notify with a set date and time to do your presentation. We are shooting for a week after the deadline to start scheduling them.