GEODSS_Industry_Q A_Round_1.pdf

FA2517-13-R-8001 GEODSS Industry Day

Questions and Answers Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

1 RFP Section

B

Section B (CLINs 0101-0103) states “Included are all Civil Engineering equipment, parts, labor and associated costs for all maintenance that is foreseeable and can be forecasted as stated in PWS Section 1, Chapter

9, Para 9.1. Also included are all consumable items that may be necessary as part of day-to-day site operations.” Will the Government be identifying historical data for these costs?

Historical workload hours will be posted to the Bidder's

Library. Parts and materials necessary for routine foreseeable maintenance will be identified in user's manuals.

2 RFP Section

B Base Year

CLINs

All three Base Year CLINs show a quantity of 12 and a unit in months yet the description of the base years say "1 Oct 2015 - 31 Aug 2016" this is not 12 months. Which is correct in Section B for the Base Year, the quantity shown or the PoP shown?

A quantity of 11 months is correct. The RFP will be updated to correct this.

3 RFP Section

B

Section B: For Logistics and Individual Job Offers CLINs, will the

Government provide plug numbers to be used within all proposals?

Section L, D.3.a.1 (page 76) says estimates will be provided, but does not specify the amounts for Logistics/Travel.

With the exception of the IJO CLINs, the Government will input the costs into these line items in the final RFP and will be the same for all bidders. IJO CLINs will be not separately priced and will not be evaluated as part of the total contract price.

4 RFP Section

B

What type of work is included under the FFP CLIN? This is a FFP contract so the expectation is that all areas listed in PWS 1.1.1 be included in the FFP CLIN. This includes Depot and Testing Agency Support; foreseeable equipment, parts, labor, and associated costs for routine and preventive maintenance; consumable items necessary for day-to-day site operations; and all areas of the PWS not specifically identified as Cost Reimbursable. Cost

Reimbursable items include government-directed travel, mission system parts and supplies that are unobtainable through SBSS, and parts and materials necessary for repair of civil engineering equipment, not part of routine, foreseeable preventive maintenance.

5 RFP Section

B, Page 76

Will information on termination CLINs (page 76) from the previous contract be provided in the Bidders Library?

No. All necessary information is provided in the CLIN description and DFARS clause 252.232.7007

6 RFP Section

F

Section F, CLINs 0002 and 0003 have delivery dates as N/A. We assume these dates will match CLIN 0001, so can the Government confirm those dates?

The performance periods will be the same as for CLIN

0001. This will be corrected.

7 RFP Section

F

It appears that the contract PoP is 2 months Phase-In, 11 months Base

Period, four 12 months Option Periods and a 6 month extension period.

Is it correct the total potential PoP is 67 months?

Yes, that is correct.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

8 RFP Section I

FAR 52.229-

Is the contractor required to pay New Mexico State taxes on tangible GFE property or only NM Gross receipts taxes on contract income derived from work within the state of NM?

Offerors are encouraged to contact the requisite state agency to determine how taxes are applied if performance is on an Air Force contract.

9 RFP Section I

FAR 52.245-

2(b)

What is the total dollar value of the property to be transferred?

Please provide an indentured material list, by site, by subsystem of all property?

Does the incumbent have current title to any of the property relevant to this acquisition? If so, which property?

This clause will be removed.

10 RFP Section I

AFFARS

5352.242-

This only references Air Force requirements but two of the sites are operated by the Navy and Army. Are there other provisions the contractor must comply with?

This is an Air Force contract and the sites are all Air Force

Installations, even if they are hosted by another agency.

11 RFP Section

J

Section J: When will Government release the exhibits/attachments identified (DD254, CBAs, etc.)?

Upon release of the final RFP

12 RFP Section

L

When will the classified/hardcopy library identified in Section L (page 68) be available?

Upon release of the final RFP

13 RFP L-4 OCI Will the Government please provide further definitions within the OCI statement as to how far reaching this clause is with regards to other divisions, business units and subsidiaries of an organization that may cause an OCI?

It is incumbent upon the contractor to identify any potential

OCIs that may exist. If the contractor is the successful offeror, the OCI clause will be written at that time to address the specific OCI situation that exists for that contractor.

14 RFP L-4 OCI Will the Government re-word the phrase "in any way associated" to remove any ambiguity or potential misinterpretation?

This wording is intentionally vague. Each potential OCI will look different for each offeror. Potential OCIs will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

15 RFP L-4 OCI OCI: Is GEODSS sustainment & modernization work within the SENSOR program considered an OCI? If it is considered an OCI, would avoidance of GEODSS work on SENSOR be acceptable mitigation for this program?

It may depend on the type of work being done. If the contractor feels an OCI does or may exist, follow the procedures in AFFARS 5352.209-9001.

16 RFP Section

L B.1

The Technical Acceptability Criteria nowhere states that all subfactors must be passed in order to be considered Technically Acceptable. Will the Government specifically spell out that all technical factors must have a Passing rating to be eligible for award?

The RFP will be revised to state that all technical subfactors must receive a "pass" in order to pass Factor 2, Technical Acceptability.

17 RFP Section

L B.2.a.(5)

Is single-spaced text permissible on a normal text page? Yes, single-spaced pages are acceptable.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

18 RFP Section

L D.1.a. Past

Performance

Contract

Citations

Why does the prime contractor only need to submit two citations? This will be changed to three, and it's a minimum, not a maximum.

19 RFP Section

L D.1.a. Past

Performance

Contract

Citations

Will the government reconsider the decision to drop the prime's requirement to deliver at least one citation as a prime?

There will be no requirement for past experience as a prime, but this section will be revised so that at least 3 citations must be from the prime.

20 RFP Section

L D.1.a Past

Performance

Contract

Citations

Will the government reconsider requiring only 2 of 6 citations be required from the Prime?

This will be revised so that at least 3 citations must be from the prime.

21 RFP Section

L D.1.a. Past

Performance

Contract

Citations

Can qualified SME’s with direct relevant system performance be cited as

Past performance for small businesses?

Past Performance citations must be for the offeror or subcontractor/teaming partner. If a SME did work on another contract prior to being hired by the offeror, the offeror cannot use the SME's previous contract as a citation. However the SME's relevant experience could be used as part of the staffing plan.

22 RFP Section

L D.1.a. Past

Performance

Contract

Citations

Is the evaluation of two functional areas enough to give a confidence rating?

The confidence rating will be based on an integrated assessment of the offeror's past performance.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

23 RFP Section

L D.1.a. Past

Performance

Contract

Citations

Can past performance questionnaires of subcontractors go directly to the

Government instead of the prime contractor?

Past Performance questionnaires are the responsibility of the offeror to send out. The Government only has a relationship with the prime contractor, so if the questionnaire is for a subcontract citation, the Government will have no information on the subcontractor's performance history, so it would necessarily need to be filled out by the prime contractor. The Past Performance

Evaluation Team has the right to contact the references provided by the offeror and any other references generated by the Government. All offerors will have the opportunity to respond to any adverse past performance information obtained by the Government that the offerors did not previously have an opportunity to address. If the offeror is concerned that the prime will not respond to the questionnaire, reference RFP Section L D.1.b.(2) for the

Government's procedures for contacting the recipients of the questionnaire.

24 RFP Section

L D.2.b

Staffing Plan

Will the current Staffing Plan (Subfactor 2, Pass/Fail) and its related current options utilized for travel to Diego Garcia be provided in the

Bidders Library?

No. This is contractor proprietary information

25 RFP Section

L D.2.c

Training Plan

Will the current Training Plan [Training Plan (Subfactor 3, Pass/Fail)] be included in the Bidders Library?

No. This is contractor proprietary information

26 RFP Section

L D.2.d.

Scenario-based

Responses

It appears that the mock scenarios are unduly written to be addressed by the incumbent as they pertain to on-site actions that require reference to current operations and maintenance T.O.s as well as on-site procedures and familiarity with site HTSAs. Specifically, Scenario 1 refers to specific processes involving “Binning of Binned Mode Tracking failures” which require exclusive, hands-on knowledge of these very unique systems.

Question: Will operations/maintenance T.O.s and HTSAs be provided to

GEODSS Operating Instructions, Technical Orders, Host

Tenant Support Agreements and a listing of commercial equipment will be included in the Bidders Library. Manuals for commercial equipment will not be provided, but are readily available online.

27 RFP Section

L D.2.d.

Scenario-based

Responses

Will the government please provide access to all the existing Operation

Instructions and maintenance systems/data to complete the relevant scenarios? Incumbent contractor would have access to all relevant system documentation to complete scenarios.

GEODSS Operating Instructions, Technical Orders, Host

Tenant Support Agreements and a listing of commercial equipment will be included in the Bidders Library. Manuals for commercial equipment will not be provided, but are readily available online.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

28 RFP Section

L D.2.d.

Scenario-based

Responses

For the scenarios on pp 74-75, will any applicable current procedures be provided in the Bidders Library?

GEODSS Operating Instructions, Technical Orders, Host

Tenant Support Agreements and a listing of commercial equipment will be included in the Bidders Library. Manuals for commercial equipment will not be provided, but are readily available online.

29 RFP Section

L D.2.d.

Scenario-based

Responses

Please provide locations, the process and availability dates to access the technical documentation listed in PWS Appendix B to respond to the scenario-based responses in the RFP. Also the process for submitting the Military Critical Technical Data Agreement DD form 2345 (or most current form).

This information and the process for completing it has been posted to FedBizOpps.

30 RFP Section

L D.2.d.

Scenario-based

Responses

Please provide access to all OIs and SOPs so responses to RFP L-5

D.2.d.(1) to (6) page 74 can be developed that are in compliance with current GEODSS approved process and procedures.

These documents will be provided in the Bidder's Library.

Access to certain TOs and GOIs requires completion of a

DD2345, instructions for which are posted to FedBizOpps.

31 RFP Section

M C.

Will past performance and technical be weighted? Past Performance and Technical will be evaluated in accordance with Section M of the RFP. Technical is pass/fail and past performance is approximately equal to price.

32 RFP Section

M C.

The acquisition approach is Price Performance trade-off, but the evaluation criteria in Section M of the technical section is rated Pass/Fail.

Has any thought been given to additional discriminating factors?

The GEODSS requirement is mature, well-defined, and relatively non-complex. It lends itself to pass/fail technical criteria. The discriminating factors are more in past performance, hence the PPT approach.

33 RFP Section

M C.

The way Section M is structured, it appears that the Past Performance is the clear discriminator for the award. What is the anticipated relative weighting of past performance versus the other proposal factors?

Technical is pass/fail and past performance is approximately equal to price.

34 RFP Section

M C.1.b.(1)

Recency

Citation relevancy of 3 years starts from what date? From the release date of the RFP.

35 RFP Section

M C.1.b.(1)

Recency

Why is recency only for 3 years? This is standard and there was no compelling reason to change it.

36 RFP Section

M C.1.b.(2)

Relevancy

Can you confirm that “relevancy” will be equal for similar systems and similar work, and that GEODSS itself or DoD systems experience are not the only acceptable way to obtain a “relevant” on past performance?

Relevancy will be determined according the relevancy criteria in Section M of the RFP.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

37 RFP Section

M C.1.b.(2)

Relevancy

How will past performance be determined to be relevant? Relevancy will be determined according the relevancy criteria in Section M of the RFP.

38 RFP Section

M C.2.

Technical

With technical being pass/fail, will there be other discriminators for the technical evaluation?

Not sure the intent of the question. All technical subfactors must be passed in order to pass Factor 2 Technical. Since this is technical pass/fail, the government will not rank technical approaches or pay up for a better approach. As long as the minimum technical criteria is met, the proposal will receive a pass.

39 RFP Section

M C.2.

Technical

Since this is a pass/fail evaluation criterion instead of a weighted evaluation criterion, will a parochial answer based on the information in your technical library be scored the same as that which is provided by the incumbents who will have an in-depth understanding of the entire systems and its nuances?

As long as the minimum information necessary for a technically acceptable answer is provided, as identified in

Section M of the RFP, the offeror will pass.

40 RFP Section

M C.2.b.

Will the Staffing Plan require identifying the level of effort between the prime and sub?

Yes, Technical subfactor 2 will be revised to include a management plan that specifically addresses the level of effort between the prime and sub and how ostensible subcontracting will be avoided.

41 RFP Section

M C.2.d

Many of the scenarios state that to be technically acceptable, the contractor must "remain in compliance." Please clarify the definition of

"remain in compliance."

To remain in compliance means to not violate any applicable governing directives such as laws, TOs, AFIs, owners manuals, the PWS etc.

42 RFP Section

M C.2.d.

Scenarios

What is the purpose of the scenarios? The purpose of the scenarios is to be representative of day-to-day operations and maintenance at the sites and to ensure the contractor has thoroughly thought-through all aspects of the PWS and grasps the scope of knowledge necessary for successful contract performance.

43 RFP Section

M C.2.d.

Scenarios

Is the evaluation for the scenarios going to be based on a management approach or a technical approach? If it is on a technical approach, how will you provide for fair competition between the incumbent (or incumbent backed small business prime) and other competitors based on the incumbent's extensive, hands-on-system knowledge of this very unique and specialized equipment?

The technical acceptability criteria for the scenarios is listed in Section M of the RFP.

44 RFP Section

M C.2.d.

Scenarios

Will a generic answer to the scenarios be technically acceptable? The technical acceptability criteria for the scenarios is listed in Section M of the RFP.

45 RFP Section

M C.2.e.

Does the current contract have a similar downward pricing requirement? No. This is a new AFSPC initiative.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

46 RFP Section

M C.2.e.

Downward

Pricing

With respect to savings and downward pricing, is a different labor mix with personnel that can work in several functional areas acceptable, or are a certain number of positions protected through collective bargaining agreements?

As long as the requirements are met, the contractor has significant discretion on how to staff. The current CBAs will be posted to the Bidder's Library. It is up to the contractor on how to accomplish staffing.

47 RFP Section

M C.2.e.

Are you expecting a requirement descope to accommodate downward pricing?

No. Downward pricing is expected to be achieved through contractor-generated efficiencies, not requirements cuts.

48 RFP Section

M C.2.e.

Will the Government consider removal of the downward pricing requirement?

No. This is an AFSPC initiative and it's expected the contractor will develop efficiencies over the life of the contract that will make it cheaper to run. No minimum specific percentage or dollar-amount is required.

49 RFP Section

M C.3.c.

Cost/Price

It is stated that "Offerors are advised to clearly show justification for unique practices that significantly lower costs." Are you referring to streamlined business/management practices? How much technology insertion (more efficient operating software etc) is acceptable?

This statement is referring to if the contractor submits a cost/price proposal that is significantly cheaper, to provide an explanation of how and why the proposal is significantly cheaper so the government has confidence the contactor did not miss a requirement. All technology insertions and upgrades to the mission system are done by Depot. There is a processes within the PWS to submit new ideas for better performance. As long as the requirements of the

PWS are met, the offeror's technical approach will be up to them.

50 PWS 1.1.1 The PWS calls for 16 hours, 7 days a week, can you choose to have someone there for 24 hours?

How the offeror chooses to meet the requirements of the

PWS is up to them.

51 PWS 1.1.1 Of the 16/7, does the Government dictate which hours are worked? No, this will be at the discretion of the contractor.

52 PWS 1.1.2 Will bringing on N-CSDS be treated as a scope change? No, N-CSDS is within scope of the GEODSS contract. The

Government expects N-CSDS to be fully operational at all three sites by the start of the new contract.

53 PWS 1.1.2 Does N-CSDS addition include bandwidth increase at Diego Garcia? There is no bandwidth increase associated with the N-

CSDS addition.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

54 PWS 1.1.4 Section 1.1.4 of the PWS (Testing Agency Support) appears to be included in the FFP CLINs, but there is no level of support identified. Can the Government identify the proposed support level or number of tests to be accomplished during each CLIN period?

The Depot has historically completed 2 or 3 projects per year per site. The Depot contractor will accomplish all sustainment upgrades, including providing necessary labor and parts.. Support and assistance to the Depot is expected to be included in the FFP CLIN. The level of effort necessary for this support is not expected to be significantly different from normal day-to-day operations of the sites. Historical hours necessary for this support will be posted to the Bidder's Library. Any new requirements or significant increases in level-of-effort that were not expected by the government to be part of the contractor's original proposal will be subject to separate negotiation.

55 PWS 1.1.5.1 Will current contingency plans (1.1.5.1. Contingency Planning) be included in the Bidders Library?

No. This is contractor proprietary information

56 PWS 1.2.1 Section 1.2.1 of the PWS (GOIs) identifies operating manuals and directives. Will existing GOIs be available prior to the final RFP and transitioned from the incumbent contractor?

The government will try to release as many documents as possible prior to the release of the final RFP. GOIs will be made available and will transition.

57 PWS 1.2.1 Will current GEODSS Operating Instructions (GOIs) be available in the

Bidders Library?

Yes.

58 PWS 1.2.3.1 Will current Quality Program Plan (1.2.3.1. Quality Program Plan) be included in the Bidders Library?

No. This is contractor proprietary information

59 PWS 1.2.3.1 Section 1.2.3.1 of the PWS (Quality Program Plan – QPP) identifies a

QPP in place by contract start. However, there is not a CDRL/Appendix A

(Reporting Requirement) identified for this plan. Can you clarify what requirements are in place for the QPP (format/details/updates)?

This is a contractor-owned document and it will be up to the contractor how best to accomplish the requirement.

QPP details: provide insight into the following quality processes: internal audits including procedures and oversight, identification of deficiencies, prevention of nonconforming services, and corrective measures if performance requirements are not attained.

60 PWS 1.2.4 Please provide all required data for Testing Agency support for the FFP or consider moving the requirement to IDIQ Task Orders CLIN

All required data will be provided, including historical workload hours used to support this requirement. Testing

Agency support is expected to factored into the FFP CLIN.

61 PWS 1.2.5 Within PWS Section 1.2.5, can the Government identify the frequency of familiarization briefings and tours?

Historical workload hours necessary to support briefings and tours will be posted to the Bidder's Library.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

62 PWS 2.1.8.1 Will the new contractor be required to certify operators and maintainers prior to contract start date and during the transition period so that personnel are certified on contract start? Or will the Government allow a certification period to take place after transition and during initial weeks/months after contract start?

The requirement is that operators and maintainers be certified before operating and maintaining the mission system. How the offeror achieves this is up to them.

63 PWS

2.3.1.1.1

Will SPM training materials (PWS Section 2.3.1.1.1) be made available prior to the final RFP?

Yes, these materials will be part of the Bidder's Library

64 PWS

2.3.1.1.3

What is the distinction for MSA needing SSBI and not a requirement for

TS? Does this mean an SSBI within the last 10 years is acceptable vice within 5 years?

Whether an SSBI is required or not is under consideration by the government. But as it currently stands, the SSBI must be within the last 5 years.

65 PWS 3.1.1 PWS 3.1.1 references “Trusted Agent,” Please provide training information for trusted agent role. Please provide any currently required training or qualifications mandated for this role.

This will be exercise-specific and will be provided by the

Det CC when necessary.

66 PWS 3.2 Section 3.2 of the PWS identifies test support and coordination for visiting teams. Can the Government identify the frequency and duration of these test cycles for FFP CLIN periods?

Historical workload hours necessary to support visiting government/contractor teams will be part of the Bidder's

Library.

67 PWS 3.2 Does this requirement include DT&E and OT&E? PWS 3.2 identifies the requirements for OT&E and DT&E level 1 support.

68 PWS 4.1 Please provide parts list identified as NSL parts and non NSL parts. Will the government please articulate any preference in moving towards NSL parts or away from NSL parts relative to 1) budget availability and 2)

GEODSS specific parts? Overall are NSL parts preferred?

Supply Point, XB3 and Equipment inventories will be provided in the Bidder's Library.

69 PWS 4.2.11 Please provide AFSPCI 21-108 This will be provided in the Bidder's Library

70 PWS 4.2.13 Will the Government support Associate Contractor Agreements (ACAs) for MIT/LL and delivering information in PWS Section 4.2.13 (ESSA

Sidecar EIs and PQDRs)?

Creation of ACAs will be at contractor's discretion.

71 PWS 6.2 Will IUID equipment (PWS Section 6.2) be provided by the Government or be required to be provided/priced by the proposed offeror?

The labels are provided by the government. All existing equipment is already be labeled and new equipment will be labeled when received. The government will provide replacement labels if needed.

72 PWS 6.10

/Logistics

CLINs

Please define "staffing related" as it applies to the requirement of Chapter

6, para 6.10

This will be clarified. Staffing related means getting new hires out to the site, personal leave, personnel rotations, etc.

73 PWS 6.10 Is AMC travel allowable under the Logistics CLINs for new personnel being assigned to Det #3?

AMC travel is only available to Diego Garcia.

74 PWS 4.2.2 Will the Government also support ACA coordination for EDLM/UDLM coordination/support?

Creation of ACAs will be at contractor's discretion.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

75 PWS 7.2 Will Government-provided IAO training (PWS Section 7.2.1.1) and

EMSEC packages (PWS Section 7.2.2) be available prior to the final RFP or during the phase-in/transition period?

IAO training will be provided to the contractor by the host base IA office after the host base IA office receives an appointment letter stating what contractors will be preforming the IAO duties. The EMSEC packages will be provided at phase-in/transition period. The EMSEC packages are stored on this in a controlled area and the base IA office has a copy if needed.

76 PWS 9.3 Will the Government provide all current drawing, manuals and documentation (PWS Section 9.3.x) prior to the final RFP or during the phase-in/transition period?

GEODSS Operating Instructions, Technical Orders, Host

Tenant Support Agreements and a listing of commercial equipment will be included in the Bidders Library. Manuals for commercial equipment will not be provided, but are readily available online.

77 PWS 9.3.3 Is the AutoCAD software required by PWS 9.3.3.3 Government-provided or contractor-provided?

AutoCAD is contractor-provided.

78 PWS 9.10.1 Since the comprehensive plan (PWS Section 9.10.1) provides five years of projected work, we assume these inputs or plan will transition from the incumbent contract. Will this be available to potential bidders with the final

RFP as well?

Yes, these projects will be provided in the Bidder's Library.

79 PWS. 11.4 Section 11.4 of the PWS (Visit Requests) references Report Number R3-

3.2, but this appears to be the Workload Data. Can the Government clarify if this is correct or if there is another reference?

Number of hours historically used to support this effort will be provided.

80 PWS Section

3, 3.2.1

Will the Government provide the current Technical Documentation (PWS

Section 3, 3.2.1) prior to the final RFP and during the phase-in/transition period?

Yes, Technical Orders will be provided as part of the

Bidders Library

81 PWS Section

3, 3.2.2

Will the Government provide the current Workload Data (PWS Section 3, 3.2.2) prior to the final RFP and during the phase-in/transition period?

Yes, the current workload data will be provided as part of the Bidders Library

82 PWS Section

3, 3.3.6.5

PWS p. 43, says Healthcare costs will be reimbursable. What insurance plans, if any are accepted? If none, please provide POC contact information to gather historical data for costing purposes.

PWS Section 3, paragraph 3.3.6.5 states "The

Government shall provide non-elective medical and dental services within the capacity of the Government medical facility on a fee for service basis…" Contractors will receive medical treatment and the insurance or employee will be billed/charged at time of service. This is not reimbursable to the contract.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

83 PWS

Appendix A

Appendix A contains a list of publications applicable to this PWS.

(a) Will all of these documents be provided in the Bidders Library?

(b) Will the publications listed as being in the technical library be included in Bidders Library? (c) Will the

FOUO documents listed as being available through e-publishing.af.mil be available either in the Bidders Library or through approval of access to those documents on the e-publishing site?

(d) The list contains links that are https sites. Will these documents be made available in the Bidders Library?

(e) There are other links to public websites for publications that result in

‘page not found’ errors. Will these documents either be provided in the

Bidders Library or will the correct link be provided?

(a) All publications will be available via the Bidder's Library or web site links. Access to certain TOs and GOIs requires completion of a DD2345, instructions for which are posted to FedBizOpps.

(b) Yes. For the purpose of the reacquisition, Technical

Library and Bidder's Library are synonymous.

(c) FOUO Documents will be available in the Bidders

Library (secured) or upon request.

(d) Documents from https sites and FOUO documents will be available in the Bidders Library (secured) or upon request.

(e) Correct links will be provided or they will be provided in the Bidder's Library.

84 PWS

Appendix A

Appendix A does not identify report number R1-1.4. Can Government clarify if one exists or if R1-1.5 should be the next reporting requirement with PWS section 1.x?

R1-1.5 will be renumbered to R1-1.4

85 General The PWS identifies several deliverables (transition plan due 30 days after award (Section 13.3.1), COMSEC special listing (Section 13.3.3.1), contingency plan at contract start (Section 1.1.5.1), quality program plan

(QPP) at contract start (Section 1.2.3.1)), but there does not appear to be comparable reporting requirements in Appendix A. Can the Government clarify the requirements of these deliverables?

Reporting requirements in Appendix A are for either documents that become the property of the government, or recurring reporting requirements. Documents that remain the property of the contractor (contingency plan, QPP, etc) are not listed in Appendix A, nor are one-time informational deliverables (appointment letters, COMSEC listing, etc.).

86 General When will the items identified as Bidder’s Library in Appendix B and those items identified in Appendix C be available?

The government will try to release as many documents as possible prior to the release of the final RFP..

87 General Will the Government provide all incumbent training materials (PWS

Section 1.2.10) and/or training plan (PWS Section 2.1.8) prior to the final

RFP and/or during contract transition?

No. This is contractor proprietary information

88 General Please provide a copy of current training materials so offeror may look for efficiencies and ensure adequately trained personnel.

This is contractor proprietary information and will not be released.

89 General Do I need a DD2345 to view the Technical Library? Yes, a DD2345 is required to view military technical data subject to export control. GOIs and several TOs fall into this category. Instructions on how to obtain a DD2345 and how to access this information has been posted to FBO.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

90 General Will technical data be available on the Bidder's Library? Yes. Access to certain TOs and GOIs requires completion of a DD2345, instructions for which are posted to

FedBizOpps.

91 General What are the timelines for completion of the Bidder's Library? The Bidder's Library will be complete upon release of the

RFP, approximately mid-June. As many items as the

Government can post before that time we will do so, as soon as the items become available.

92 General Please provide a copy of the existing Collective Bargaining Agreements to the bidder’s library.

These will be provided in the Bidder's Library

93 General Will historical data be provided to help determine the correct Staffing

Plan?

Historical workload hours will be posted to the Bidder's

Library.

94 General How can the pricing structure be FFP without historical data provided? Historical data will be provided in the Bidder's Library

95 General Will government GEODSS technical staff be available for further discussion prior to the release of the final RFP?

There will be a chance to submit questions following

Industry Day and receive answers prior to release of the final RFP.

96 General Is the government decision that this is a small business set aside (SBSA) definite and final, or is it still under consideration?

The decision to set this acquisition aside as a total small business set-aside is final.

97 General Does the Government have a budget for the GEODDS contract? If so, will you share by contract/CLIN period?

The government does have a budget. Whether to release it or not is still under consideration

98 General Is sustainment included in this requirement? No. This requirement is for level 1 support.

99 General Please provide all required data for Testing Agency support for the FFP or consider moving the requirement to IDIQ Task Orders CLIN

The Depot contractor will accomplish all sustainment upgrades, including providing necessary labor and parts..

Support and assistance to the Depot is expected to be included in the FFP CLIN. The level of effort necessary for this support is not expected to be significantly different from normal day-to-day operations of the sites. Historical hours necessary for this support will be posted to the

Bidder's Library. Any new requirements or significant increases in level-of-effort that were not expected by the government to be part of the contractor's original proposal will be subject to separate negotiation that could include

IJOs.

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100 General Are all sustainment upgrades going to be IJOs? The Depot contractor will accomplish all sustainment upgrades, including providing necessary labor and parts..

Support and assistance to the Depot is expected to be included in the FFP CLIN. The level of effort necessary for this support is not expected to be significantly different from normal day-to-day operations of the sites. Historical hours necessary for this support will be posted to the

Bidder's Library. Any new requirements or significant increases in level-of-effort that were not expected by the government to be part of the contractor's original proposal will be subject to separate negotiation that could include

IJOs.

101 General What type of work will be on the IJOs? General work within-scope of GEODSS, but not currently known. An example might be lending labor to SMC for a day or two to accomplish a TO review (beyond the AFTO

22 process in the PWS).

102 General Should full time staffing be proposed during sustainment upgrades? The Depot contractor will accomplish all sustainment upgrades, including providing necessary labor and parts..

Support and assistance to the Depot is expected to be included in the FFP CLIN. The level of effort necessary for this support is not expected to be significantly different from normal day-to-day operations of the sites. Historical hours necessary for this support will be posted to the

Bidder's Library. Any new requirements or significant increases in level-of-effort that were not expected by the government to be part of the contractor's original proposal will be subject to separate negotiation that could include

IJOs.

103 General How will a significant upgrade that increases the workload be handled by the Government?

Any new requirements or significant increases in level-of-effort that were not expected by the government to be part of the contractor's original proposal will be subject to separate negotiation for a contract modification.

104 General Are technology insertions and upgrades acceptable? All technology insertions and upgrades to the mission system are done by Depot. There is a processes within the PWS to submit new ideas for better performance.

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105 General Is support given for sustainment part of the FFP portion of the contract or as an IJO?

The Depot contractor will accomplish all sustainment upgrades, including providing necessary labor and parts..

Support and assistance to the Depot is expected to be included in the FFP CLIN. The level of effort necessary for this support is not expected to be significantly different from normal day-to-day operations of the sites. Historical hours necessary for this support will be posted to the

Bidder's Library. Any new requirements or significant increases in level-of-effort that were not expected by the government to be part of the contractor's original proposal will be subject to separate negotiation that could include

IJOs.

106 General There is a substantial amount of sustainment upgrade activity contemplated in the future. How will the OM prime interface with sustainment upgrades particularly since we have a FFP contract. Will the successful GEODSS contractor be held harmless from Sustainment upgrade delays or failures to perform. Insight is needed into the upgrade process and the process for OM/Sustainment adjudication.

The Depot contractor will accomplish all sustainment upgrades, including providing necessary labor and parts..

Support and assistance to the Depot is expected to be included in the FFP CLIN. The level of effort necessary for this support is not expected to be significantly different from normal day-to-day operations of the sites. Historical hours necessary for this support will be posted to the

Bidder's Library. Any new requirements or significant increases in level-of-effort that were not expected by the government to be part of the contractor's original proposal will be subject to separate negotiation that could include

IJOs.

107 General During the Industry Day a number of upcoming sustainment activities were planned. Please define the process for adjudicating cost of operations and maintenance costs of undelivered sustainment upgrades.

What is the current handoff of responsibility from Level II contractor to

Operations and Maintenance? If the baseline configuration is significantly changed at what point can O&M adjust costs under fixed price?

The Depot contractor will accomplish all sustainment upgrades, including providing necessary labor and parts..

Support and assistance to the Depot is expected to be included in the FFP CLIN. The level of effort necessary for this support is not expected to be significantly different from normal day-to-day operations of the sites. Historical hours necessary for this support will be posted to the

Bidder's Library. Any new requirements or significant increases in level-of-effort that were not expected by the government to be part of the contractor's original proposal will be subject to separate negotiation that could include

IJOs.

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108 General Is initial training included for all upgrades? Any training required as a result of an upgrade will be provided by the Government.

109 General Will the telescopes be refurbished? Depot accomplishes all Level 2 upgrades.

110 General Can you narrow the timeframe for upgrades to the system? The Depot has historically completed 2 or 3 projects per year per site. The Depot contractor will accomplish all sustainment upgrades, including providing necessary labor and parts.. Support and assistance to the Depot is expected to be included in the FFP CLIN. The level of effort necessary for this support is not expected to be significantly different from normal day-to-day operations of the sites. Historical hours necessary for this support will be posted to the Bidder's Library. Any new requirements or significant increases in level-of-effort that were not expected by the government to be part of the contractor's original proposal will be subject to separate negotiation.

111 General Are escorts to be provided during upgrades? Site escort of Depot personnel is not required.

112 General Please provide information relative to government’s expectation for operational requirements for trained operators during transition phase.

All contract requirements must be met by start of contract performance. Government-provided training will be available in the Bidder's Library.113 General By what date are security clearances required? All contract requirements must be met by start of contract performance.

114 General How soon do the clearances need to be activated? Can the Government provide expedited clearance sponsorship for small businesses?

All contract requirements must be met by start of contract performance. Obtaining clearances is the responsibility of the Contractor.

115 General Who is responsible for site security requirements and security enforcement?

The Det CC is ultimately responsible, but there are security requirements contained within the PWS that will be the responsibility of the contractor. PWS Chapter 11 details security requirements.

116 General Is emergency response required by the contractor for security calls? PWS chapter 11 details security requirements

117 General Will reach back capabilities be a discriminating factor? The discriminating factors are Technical, Past

Performance and Cost/Price. Technical is pass/fail and the government has the option of trading up in price for past performance in which the government has more confidence. As long as the minimum acceptability is met, how best to accomplish the requirement is up to the offeror.

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118 General Does having current on-site reach back two of the three GEODSS sites

(New Mexico and Maui) factor into the evaluation?

The discriminating factors are Technical, Past

Performance and Cost/Price. Technical is pass/fail and the government has the option of trading up in price for past performance in which the government has more confidence. As long as the minimum acceptability is met, how best to accomplish the requirement is up to the offeror.

119 General What equipment will the contractor need to provide? Will the contractor need to provide vehicles?

Lists of Government-Furnished Property (GFP) will be posted to the Bidder's Library. The PWS requirement is that the contractor must provide all personnel, tools, materials, transportation, supervision and other items necessary to perform the GEODSS requirements on a 16/7 basis.

120 General Is the Government looking for efficiencies in operations and technology? The Government always welcomes efficiencies.

121 General Will the government accept nonconforming proposals with respect to this acquisition if they represent significant cost savings or otherwise innovative mission performance enhancing approaches to provide a best value to the government?

As long as the requirements of the PWS are met, contractors are encouraged to submit their best and most competitive proposal.

122 General Why is the manpower at Diego Garcia such a big risk and issue? Historically that site has had very high turnover due to its remote location and small size

123 General At the industry day the government indicated their concern about staffing turnover at Diego. Please provide insight into what factors the government think may be driving turnover issues at site. Would the govt consider innovative staffing solutions including air force “blue suit” staffing or rotational operator staffing?

Diego Garcia is inherently risky due to its remote location and small size. How the offeror chooses to staff is up to them. Blue suit operations are not and will not be considered by the Government.

124 General Are Diego Garcia personnel required to be US citizens? Yes.

125 General How is contractor furnished equipment to Diego Garcia transported? Transportation of contractor equipment can be arranged through the Government Travel Management Office.

126 General Are time commitments enforced on Diego Garcia? Not sure what is meant by the question, but the

Government does not have any minimum time commitments related to staffing at Diego Garcia. How the contractor chooses to staff will be up to them.

127 General Are physical and mental evaluations required to work on Diego Garcia? There is no Government requirement for this.

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128 General Please provide the government’s top 5 highest risk maintenance activities and top 5 operational risks.

The risks the Government identified were briefed during

Industry Day and the slides will be posted to the Bidder's

Library. The GEODSS requirement is mature, well-defined and relatively non-complex. Any risks will be more on the management side. How the contractor mitigates these risks are up them.

129 General Does the Government support ostensible contracting? Ostensible subcontracting violates the intent of the Small

Business Set-Aside and is not supported by the

Government. An offeror determined to be other than small business cannot receive contract award. Offerors are strongly encouraged to avoid business arrangements that could be construed as other than small business in consideration of the Small Business Administration

Ostensible Subcontracting Rule.

130 General Is the Source Selection Authority in the 21st Space Wing? The Source Selection Authority (SSA) will be the 21st

Space Wing Commander.

131 General Is there anything new or expected to achieve with this contract as compared to the current contract? Any current challenges that you face that you would like to see addressed?

The requirement has changed from the last reacquisition to this one. Offerors are reminded that their proposal should be based on the requirements contained in the new PWS, not on what has previously been done. The most challenging aspect of this requirement has historically been high staffing turnover at Diego Garcia.

132 General How are you going to evaluate the financial viability of the companies and their ability to meet their monthly financial obligations to their sub-contractors and their personnel (i.e., payroll, insurance, benefits, etc.)?

If the Contracting Officer has concerns about the responsibility of an apparent successful offeror, those concerns will be brought up to SBA for a potential

Certificate of Competency.

133 General Are there any cultural requirements that might be unique to the sites? Nothing especially unique.

134 General Is the government open to partnered providers for contingencies?

Telescope augmentation? Side car deployment to trusted providers?

How the offeror chooses to meet the requirements of the

PWS is up to them, so long as applicable limitations on subcontracting rules are met.

135 General Employee morale: Is social media an acceptable employee communication medium or limited to SIPR/NIPR chat rooms?

Assuming all OPSEC requirements are met, the contractor has discretion in how they communicate with their employees.

136 General Please provide a customer organizational chart relevant to site in order best facilitate an efficient communications plan.

This will be taken into consideration.

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137 General Is rotational and transitional travel cost reimbursable?

No. Travel will only be reimbursed if is government-directed. How the contractor chooses to staff is up to them and costs for this should be included in the FFP CLINs.

138 General Is Supply and Logistics throughout the Draft RFP synonymous? Yes.

139 General How were the RFIs incorporated in the RFP? The results of market research as a whole were considered very carefully and were critical in every aspect of developing the RFP.

140 General Is transition phase to be priced in separate a CLIN? Will transition phase costs be exempted from evaluation due to likely incumbent advantage for transition?

There are separate phase-in CLINs. These will not count towards total evaluated cost.

141 General Should CLIN 5004 be included to cover logistics in the 6 month extension?

The Government will take this into consideration.

142 General Is the use of fall out funding risky? This approach does not add significant risk. The intent is to give the Government more funding options at end-of-year.

143 General What is the approximate dollar value of the current contract? The current contract's value is approximately $38M

144 General Does the current contract have a requirement for phase out? Yes.

145 General What is the longevity of the GEODSS requirement? There is currently nothing on the horizon that suggests the

GEODSS requirement will go away.

146 General Why is there so much time between the release of the RFP and the award of the contract?

Necessary in order to meet all reacquisition milestones so that award can be made in June 2015.

147 General Is the pre-proposal conference date and time locked in so contractors can make travel arrangements?

The formal announcement of the Site Visit will be posted to

FBO as soon as it's ready. The Site Visit is currently on schedule for the end of June.

148 General Is the site visit still on schedule for the end of June? Yes.

149 General Is the RFP still on schedule for June 2014? Yes.