12._Attch_12,_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

FA2517-15-R-8001 SSPARS Draft RFP and Industry Day

Questions and Answers Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

General Is the current effort being executed also called SSPARS? Yes.

General Was the current effort a single award? Yes.

General How long do you expect the proposal turnaround to be after the release of the final RFP?

Expected to be around 45 days.

General Who is the incumbent(s) for the current effort? How long have they been the incumbent?

BAE Systems has been the incumbent since the current contract was awarded in 2006.

General Are there any small business requirements on the current effort? Will these requirements be the same on the follow on SSPARS effort?

The current effort requires a Small Business

Subcontracting Plan, as will the follow-on effort. The small business subcontracting requirements are described in the

RFP.

General Is SSPARS expected to be LPTA, best value, or something else? This effort will use a Technical-Price Tradeoff (TPT) best-value source selection approach, as described in the RFP.

General Will the Government be able to accommodate both in-person and telephone attendees for the one-on-one sessions?

No, one-on-one sessions will be in-person only.

General Are there any type of Subject Matter Expert requirements? All the requirements are detailed in the Performance Work

Statement, available on www.fbo.gov under solicitation number FA2517-15-R-8001.

General Is 100% of the work expected to be at the radar sites, or is there a possibility for work being done at AFSPC or contractor sites?

All of the work is expected to be contained within the radar sites. Any exceptions will be listed in the PWS.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

General Are you looking for any innovation (for example, developing new tools to improve performance monitoring, etc.), or just simply maintaining the radars using the existing tools/capabilities?

Radar maintenance is largely driven by Technical Orders, but the Government is always interested in hearing innovative ideas.

General Who is the current Govt Program Manager? The Program Manager for the follow-on effort is Laura

McDonough (laura.mcdonough@us.af.mil)

General Do you happen to have an Org Chart of the 21SW / 21st Operations

Group?

This will be included in the Industry Day briefing slides.

General Are any radar upgrades to the SSPARS assets expected during the period of performance?

A schedule of planned and potential upgrades will be included in the bidders' library.

General Will the Government be able to accommodate both in-person and telephone attendees for the one-on-one sessions?

No, one-on-one sessions will be in-person only.

General Will the Program Management Office be required to be within a specific mile radius of Peterson AFB

No.

General The draft RFP documents indicate a combination of FFP and CR

Contract types. Is this expected to change for the Final RFP

This is not expected to change.

General Will contractor personnel be able to obtain CAC cards prior to the beginning of phase‐in?

Yes, the winning contractor will be able to obtain CACs after contract award. http://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/getting-your-cac/for-contractors/

General Will the government provide copies of the current collective bargaining agreements in place between the incumbent contractor and collective bargaining units?

Yes, the current CBAs are presently in the Preliminary

Bidders' Library, available on FedBizOpps. Upon release of the Final RFP, the most recent CBAs will be included in the Bidders' Library.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

General Is it assumed that SCA rates will be required at All Locations? Beale, Clear and Cape Cod are subject to Collective

Bargaining Agreements. Thule and Fylingdales are international sites not subject to SCA.

General Please confirm, the Clear AFS coal fired power plant is no longer in use. That is correct. The coal power plant at Clear AFS is no longer operational. Power for the site is now provided through commercial means and heat is now provided through a newly-constructed steam plant, operated by DoD

Civilians.

General There is no mention of railroad maintenance systems support for Clear

AFS in the Draft PWS. Is railroad maintenance no longer required?

That is correct. With the closure of the coal power plant, there is no longer a requirement for railroad maintenance.

General Will the Contractor be required to maintain a Classified work area at their

Program Management Office

No. The DD254 will be revised accordingly.

General When will the questions and answers and rosters from Industry Day be posted, as some answers prompt other questions?

We will post the Industry Day briefing and the first round of questions the week of October 3rd, immediately after

Industry Day. The second round of questions will be posted no later than 20 October.

Draft RFP

Section B, CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-41)

The FFP CLIN descriptions (i.e. 0106 - 0118) states, "…personnel, supervision, transportation, items and services necessary…" What is the difference between “items” in the FFP CLINs and the Cost Reimbursables

(i.e. 0200) CLINs? Recommend a clearer description or distinction of what is to be priced in these CLINs.

PWS paras 1.1.9 and 1.1.10 explains in detail what shall be included in the FFP CLINs and CR CLINs, respectively.

These paragraph references will be added to the CLIN descriptions to better clarify.

Draft RFP

Section B, CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-41)

The FFP CLIN descriptions (i.e. 0106 - 0118) states, "…personnel, supervision, transportation, items and services necessary…" What is the difference between “transportation” in the FFP CLINs and the "travel" or

"shipping" included in the Cost Reimbursables (i.e. 0200) CLINs?

Recommend a clearer description or distinction of what is to be priced in these CLINs.

PWS paras 1.1.9 and 1.1.10 explains in detail what shall be included in the FFP CLINs and CR CLINs, respectively.

These paragraph references will be added to the CLIN descriptions to better clarify.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section B, CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-41)

Please clarify under what circumstances the Government will negotiate

Cost and/or FFP IJOs?

It will depend on the nature of work for which the IJO is needed. The large majority of IJOs are expected to have well-defined requirements, and thus be FFP. They will only be negotiated as Cost-type if the requirement or outcome cannot be well-defined.

Draft RFP

Section B, CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-41)

CLINs for Individual Job Orders should state “NSP” (Not Separately

Priced) in Section B.

IAW with Section L-5 D.2.a.5)iv., propose $0.00 on these

CLINs, as they will be subject to separate negotiation as individual jobs arise.

Draft RFP

Section B, CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-41)

Is it correct to assume CLIN (i.e. 0400) Termination Liability does not include the termination liability for the FFP Individual Job Orders since they are unknown.

That is correct.

Draft RFP

Section B, CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 36-38)

Will the extension of services FFP CLINs be fully funded upon exercise or should they also have a termination liability schedule?

These will be fully funded when exercised, and will not be subject to termination liability.

Draft RFP

Section B, CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-4)

Please confirm the frequency of billing/payment for the phase-in CLINs is monthly at the unit price per month?

That is correct.

Draft RFP

Section B, CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-41)

Please confirm the frequency of billing/payment for the FFP base

(including option) period CLINs is monthly at the unit price per month?

That is correct.

DRAFT RFP

Section G

2.c.ii.1)

(page 51)

The PWS paragraph references do not appear to be correct. Please clarify

The PWS references of 1.1.10 and 2.7.1 are correct. Para

1.1.10 explains what types of items are allowable under the

CR CLIN. Para 2.7.1 reiterates what CE-type parts are allowable under the CR CLIN.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

DRAFT RFP

Section G

2.c.ii.2)

(page 51)

Since the expenditure of CR funds are already pre-approved, will the

Government consider not requiring receipts with invoices? Contractor financial records are available for review by the Government if requested.

This language will be revised to require receipts only for those purchases over $5,000.00.

Draft RFP

Section G

2.c.v., 2.d.iii, and 3.a.i.

(pp. 51-52)

Since each Offeror’s Disclosure Statements are different, suggest rewording as follows: “General and Administrative (G&A) expenses and/or other applicable indirect cost burdens (when applicable) will be allowed;”

This will be revised to include other indirect cost burdens.

Draft RFP

Section I

52.211-11

DRFP includes FAR 52.211-11 Liquidated Damages – Supplies, Services, or Research and Development. It is not clear how this clause applies to this type of work or how it is intended to be used. Recommend removing this clause

Depending on the nature of Individual Job Orders (IJOs), this clause may be applied.

Draft RFP

Section I

52.211-12

DRFP includes FAR 52.211-12 – Liquidated Damage – Construction. This is not a construction contract. Recommend removing this clause

Some IJOs may be for construction projects.

Section I, 52.222-46

Will an Industry standard Salary Survey be used by the Government in its determination of "Fair Compensation for supported locations"

This contract is not expected to require meaningful numbers of professional employees. This clause will be removed.

Draft RFP

Section I

5352.209-

Clause 5352.209-9000 Organizational Conflict of Interest last paragraph states “…Contractor is precluded for the life of the system from award of a DoD contract to supply the system or any of its major components”.

This lifetime restriction appears to be overly and unnecessarily restrictive.

Recommend revising this clause from “life of the system” to “contract performance period”.

The exact wording of this clause (including its alternates, if applicable) will be determined if and when OCI mitigations are identified and approved.

Draft RFP

Section L-2

252.237-7024

(page 104)

Will Attachment 1, PWS, Continuance of Performance/Mission Essential

Services be provided prior to RFP release?

Attachment 1 is the PWS, and it is currently available on

FedBizOpps. In the PWS, Paragraph 1.1.2 is titled

"Continuance of Performance/Mission Essential Services."

The clause wording will be revised to eliminate confusion.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section L-3

5352.209-

(page 105)

Page 105 of the draft RFP FA2517-15-R-8001 for SSPARS states: "The

Government may, after discussions with the offeror and consideration of ways to avoid the conflict of interest, insert a special provision in the resulting contract which shall disqualify the offeror from further consideration for award of future contracts, including SMORS or its equivalent." Can the Government please explain the OCI concern? What type of OCI is perceived to exist and with which portions of the work?

The basis for the potential is what is stated in paragraph

(a) of the subject clause, “The SSPARS contractor will be responsible for testing or providing technical evaluations of products delivered from the SENSOR program.

Accordingly: (1) Restrictions are needed to ensure that the

Contractor is not testing or providing technical evaluations on its own products delivered to the SSPARS program.”

Draft RFP

Section L-3

5352.209-

(page 105)

In regards to Contractors Supporting the current SENSOR program…Will an OCI exist for companies that previously supported the SENSOR program but are not currently. If so, what period of time is acceptable for companies that no longer support the SENSOR program?

Previous work on the SENSOR contract is not expected to constitute an OCI. The basic nature of the potential OCI exists because the SSPARS contractor may be in a position to favorably evaluate its own products delivered from the current SENSOR (or future SMORS) contract.

please contact the Contracting Officer for further discussion regarding the nature of the previous work.

Draft RFP

Section L-3

5352.215-

(page 105)

It is stated that a pre-bid proposal meeting will be conducted Mid-2017. Is this still being planned? How will this be different from the Industry Day briefing?

This is still planned. This will be a physical site visit at one or more of the SSPARS sites, to aid offerors in proposal preparation. Details of the site visit will be released with final RFP (or just prior to). Industry Day is to ensure the

Government's requirements are clear and understood in case revisions need to be made before release of the final

RFP.

Draft RFP

Section L-3

5352.215-

(page 105)

Is there any possibility of doing Site Visits prior to RFP release? No, the RFP will be released before the site visit, so the site visit can be seen in context. Enough time will be given after the site visit to develop your proposal.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

A.6.

(page 106)

What other precautions will the Government use to protect its source selection information and the offeror’s proprietary information, such as encryption when transmitting?

Transmission of proprietary data over email is expected to be extremely minimal. If it is required, it will be encrypted, labeled accordingly, and sent only to ".mil" email addresses. Secure file-sharing sites like AMRDEC SAFE may also be used.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

A.9.

(page 107)

Is the Government considering use of the Competitive Range

Determination methodology outlined in DRFP Sec L‐5 A.9?

This will not be known until after receipt and evaluation of initial proposals. But yes, if necessary, the Government reserves the right to make a competitive range determination IAW FAR 15.306(c)(2)

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section L-5

B.1.c.

(page 107)

Can the customer elaborate more of the evaluation criteria for Technical price Trade off? Or are stated of equal importance by a "Trade-off statement" implies one may be more important than another.

Technical and Price are of equal importance (RFP Section

M-3.C.1.). The Government may award to a higher priced offeror if it is determined by the SSA that the superior technical approach outweighs the price difference.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

B.2.a.3)

(page 109)

Technical Volume is limited to 50 pages. Even though the staffing matrix is not included in page count, the 50 page limit seems small given the

PWS includes 83 Pages of requirements. Will the government consider increasing the page limit to 75 pages?

The page limit will be increased to 60, and the small business commitment agreements in subfactor 5 will be exempted from the page count.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

B.2.a.4)

(page 109)

Can the customer confirm page margins (left & right) to be set at 3/4" and

Top & bottom are 1" (representing 7x9)

This is correct. If using Microsoft Word (2013 version), this is the "moderate" Margin setting under "Page Layout."

Draft RFP

Section L-5

B.2.a.5)

(page 109)

Will a specific Font type be specified in the final RFP? Yes, it will be Times New Roman.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

B.2.a.5)

(page 109)

Section L identifies for tables and charts a required font size of 11. Would the government allow a font size of 10 for tables and charts.

No. All font size must be no smaller than 11 point font.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.b.3)

(page 111)

“Specifically demonstrate your approach to meeting PWS paragraphs

1.1.5 …” PWS paragraph 1.1.5 refers to providing Third Party support to other contractors and government agencies in support of upgrades, projects, and other efforts. Is the government asking how the contractor will communicate intent to enter sub-contract agreements to accomplish these types of tasks or for a description of how such projects will be supported?

PWS paragraph 1.1.5. will be removed from the evaluation criteria for this subfactor.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.d.1)

(page 111)

On page 111 of the Draft RFP it calls out DPWS Section 2.7.1.41. This paragraph number does not exist in the DPWS. It appears that the correct paragraph number is 2.7.15. Does the government agree with this reading of the DRFP and may we anticipate a correction in the final RFP?

That is correct. The correct PWS reference should be

2.7.15. This will be corrected with the release of the Final

RFP.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

Will the Small Business Breakdown by percentages be provided in the

Final RFP for Small Business Sub-categories (i.e. WOSB = 5%, SDVOSB

= 5%, HubZone=3%..etc)?

No, the subcategory breakdown will be up to the offeror to propose.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

Is the 20% Small Business Subcontracting a FAR mandated number? No, the percentage was established by the Government through market research.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

How will the SB plan and SB commitment work, since the Small

Business Subcontracting Plan doesn't have to be submitted until after award?

The Small Business Commitment document will be required with the proposal and the Small Business

Subcontracting Plan will be submitted after the apparent successful offeror is known. The Commitment document will then be incorporated into the Small Business

Subcontracting Plan. The Commitment document is designed to prevent companies from offering small businesses in their proposals, then never actually using those small businesses in the performance of the contract.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.2.

(page 111)

The RFP states, "…include a signed copy of the Model Contract, and

Sections A through K, completed as required." Recommend the

Government indicate throughout Sections A – K which items are required to be completed by the Offeror.

This is a general statement, highlighting the expectation of what shall be included in the proposal. Other sections of the RFP specify the exact sections to be filled out (i.e. L-

5.D.2.b.9), Section K clauses)

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.2.a.4)

(page 112)

When will current CBA information be available to bidders? These are currently included in the preliminary Bidders'

Library and the most recent documents will also be included in the final Bidders' Library.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.2.b.4)

(page 113)

If a company has undergone a financial capability audit by DCMA, would a copy of that letter satisfy this requirement?

Yes, such a letter would satisfy this requirement. This language will be updated accordingly.

Draft RFP

Section M-3

B.3.

(page 115)

How will the Government evaluate offeror’s past performance since no past performance is required to be submitted in its proposal?

The Government will review offerors' past performance ratings in the Past Performance Information Retrieval

System (PPIRS), including Contractor Performance

Assessments Reports (CPARs)

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section M-3

B.3.

(page 115)

How will the past performance portion of responsibility be determined?

Will the Government look at the cage code?

Yes, based on the CAGE code of the offeror, the

Government will utilize CPARS, PPIRS or any other available means to assess at that company's past performance history. The RFP also includes a section for

"Organizational Structure Change History," under which the offeror shall provide a "roadmap" of the organizational structure, including mergers, divisions, subsidiaries, etc. by

CAGE code. The Government will use this to aid in the assessment of pertinent past performance.

Draft RFP

Section M-3

B.3.

(page 115)

Section L does not contain direction for the submission of past performance information. Can the government confirm that there will be no requirement for submission of past performance in the proposal?

That is correct. Past performance information is not required to be submitted, as it will not be included in the evaluation criteria.

Draft RFP

Section M-3

B.3.

(page 115)

Can the government provide further detail on the how it will determine responsibility IAW M‐3 Evaluation Criteria? Will this this determination be a pass/fail rating or will gradations of responsibility be assigned to each bidder?

In accordance with FAR 9.104-3(b), A prospective contractor that is or recently has been seriously deficient in contract performance shall be presumed to be nonresponsible, unless the contracting officer determines that the circumstances were properly beyond the contractor’s control, or that the contractor has taken appropriate corrective action. Past failure to apply sufficient tenacity and perseverance to perform acceptably is strong evidence of nonresponsibility. Failure to meet the quality requirements of the contract is a significant factor to consider in determining satisfactory performance. The contracting officer shall consider the number of contracts involved and the extent of deficient performance in each contract when making this determination.

Draft RFP

Section M-3

B.3.

(page 115)

Specific key experience is crucial to predict future contract success.

Suggest Past Performance be included as a separate factor evaluation criteria.

In accordance with FAR 15.304(c)(3)(iii), the Contracting

Officer has determined that past performance will not be a meaningful discriminator for this effort; as such, it will be evaluated as part of the responsibility determination.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section M-3

C.1.

(page 116)

Technical Subfactor 1, Mission System Maintenance Plan, is scored acceptable or not acceptable (DRFP Sec M‐3.C.2.a). DRFP Sec M‐3.C.1, Relative Importance states Subfactor 1 is the most important of all subfactors. Would the Government consider using a color rating scheme similar to other subfactors to score Subfactor 1 to obtain a more complete assessment and scoring of the proposed Maintenance Plan?

Maintenance of the Mission System is heavily driven by

Technical Orders, and therefore not subject to alternative approaches. Therefore, this subfactor will be evaluated on an "acceptable/unacceptable" basis.

Draft RFP

Section M-3

C.3.

(page 119)

Will price realism be a considered factor in the Best Value evaluation No. Price will be evaluated for reasonableness, affordability, and balance. Price realism will not be conducted.

Draft PWS

1.1.3.

(page 1)

Can the contingency plan include fail-over to another site, or must the plan provide for immediate recover at the site where the catastrophe occurred.

Resources may be brought from another site, but recovery must occur at the failed site.

Draft PWS

1.1.9.

(page 3)

It states that “Consumables (custodial supplies, light bulbs, paper, etc.)

and parts, supplies and materials needed for normal maintenance and in performance of day-to-day contract requirements are included in the fixed price and will not be reimbursed by the Government.” What is the definition of “normal maintenance”? Will the final RFP include a

Government estimate for these items?

Normal maintenance is maintenance done on commercial items or equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, or that maintenance required to keep the site(s) in normal and safe operating condition, in accordance with PWS requirements. Parts for repair that cannot be foreseen (i.e. due to an unexpected failure) will be reimbursable on the CR CLIN.

Draft PWS

1.1.10.

(page 4)

The paragraph reads, in part, as “The contractor shall be reimbursed for labor hours resulting from approved minor labor surges.” What is the definition of “minor labor surges”?

Minor labor surges could consist of those instances that may require labor above the PWS baseline. For example, unexpected escort support, in-depth technical order review, or support for outside agency projects.

Draft PWS

1.1.12.4.

(page 5)

Will the government provide to the contract all newer revisions to publications or will it be contractors responsibility to obtain them?

It is the contractor's responsibility to stay abreast of all publication revisions and updates and to notify the government in accordance with PWS para 1.1.12.4.

Draft PWS

1.1.17.4.

(page 7)

What are the specific certifications / qualification by job type required? Certifications for certain CE disciplines are required to perform repair/maintenance. Federal, State, and Local laws dictate which crafts and work that require certified crafts persons to perform maintenance and/or repair on specified RP/RPIE. This concept also applies to other functions contained in the PWS, such as Environmental, Information Assurance, etc.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft PWS

1.1.17.5.1

(page 7)

Draft PWS Sec 1.1.17.5.1 states The Contractor is responsible for providing all vehicles and heavy equipment necessary in performance of contract requirements. Will the Government provide a list of necessary heavy equipment for each site?

It will be up to the contractor to determine what heavy equipment is necessary to meet PWS requirements. The site visits, likely to be held at Clear AFS, AK and Beale

AFB, CA, should be sufficient to determine what heavy equipment is necessary.

Draft PWS

2.1.4.1.

(page 10)

How many real time operational requests should the contractor estimate for their bid?

The number of requests can vary quite a bit from day-to-day. The particular number is not expected to be a cost-driver.

Draft PWS

2.1.4.2.

(page 10)

Calibration reporting. CPCI-2 is a pre UEWR term and not referenced in the PIDS or SRS standards. Recommend removing this referencing for

UEWR radars. The ESD/SCT-0001A is still referenced and should remain for UEWR sites.

The PWS covers both EWR and UEWR radars as the last site won’t be upgraded until FY18 at the earliest.

Draft PWS

2.1.14

(page 15)

SCIF Support. What clearance level is required for personnel maintaining the SCIF?

All personnel requiring unescorted access into the SCIF will require a Top Secret clearance.

Draft PWS

2.4.4.

(page 23)

Does "Establish" mean install? Or something more? The word "establish" will be deleted. Para 2.4.4. will be revised to read, "Manage, issue, receive, store, ship, safeguard, track and maintain Controlled Materiel’s cryptographic and classified communications assets…"

Draft PWS

2.5.4 - 2.5.11, and 2.5.12.1

(pp. 28-31)

PWS Secs 2.5.4 – 2.5.11, and 2.5.12.1. Should section applicability include Beale AFB? Or, is this handled by the host base?

PWS paras were double-checked and Beale section applicability is applied correctly. Beale AFB as the Host

Base handles most of the Environmental requirements but the SSPARS contractor is responsible for complying with

Host base training requirements and policy. See paras

2.5.4.1., 2.5.7., 2.5.7.1., 2.5.7.3., 2.5.12.2 and 2.5.12.4., for instance, which contain contract requirements in support of the Site on Beale AFB in coordination with the Host

Environmental function at Beale AFB.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft PWS

2.7.1.

(page 38)

Is the contractor responsible for equipment that fails at the end of its’ expected lifespan?

Only if the contractor fails to notify the government through proper programming that a piece of equipment or system is nearing its expected life. The government expects the contractor to ID equipment nearing its life expectancy approximately 3 years out. If equipment was maintained by the contractor as required and the contractor is not at fault for the failure, the government will fund repair or replacement.

Draft PWS

2.7.1.

(page 38)

Is there a history of repairs contractors can obtain access to in order to estimate future work? Recommend the history be provided in the Bidders

Library.

Maintenance Action Sheets (MAS) will be provided in the

Bidder’s library with the final Request for Proposal (RFP).

Draft PWS

2.7.1.

(page 38)

Recommend this work be reimbursed on a cost plus fixed fee or cost reimbursable basis.

All expenses related to routine maintenance for real property shall be included in the fixed price. Parts for unforeseeable repairs will be cost reimbursable.

Draft PWS

2.7.1.

(page 38)

Please define "predictable" and please define "unforeseeable". "Predictable/foreseeable" means all costs related to routine maintenance. For example, to maintain a commercial generator, if the manufacturer's instructions state the oil filters need to be replaced every six months, the number of oil filters needed is predictable and can be foreseen. If an elevator needs annual inspection, the number of inspections, and associated costs based on the offeror's approach, can be predicted and foreseen.

Draft PWS

2.7.1.1.5

(page 40)

Do any of the sites currently have SCIFs? If so, which sites? (PWS Secs

1.1.1, 2.1.14, 2.7.1.1.5)

None of the sites currently have SCIFs. However, all of the sites, with the exception of RAF Fylingdales are expected to have SCIFs by the start of the period of performance for this contract.

Draft PWS

2.7.1.1.5

(page 40)

Will sites currently without SCIFs have them installed? If so, what is the installation schedule?

(PWS Secs 1.1.1, 2.1.14, 2.7.1.1.5)

Yes, all sites, with the exception of RAF Fylingdales, are scheduled to have SCIFs installed, and all are expected to be completed by contract start. If this changes, a schedule will be included in the Bidders' Library with release of the

Final RFP.

Round 1

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

2.7.1.1.5.

SCIF

Maintenance

When will the current accreditation for the SCIF expire? The SCIFs are currently not yet constructed, but are anticipated to be constructed by contract start. The accreditation lasts for 5 years. The contractor is not required to certify the SCIFs, but to ensure the integrity of the structure is maintained so that the SCIF is “certifiable”.

Draft PWS

2.7.1.14

(page 42)

Does the Contractor have any responsibility for Thule AB power plant operation, maintenance or support (i.e. should PWS Sec 2.7.1.14, 2.7.1.14.1, and 2.7.1.14.2 applicability include Thule)?

No. All RP/RPIE maintenance and repair at Thule is the responsibility of the Base O&M contractor

Draft PWS

2.7.1.14

(page 42)

Would the contractor have to do high voltage repairs and excavation at their cost?

Yes, for the sites at which there is a high voltage requirement, all applicable maintenance and repair costs that can be foreseen/predicated shall be included in the fixed price IAW PWS 1.1.9. and 2.7.1. Unforeseen repairs will be reimbursable IAW PWS 1.1.10. and 2.7.1.

Draft PWS

2.7.13.

(page 51)

Can the Government include SABER information in the bidders library? The Government will provide available SABER-related workload data in the final Bidders' Library.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

General Is there any proprietary information contained within the mission system that the incumbent might take with them?

No.

General What is most important requirement of SSPARS? All requirements in the PWS are important, but the contract exists to maintain the radars at the stated operational threshold.

General Will any portion of Space Fence be added to SSPARS? No.

General Will any portion of the Space Surveillance Telescope being installed in

Australia be part of SSPARS?

No.

General Who is the SSA? Due to the dollar value, this is a PEO-level acquisition.

General Are the CONOPS similar at all sites, and are they networked together? The sites CONOPS are similar and they’re connected through the ETTS system to allow for transfer of data, but not for any type of CONOPS collaboration.

General Are planned upgrades posted? An upgrade schedule from the SPO will be provided in the bidders' library.

General Will the names of the Industry Day attendees be posted? Yes, the sign in sheet from Industry Day has been posted to FedBizOpps.

General Is there a database for inventory control? No, contractor format is acceptable.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

General What is new, not on current contract? UEWR primary and alternate System Administrators;

Advanced training; Secret Compartmentalized Information

Facility (SCIF) communications equipment and facility maintenance; TS/SCI security clearances in support of

SCIF requirements; expanded program and project management support (throughout requirements); SABER project support; Defense Satellite Communications System

(DSCS) maintenance (some sites previously had DSCS in warm storage) DSCS with Military Earth Terminal (MET) is now online at Clear AFS, is being installed at RAF

Fylingdales with Cape Cod scheduled in the near future.

General Will workload data from the legacy contract be included in the bidder’s library?

Yes.

General Does the Government have off-site testing labs? Is the contractor required to use these?

Yes, AFLCMC owns the test facilities. The O&M contractor does not use these facilities and has no responsibility to maintain them.

General Will there be any other opportunities for open dialogue between the

Government and contractors after Industry Day?

The only other opportunity for exchange of information will be at the Site Visit after release of the RFP. However, if a contractor has a potential OCI, the Government will work one-on-one with that company prior to release of the RFP to address their mitigation strategy.

General Can small business have a joint venture relationship? Small businesses may submit proposals as a Joint

Venture. The Government requests all Joint Venture agreements be submitted with proposals and be in the name of the new joint venture and in a name separate from the individual joint venture partners. Additionally, an

Offeror submitting in the form of a Joint Venture must have a corresponding DUNS number in SAM.gov and all the proposal submission documents must be in the name of the existing Joint Venture, not the individual members of the Joint Venture.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

General How is the contractor incentivized if there is no monetary gain? The CPARS rating will be the incentive for this contract.

Using the CAsPR Matrix, contractor performance will be objectively measured and scored. A rating above

"Satisfactory" must truly be earned through demonstrable performance above the contract requirements. Similarly, if all contract requirements are not met, the contractor's score may be impacted and a final rating of "Marginal" or

"Unsatisfactory" may be earned.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 12)

It was stated that 4 of the 5 locations will require TS/SCI cleared personnel. Are there currently TS/SCI personnel on the current contract, or is the construction of the SCIF facilities requiring the addition of TS/SCI personnel? Will the customer disclose the sq. footage of the SCIF spaces being build or the require number of TS/SCI personnel that will be required for each location?

The current contract does not have any TS/SCI requirements. This is a new requirement that is being driven by the construction of the Secret

Compartmentalized Information Facilities (SCIFs) at the sites. The number of TS billets being requested is contained in the DD254, but the contractor may use a performance-based approach to meeting the PWS SCIF requirements. The sq. footage will not be released, but the spaces will be shown at the site visit sites.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 12)

Will the customer identify the specific types of heavy equipment vehicles at each location? Also, will maintenance records of the vehicles be required to ensure operational readiness and maintenance of the equipment?

Yes, a list of vehicles currently at Clear AFS will be provided. However, the contractor will be responsible for providing their own heavy equipment, IAW PWS

1.1.17.5.1. Offerors are cautioned that just because a

vehicle exists at the site does not mean it is necessarily required for contract performance. Maintenance records will not be required for contractor vehicles, but will be required for Government vehicle maintenance.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 14)

This slide states, “Requirements shall be covered in the fixed price even if the contractor chooses to subcontract to a certified company to perform the work.” Question: The meaning of this is not clear. Can the

Government please clarify?

This means that if the contractor chooses to meet a requirement by subcontracting it out rather than doing it in-house (for example, servicing the elevators), the cost of that subcontracting work shall be included in the proposed fixed-price amount, just as if the work were done in-house.

The contractor shall not exclude the cost of these requirements from the fixed-price CLIN, thinking that, because they were not included in the FFP, they will be allowable under the CR CLIN. ALL work that the contractor can foresee needs to be performed to meet the requirement shall be included in the fixed price, whether or not that work is ultimately done by a subcontractor. Costs for unexpected repairs or other non-foreseeable work will be allowable under the CR CLIN.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 15)

This slide states, "The contractor shall cover any collective bargaining agreement (CBA), or other agreement, employee meal costs and unofficial travel expenses as agreed to between the contractor and the contractor’s employees." Question: Will the contract allow for adjustments to the FFP for changes to the CBA?

Yes, changes to the terms of the CBA, including wage increases, are a basis to adjust the FFP, IAW Section L-

5.D.2.a.4) of the Draft RFP.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 16)

Industry Day Slide 16 states that labor surges are included in the CR

CLIN to which fee is not applied. Question: (1) Why is the contractor prevented from getting fee for additional labor to meet the Government's requirements? If the contractor is doing the same job with fee, but now more of it via a labor surge, it would seem that fee should be applicable here too. What is the Government's rationale for the exclusion of fee on this labor? (2) How is a minor labor surge defined? (3) What happens if it’s a major labor surge?

Fee is not allowed under the CR CLIN because adding a percentage fee would be a cost-plus-percentage-of-cost contract type, which is explicitly unallowable per FAR

16.102(c). If minor labor surges are needed, the

Government will reimburse the contractor their costs, but will not pay profit. Minor labor surges could consist of those instances that may require short-term labor "surges" above the PWS baseline. For example, unexpected escort support, in-depth technical order review, or support for outside agency projects. Any major labor surges that may be required will be subject to separate negotiation and may be accomplished as an IJO (to include fee). The line between "minor" and "major" labor surges is meant to be flexible and a matter of negotiation between the contractor and Contracting Officer, in order to best meet the needs of the mission. Any sustained labor increases (i.e. more than a "surge") will be subject to a modification of the FFP amount.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 16)

This slide states that employee meal costs and unofficial travel expenses are no longer covered under the CR CLINS. Question: (1) How does the contractor obtain compensation for these costs? (2) Can the customer please define "unofficial travel expenses"?

Any applicable and allowable costs resulting from the CBA shall be bid into the FFP amount. "Unofficial travel expenses" means any travel that is not required and authorized by the Government. An example of unofficial travel expenses would be costs associated with morale leave.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slides 17-18)

(1) Are the CR IJOs going to be fee bearing? If not, what is the

Government's rationale for excluding fee? (2) Does the contractor have any input on work that the Government considers to be an IJO?

(1) Yes, if the nature of the work of an IJO lends itself to a cost-type contract, a CPFF or CPIF contract type will be used. (2) Yes, all IJOs will be subject to negotiation between the Government and contractor.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 18)

In the IJO section of the industry day brief, you mention “generation of threat scenarios for system test and evaluation”. Do you expect the contractor to have tools to generate the threat scenarios, will the tools be provided as GFE/GFI, or will threat scenarios be generated externally to the contract and given to the contractor?

No, the threat scenarios used for test and evaluation are generated externally and will be provided to the O&M contractor.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 21)

At Industry Day, a list of risks was provided in the presentation. Risk 2, Government Mission System Procedures Gap was identified. Will procedures be developed and provided in the Bidders' Library prior to or in conjunction with the Final RFP?

No, the mitigation for this risk is to create a contract requirement for the contractor to "capture" the knowledge required to operate and maintain the system, and deliver it to the Government.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 38)

Will the contractor have an opportunity to provide input on the CAsPR ratings each month?

Yes, there will be a monthly Multi-Functional Team (MFT) meeting, in which the contractor is included, where the

CAsPR scores may be discussed.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 38)

Since contract is proposed as FFP, how is the term "incentive" used in the discussion and use of the CAsPR worksheet?

There will be no monetary incentive on this contract;

instead the CPARS rating will be the incentive. Using the

CAsPR Matrix, contractor performance will be objectively measured and scored. A rating above "Satisfactory" must truly be earned through demonstrable performance above the contract requirements. Similarly, if all contract requirements are not met, the contractor's score will suffer and a final rating of "Marginal" or "Unsatisfactory" is a real possibility.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 50)

Will there be a list provided of what is in the warehouse at Clear, AFS? Yes.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 50)

Can you define what is meant by replenish consumables? Assuming this is in reference to the warehouse at Clear

AFS, the warehouse will come "pre-stocked" with

Government-owned consumables that the contractor is free to use. As those consumables are used, the contractor is responsible, at its cost, to purchase replenishments, if deemed necessary. It is NOT the case that the contractor must replenish the supplies to their original quantities, and then turn back over to the

Government.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slide 50)

In regards to the warehouse facility located at Clear AFS, will the customer disclose the facility square footage including the allocation of

sq. footage reserved for Government-based supplies vs Contractor-based supplies; Will previous maintenance records be provided to ensure the required support needed to allocated for in the labor staffing of the proposal?

Warehouse square footage, including offices and breakroom but not including 4900 sqft for the fire dept storage on the right side of the building.

Rounded up to the nearest hundred:

Haz - 2600 sqft

Left side - 11700 sqft

Right side - 18200 sqft

Yes, maintenance records will be included in the bidders' library.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slides 54-60)

Do you have a "plug" dollar value for the "other" property that the contractor is to give consideration for?

Having contractors bid consideration into their proposals is not yet a settled course of action, and the Government does not anticipate providing a "plug" number, although that approach is being considered. If it is ultimately carried out, the vast majority of this property is at Clear AFS, and the Government will provide lists and pictures, and offerors will have to the opportunity to see and evaluate the property for themselves during the site visit. The

Government believes adequate data will be available to accurately determine the value this property will have to the contractor.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slides 54-60)

Regarding FIAR and GFP, will the Government provide a list of GFP

(consumable) to price out for "consideration"? Otherwise the incumbent may have an unfair advantage of known items or bench stock and impact contractor' bids.

Having contractors bid consideration into their proposals is not yet a settled course of action, and the Government does not anticipate providing a "plug" number, although that approach is being considered. If it is ultimately carried out, the vast majority of this property is at Clear AFS, and the Government will provide lists and pictures, and offerors will have to the opportunity to see and evaluate the property for themselves during the site visit. The

Government believes adequate data will be available to accurately determine the value this property will have to the contractor, eliminating an advantage to the incumbent. In addition, the Government is considering not including the consideration amount in the total evaluated price, although that has not been decided yet.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slides 54-60)

Regarding the "consideration" amount, will the government entertain a price adjustment post-award upon detailed evaluation of the material condition reflecting the potential for material not being fit for use?

Likely not. This is not yet a settled course of action, but the intent of the consideration amount is for the contractor to propose not to some pre-determined value, but rather the value that this property has to the contractor, considering all aspects of its utility or non-utility; however the consideration amount will be evaluated for reasonableness. If the Government settles on this approach, more information, including how contractors are to propose and how it will be evaluated, will be provided before RFP release.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slides 54-60)

On what basis is the contractor to establish an appropriate amount for consideration if there is no list with estimated values? And how would the

Government evaluate the contractor's offer?

This is not yet a settled course of action. The vast majority of this property is at Clear AFS, and the Government will provide lists and pictures, and offerors will have to the opportunity to see and evaluate the property for themselves during the site visit. The Government believes adequate data will be available to accurately determine the value this property will have to the contractor. The intent of the consideration amount is for the contractor to propose not to some pre-determined value, but rather the value that this property has to the contractor, considering all aspects of its utility or non-utility; however the consideration amount will be evaluated for reasonableness. The Government is considering not including the consideration amount in the total evaluated price, although that has not been decided yet. If the Government settles on this approach, more information, including how contractors are to propose and how it will be evaluated, will be provided before RFP release.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slides 54-60)

Will vehicles be included in the consideration amount for the "other" property?

No, vehicles are not to be included in this number.

Industry Day

Briefing

Slides

(slides 54-60)

If the "other," non-GFP property is bid as consideration, allowing the winning contractor to take possession and title, has the Government considered the implications for the next follow-on contract?

Yes. That property will belong to the contractor, and it will be their prerogative on what to do with it. The Government will continue to provide GFP; any other property that may be necessary for performance will be the responsibility of the incoming contractor, IAW FAR 45.102(a).

Draft RFP

Section B

CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-4)

Can the Government explain the transition period of June 1, 2018 thru

Aug 31, 2018 and what activities will occur during that period that include the winning SSPARS bidder? With a contract start date of Sept 1, 2018, can the winning bidder participate in these transition activities?

The winning contractor will be on contract for phase-in requirements beginning 1 Jun 18. Phase-in activities consist of mobilization, property inventory, hiring, etc. and the winning contractor will be required to participate. The winning contractor will not be responsible for the O&M of the system during phase-in.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section B

CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-4)

What is the history/rationale for the three-month phase-in? This is based on market research. Because this contract covers five sites, and two of them are remote and two of them are international (Thule being both), 3 months has been deemed the appropriate amount of time for the contractor to mobilize, inventory property, and hire personnel.

Draft RFP

Section B

CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-41)

Should the contractor propose to the subCLIN level? Yes, in the final RFP, certain CLINs will include subCLINs

(O&M and Termination Liability), to which the contractor shall propose. The instructions to offerors will be updated accordingly.

Draft RFP

Section B

CLIN

Descriptions

(pp. 2-41)

Will the X400 Termination Liability CLINs be included in the Total

Evaluated Price?

No. Per Section L-5. D.1.a.3), the termination liability

CLINs will not be included in the total evaluate price.

Draft RFP

Section I

252.225-7048

ITAR (Import/export): Will the contractor be required to have the appropriate ITAR licenses in place (RAF Fylingdales, UK & Thule, GL) to support overseas locations or will that be handled by the government?

Yes, it is the contractor's responsibility to comply with ITAR requirements.

Draft RFP

Section L-3

5352.209-

(page 105)

If the winning Prime for SSPARS designates a single subcontractor as an independent Test Organization, would the Government consider this as a possible OCI mitigation with SMORS? Would this suffice to eliminate any potential OCI issue?

OCI mitigation will be offeror-specific based on the specific nature of the OCI. Each OCI mitigation strategy will be separately evaluated and a determination made of whether or the OCI is mitigated, and to what extent.

Draft RFP

Section L-3

5352.209-

(page 105)

Will the Government consider possible OCI mitigation that ensures proper separation of roles and responsibilities for test and evaluation to either the prime (where X is the subcontractor) or X gives those roles to a subcontractor if X primed?

OCI mitigation will be…