SSPARS_Draft_RFP_and_Industry_Day_Comments_-_ROUND_2.pdf

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

Questions and Answers 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 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)

Does the Government anticipate there to be OCI concerns between

LRDR and SSPARS?

It is possible that similar OCI concerns that exist due to

SENSOR/SMORS will also exist with LRDR. However, CONOPS of LRDR are still being developed, so an OCI determination will need to be evaluated at a later date.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section L-3

5352.215-

(page 105)

How does the customer plan on coordinating FRFP release with site visits at Clear AFS. CLEAR has unique requirements that may not be able to be demonstrated at a site visit if the weather does not cooperate. Is a site-visit at CLEAR a hard requirement for the proposal input. Will this delay proposal due dates?

The final RFP will be released before the site visit. This will give offerors the opportunity to experience the sites with the context of the RFP in mind. Clear will definitely be a site that is visited, but the date is not firm yet. If the date gets pushed to the right, the proposal due date will also slide with it. Offerors will have adequate time after the site visits to complete their proposal. This is not expected to negatively impact the acquisition milestones.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.b.

(page 110)

During the Industry Day briefing it was mentioned that Program

Management will be discussed further in the presentation regarding the importance of the sub-factor rating…Can the customer elaborate further on what specifics they are looking for regarding the Program

Management evaluation factors...as well as the other sub-factors under the Technical portion?

For subfactors 2-4, proposals will receive a color rating in accordance with Table 2 in RFP Section M-3.C.2.a.

Technical proposals will be evaluated and assigned combined technical/risk ratings which reflect the extent to which the proposal meets the Government’s specified performance and capability requirements, considering risk in conjunction with any relative strengths, weaknesses, significant weaknesses, uncertainties, and deficiencies associated with the proposed approach. For more on the definition of "strength," see the answer to question 65. For how the Government will evaluate subfactor 5, see the answer to question 54.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.b.

(page 110)

Can we get a breakdown of the current number of FTEs by each location on the existing contract? Are there any government expectations that these numbers will change?

Current FTE levels will not be released, but available workload data will be included in the bidders' library and current labor categories are included in the CBAs.

However, please note this is a new requirement and it is the expectation that proposals will be built "from the ground up." In accordance with Section L-5.B.1.c., and Table 2 in

Section M-3.C.2.a., the Government intends to award using the Technical/Price Tradeoff (TPT) approach.

Technical proposals will be evaluated and assigned combined technical/risk ratings which reflect the extent to which the proposal meets the Government’s specified performance and capability requirements, considering risk in conjunction with any relative strengths, weaknesses, significant weaknesses, uncertainties, and deficiencies associated with the proposed approach. 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

D.1.b.

(page 110)

What percentage or number of FTEs of Service Contract Act (SCA) employees currently work on SSPARS contract? How much work can we anticipate being under Collective Bargaining Agreements? What is the type of work that would be included in CBAs (e.g. electric, HVAC)?

The current CBAs are included in the Bidders' Library. The sites at Beale, Clear, and Cape Cod are currently subject to CBAs through the Service Contract Labor Standards

(formerly known as the Service Contract Act).

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.c.

(page 111)

For knowledge capture, what is the Government looking to capture? Is this functional knowledge or is this expert systems knowledge (i.e. people who have been working at sites for 30 years)?

Expert systems knowledge. Functional knowledge is captured in Technical Orders or Local Work Cards, but true experiential knowledge that resides with the current workforce is not captured anywhere.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.c.

(page 111)

Can you explain the capture plan? Are we developing procedures? Yes, the intent is to capture "resident knowledge" that exists in the current workforce that has been acquired through experience. The Government will provide

Technical Orders and Local Work Cards, but there are often still knowledge "gaps" between what the contractor knows and what the Government knows. The intent is to close these gaps by creating "operational instructions" or some other continuity measure to be delivered to the

Government.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

Can you explain the 20% on the SB requirement? It appears that it can start out high and be met in the beginning of contract then fizzle in the end? How does this benefit SB?

The 20% is based on cumulative contract cost. This was intentionally done specifically so that the SB requirement will not "fizzle." The intent is that as the value of the contract increases each year, the value subcontracted to small business will also need to increase in a corresponding manner, in order to maintain the 20% MQR.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

Does the 20% MQR include IJOs? How does that work with cumulative total?

No. The RFP language will be updated to read in part, "The 20% calculation will be based on the cost of each option when it is exercised; subsequent additions to the contract cost during that year – i.e. IJOs – will not affect the 20% calculation.)"

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

For Small Business subcontracting purposes, how is complexity/variety defined?

Complexity can be defined as work performed that is beyond basic base operations work such as facilities management functions. Operations work would be considered more complex work as it requires a higher level or specialized skill. Variety can be defined as the different functional areas of work available at each site.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

For the small business objectives, can you provide guidance as to the definition of “complexity” in regards to the work subcontracted to small business? How will this particular objective be evaluated?

Complexity can be defined as work performed that is beyond basic base operations work such as facilities management functions. Operations work would be considered more complex work as it requires a higher level or specialized skill. IAW L-5 D.1.e more credit will be given for the more complex work performed by small business.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

The Small Business Commitment document references a 20% set-aside with no additional details; however, it was mentioned that additional points may be added during evaluation based on Exceeding the 20% and the term "Meaningful" workshare allocated. Can the customer elaborate more on what is required to gain additional evaluation points/ consideration in the SBPCD, including additional workshare for IJO CLINS?

Subfactor 5 will be evaluated on a color/adjectival basis in accordance with Table 3 in RFP Section M-3.C.2.a., not on a points basis. The objectives of the small business commitment document are to exceed the 20% MQR, subcontract a variety of work (i.e. not just one functional area of the PWS), and subcontract complex work (i.e.

requiring specialized or technical skill, as opposed to merely ordering supplies or cutting the grass). Proposals will receive a color rating based on how well their approach and understanding meets these three objectives, taken as a whole. IJOs will not be factored into this rating.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

For the small business objective #3, “The extent to which small business concerns are specifically identified by name and socio-economic category, including formal commitment agreements to use those firms.”, will the breakdown and/or coverage of particular socio-economic categories be evaluated in any way?

No, the socio-economic categories will not be evaluated.

Objective #3 will be re-worded as follows, "The extent to which small business concerns are specifically identified and formally committed to by name. Include, if applicable, the socio-economic category of each small business concern."

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

Will second-tier subcontracting be allowed? Are there any restrictions or approvals required to do second-tier subcontracting?

Yes, second tier subcontracting is allowed, but Small

Business goal credit for subcontracting can only be earned based on first-tier subcontracting (13 CFR 125.3(a)(1)).

There are no required approvals or restrictions on second-tier subcontracting.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.1.e.

(page 111)

Could an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) subcontract to one of its small business subsidiaries and get credit towards the 20% MQR?

No. Based on 13 CFR 125.3(a)(1), the SBA considers

ANCs and their subsidiaries affiliated for subcontracting purposes.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.2.a.4)

(page112)

The Draft solicitation refers to Section J for a list of CBAs. No Section J attachment were included with the DRAFT. Will you be releasing a list of current CBAs in the near future?

The CBAs are currently provided in the bidders' library.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.2.a.4)

(page112)

Some of the CBAs will be expired. Will the updated ones be posted? Yes, the most current CBAs will be included in the bidders' library.

Draft RFP

Section L-5

D.2.a.4)

(page112)

Is there currently a CBA at Fylingdales? No. Contrary to what was briefed during the one-on-one sessions, there is currently NO CBA at Fylingdales. An update will be provided if this situation changes.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section M-3

B.3.

(page 115)

Can you tell us how you will evaluate a “History of Satisfactory

Performance” versus evaluating Past Performance inputs from Bidders?

What about Joint Ventures?

A formal past performance evaluation will not be performed, so offerors shall not submit past performance citations. Based on the CAGE code of the offeror, the

Government will utilize CPARS, PPIRS or any other available means to assess 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, IAW FAR

9.104-3(c). FAR 9.104-3(b) states, "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." A history of less-than-satisfactory performance, or a record so sparse that a positive determination of at least satisfactory performance cannot be made, may be a basis for a determination of non-responsibility, IAW FAR 9.103(b).

Draft RFP

Section M-3

B.3.

(page 115)

Is evaluating past performance as part of responsibility and not as part of the evaluation criteria a new way of doing business?

No. The decision to include past performance as part of responsibility is based on specific market research for this acquisition only, that suggests the meaningful discriminator will be the technical approach, and not past performance.

Especially in light of the CASPR Matrix to be used on this contract, the Government fully anticipates to evaluate past performance in subsequent acquisitions.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft RFP

Section M-3

B.3.

(page 115)

Will the responsibility determination be done on subcontractors? No. The responsibility determination is made at the prime-level only. Generally, prospective prime contractors are responsible for determining the responsibility of their prospective subcontractors, IAW FAR 9.104-4.

Draft RFP

Section M-3

C.1.

(page 116)

Can the Government please confirm that technical and price are approximately equal in importance?

No, technical will be more important than price. The language of the RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

Draft RFP

Section M-3

C.2.

(page 116)

Is the government interested in introduction of innovations on the contract? If innovations are encouraged, how will the government evaluate innovations?

The Government is certainly interested in innovative approaches to meeting the requirement. The Government will evaluate innovations as strengths if they meet the definition contained in the DoD Source Selection

Procedures, "Strength is an aspect of an offeror's proposal that has merit or exceeds specified performance or capability requirements in a way that will be advantageous to the Government during contract performance."

Innovations and strengths will be evaluated in accordance with the tables contained in Section M-3. C.2.a. of the RFP.

Draft RFP

Section M-3

C.2.b.1)

(page 118)

With subfactor 1 being pass/fail, it appears this contract will be evaluated on an LPTA basis. Is that correct? How are the subfactors weighted?

Proposals will NOT be evaluated on an LPTA basis.

Maintenance of the mission system is driven by Technical

Orders and does not lend itself to innovation in the evaluation phase. However, there is much more to managing this contract than just maintaining the radars.

Within the remaining subfactors there is "trade space" and opportunity for innovative approaches. The remaining subfactors are not "weighted," but are listed in descending order of importance.

Draft RFP

Section M-3

C.2.b.1)

(page 118)

With respect to your decision to make the Maintenance Plan evaluation acceptable/unacceptable, are you not expecting any innovation in the plan? In other words, the Maintenance Plan will conform strictly to the

T.Os and any innovation surrounding the plan would be articulated under program management, knowledge capture and retention, or resource management.

That is correct. Maintenance of the mission system is driven by Technical Orders and does not lend itself to innovation in the evaluation phase. However, there is much more to managing this contract than just maintaining the radars. Within the remaining subfactors there is "trade space" and opportunity for innovative approaches.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft PWS

1.1.9.

(page 3)

Will there be historical data regarding consumables? No, but there will be workload data for CE, RP, RPIE, MAS, and IMDS. Also note that RP at Beale is covered by the Host.

Draft PWS

1.1.11.

(page 4)

Do you have IJOs for networks? IJOs historically have been executed for repair work, replacements and installations that are not considered part of normal maintenance and were not as a result of contractor failing to maintain the systems. Current definition would be that these projects are not foreseeable, cannot be predicted, and contractor is not at fault for system failures. Civil Engineering (CE) examples include chiller or elevator repairs, and power panel, water pump/valve/line or control system replacements.

Environmental projects may include mechanical vegetation clearing, extensive invasive species control and wildland fire management. Communications examples may include fiber optic cable installation and repair. Mission system examples may include various peripheral support for major upgrades such as the Upgraded Early Warning Radar

(UEWR).

Draft PWS

2.1.4.2.

(page 10)

What are the calibration specifications and how often is calibration done? Calibrations are performed in accordance with the TOs and the TOs are available in the bidders library.

Draft PWS

2.1.4.2.

(page 10)

Do you have workload data for calibration? Data will be provided in the bidders' library.

Draft PWS

2.1.5.

(page 11)

Are there tools available to do analysis? Are the same tools used at all sites? Are new tools allowable? Are there any restrictions on tools that can be used?

Analysis tools are system dependent (i.e. UEWR vs EWR).

Most basic tools are delivered with the system and are the same for each system type. Off line tools are permitted as long as they are not part of the mission software (any software put on the mission system must be approved and configuration controlled through the SPO).

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft PWS

2.1.5.

(page 11)

Are the tools currently used to perform this analysis on the existing contract Government owned, and will they be made available to the winning contractor? Or is there an expectation that the contractor will supply the analysis tools to perform this activity?

Yes and yes. There is not an expectation, but it is not restricted.

Draft PWS

2.1.6.2.

(page 12)

What is the scope of the Test & Evaluation task as it relates to the potential OCI issue with the SMORS Contract? Is T&E on SSPARS expected to deal with Operational Test (OT), Developmental Test (DT), or both?

The SSPARS contractor is responsible for evaluating developmental and operational testing, and making recommendations based on those evaluations.

Draft PWS

2.1.7.

(page 13)

This paragraph only references DIACAP. Will all of the sites be fully under Risk Management Framework (RMF) before contract start?

The current schedule reflects all sites will be on RMF by contract start.

Draft PWS

2.2.2.

(page 15)

The DSCS MET is scheduled to be upgraded. We have the following questions. Will the upgrade schedule be posted? Will a restoral terminal be used during the upgrade period? Will the Contractor be expected to man/operate the terminals? Will a separate contract be issued to support the upgrade or will it be part of the FFP contract?

Yes a schedule will be available in the bidders library. Any additional activity required in support of the DSCS MET upgrade will be handled through an IJO and does not need to be included.

Draft PWS

2.2.3.

(page 15)

Will the An/FRC-181 Command Post Terminals be upgrade in the near future? If yes, what system will replace the terminals?

Yes, FAB-T is expected in the FY19/20 timeframe.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft PWS

2.4.1.

(page 22)

The government indicated that the contactor would be responsible for cost to replenish supplies as part of the Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract.

Can the Government describe the types of supplies in this category?

The supplies and materials the government anticipates that will be bid into the fixed price include anything necessary in performance of the maintenance requirements as described in the stated standards, such as manufacturer’s recommendations, or other stated directives. Only mission parts are available through the

Enterprise Solution-Supply (ES-S; old term SBSS). If maintenance is being performed in accordance with manufacturer recommendations and needs to be changed at intervals specified, then the filters should be bid into the fixed price. To perform custodial services, custodial supplies and materials should be bid in the fixed price. The only exception to the above is that the Government will provide government supplies and materials in the Clear

AFS warehouse for use until those supplies and materials are depleted (see PWS paras 2.4.1.1. and 2.4.1.2.). A listing of the Clear AFS supplies and materials will be provided in the Bidder’s Library and inventoried during contract transition.

Draft PWS

2.6.4.

(page 36)

Is there an applicable AF Radio Frequency exposure limits safety document similar to FCC OET 65, IEEE C95.1‐2005, IEEE C95.1a‐2010, etc. governing personal safety and RF emission exposure safety?

See PWS paragraph 2.6.4., Ionizing and Non-Ionizing

Radiation Devices, Performance Standard c), which states

MPEs for Lower Tier as defined in AFI 48-109 MPE Table.

Also see the December 2012 Base-Level Guide For

Electromagnetic Frequency Radiation (AFRL-SA-WP-SR-

2013-0003), which will be included in the bidders' library.

Draft PWS

2.7.1.

(page 38)

Will we get maintenance data for foreseeable/forecastable items? Maintenance Action Sheets (MAS) will be provided in the

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

Draft PWS

2.7.1.10

(page 41)

What is the Government reference for ICS IA controls? The standards are found in Engineering Technical Letter

(ETL) 11-1, Civil Engineer Industrial Control System

Information Assurance Compliance.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft PWS

2.7.1.10

(page 41)

ICS/Information Assurance - What NIST standard will be required and are there any other required accreditations?

The only standard related to the Civil Engineering

Information Assurance requirements at this time are found in Engineering Technical Letter (ETL) 11-1, Civil Engineer

Industrial Control System Information Assurance

Compliance, which is stated in the requirement and will be posted in the Bidder’s Library.

Draft PWS

2.8.1.

(page 53)

Can the government please clarify what is meant by maintaining peripheral equipment and where organizational maintenance ends.

Maintaining peripheral equipment has the definition contained in AFMAN 33-282, “A computer peripheral is any external device that provides input and output for the computer (e.g. mouse, scanners, Smart boards, pointers, and keyboard devices are input devices). Output devices receive data from the desktop or laptop providing a display or printed product (e.g. monitors, printers, and multi-function devices). The contractor does not need to bid in costs for peripheral equipment replacement as part of organizational level maintenance.

Draft PWS

2.10.2.2.6..

(page 70)

There is a navy contract that covers Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).

Why is the SSPARS not covered under it?

An information sheet on the IDS specifications will be posted to the bidders' library.

Draft PWS

2.10.2.2.6..

(page 70)

Are there any updates to the IDS being forecasted? An information sheet on the IDS specifications will be posted to the bidders' library.

Draft PWS

2.10.2.2.6..

(page 70)

What systems are you using and what version level? Encryption level?

Warranty? # of alarm points? Reporting station?

An information sheet on the IDS specifications will be posted to the bidders' library.

Round 2

Question

Draft

PWS/RFP

Para #

QUESTION ANSWER

Draft PWS

2.16.1.3

(page 82)

Common Access Card (CAC). Ensure all applicable personnel have

CACs issued. For Thule AB, CACs must be issued/received prior to going to the Base. Are all contractor and subcontractor personnel required to possess a CAC card?

CACs can be issued at Thule AB. PWS language is being revised to remove the statement “For Thule AB, CACs must be issued/received prior to going to the Base.” Also revised para 1.1.17.7. which will now state: “Contractor personnel requiring on-going access to an Air Force

Installation, or who require Air Force network access in performance of PWS requirements (to include ADLS web-based training completion) must possess a CAC. The contractor will coordinate with the appointed Trusted Agent

Security Manager (TASM) to acquire a CAC.”

Draft PWS

3.6.

(page 83)

Can the government clarify who is responsible for damaged or missing furniture?

The contractor is responsible for damaged or missing furniture.

Draft PWS

Appendix E

(page 150)

Will training programs be included in the bidders' library? No, this training will not be provided in the Bidders' Library.

Appendix E lists training the Government will furnish (since it is the only source and not available commercially). The contractor shall request this training in writing to the on-site

COR, 21 SW Government PM and CO for approval, funding and contractual action, if required. Some training may be provided via teleconference and PowerPoint slides, while other training may be given by the Functional area personnel traveling to the sites or by the contractor personnel traveling to a location for the training.