Attch 13 - Consolidate Contractor Questions and Answers - Revised.pdf

Consolidated Contractor Questions

FA448426R0006

Base Telecommunications Systems Maintenance

Question 1 – Classification of Work Orders vs. Special Projects

Request clarification regarding the Government’s intent for classifying requirements as work orders using pre-priced items in Attachment 5 in accordance with PWS Section 1.4 (pages 23–24), versus classification and execution as Special Projects under PWS Section 1.5 (page 26), to ensure consistent interpretation of the PWS and accurate completion of the pricing schedule.

Answer 1 – A “Work Order” is broken down into 2 categories: MACs and WO’s. MACS are moves/adds/changes to phones. WO’s are LAN drops and work orders that may have a longer timeframe than the standard 10 days, such as a requirement for an organizational move that is scheduled in advanced. Both are billed to the government as a “Work Order,” and utilize the PID Pricing Sheet.

The Government intends to issue Work Orders (MACS/WO’s) the majority of the time. The differences are listed in PWS 1.4.2.1.

Special Projects are requested when material is a non-PID item, or the nature of the work can be justified as non-conforming in relation to the majority of the work orders. Special Projects must be justified to the Contracting Officer and approved prior to ordering parts or beginning work.

Question 2 – Factors Informing Classification Decisions

If the Government will determine whether a requirement is executed as a work order using pre-priced CLINs in Attachment 5 or as a Special Project under PWS Section 1.5, please clarify whether that determination is based on general factors such as scope complexity, degree of system modification, or non-recurring nature of the work, to ensure consistent pricing assumptions by offerors.

Answer 2 – Yes, the Government takes these factors into account.

Question 3 – Use of Base O&M Personnel on Special Projects

Please clarify whether personnel assigned to perform recurring BTS operations and maintenance under the monthly base contract (PWS Section 1.3) may also be utilized to perform Special Projects authorized under PWS Section 1.5, provided all base O&M performance requirements and response times continue to be met.

Answer 3 – PWS Section 1.5 does not exist. Reference PWS 1.4 for Special Projects. Personnel to perform Operations and Maintenance & Special Projects shall be assigned at the contractor’s discretion ensuring PWS Section 1.2.6.1, 1.3, and 1.4.6 compliance.

Question 4 – Current BTS Contract Staffing Levels

Please identify the current staffing levels supporting the existing Base Telecommunications Systems (BTS) maintenance contract, including the approximate number of personnel and general functional roles (e.g., O&M, ISP/OSP, management), to assist offerors in understanding the operational environment.

Answer 4 – Contractor Staffing in support of the BTS requirement shall be at the discretion of the contractor ensuring compliance with the PWS.

Question 5 – Government Bench Stock for Emergency Restoration

Please clarify whether the Government maintains bench stock or Government-furnished inventory of large-pair count OSP copper cables used for emergency restoration, or whether the contractor is expected to procure such materials when required. If Government bench stock exists, please identify the general cable types and pair-count ranges maintained to support emergency restoration.

Answer 5 –The government has a “bench stock” cable yard where we have old cable that sits on old cable reels that we may be able to use for emergencies. The cables have been sitting in the sun for decades, but still may be able to be used in an emergency. There are left over small footage of cables from previous projects that our contractors have installed throughout the years, and the government gets to keep what’s left over since we paid for it. No stock of “New outside plant cable.” Splice cases have been purchased over the years and are government material. The splice cases are different for every size cable and possess a current stock for a specific “cable hit or emergency.” The variables are too great to put into a list. If they are able to use the GFE bench stock, it doesn’t have to be re-stocked, but would be required to provide materials the next time we need that cable in an emergency.

The BTS Contractor is supposed to have stock to fix emergencies for phones, LANs, fiber tips, copper, etc., but realistically, no one is going to have a 2800 pair copper cable on site, and we would have to piece it together. But saying that to an incoming contractor is very difficult to verbalize.

The contractor is expected to restore emergency troubles as defined within the PWS.

Question 6 – Treatment of Large-Pair Copper Cable in Pre-Priced Materials

Given that large-pair count OSP copper cables are typically subject to manufacturer minimum reel lengths, extended lead times, special-order procurement, and commodity-driven price variability, please clarify whether the Government intends for these items to remain included as pre-priced materials in Attachment 5, or whether the Government would consider treating such cables as separately authorized items at the time of need to support realistic and consistent pricing across offerors.

Answer 6 - The Government intends for these items to remain included as pre-priced materials in Attachment 5.

Question 7 – Response Time vs. Restoration Time

Please clarify whether response times specified in the PWS are intended to measure the contractor’s time to arrive on site and initiate corrective maintenance actions, as distinguished from the total time required to complete repairs and restore service, which may vary based on outage severity and material availability.

Answer 7 – Response times is the time between when the contractor is notified and arrival at the location of a fault or degradation. Restoral time is the time it takes for a contractor to repair the issue.

Question 8 - The solicitation states, “The response shall consist of three separate parts: Part I –Price Proposal, and Part II – Present/Past Performance Information.” Only two parts are described. Is there a third part that should be included in the response?

Answer 8 – Responses shall contain only two Parts - Part I –Price Proposal, and Part II – Present/Past Performance Information.

Question 9 - Is a separate Technical Volume required as part of the proposal submission?

Answer 9 – Technical Volume is not required: Only Price and Present/Past Performance is required for Evaluation purposes.

Question 10 - Regarding the pricing table, are contingencies for unforeseen circumstances allowable or expected? Examples may include emergency repairs, equipment failure, unanticipated infrastructure degradation, weather-related impacts, or changes in operational tempo.

Answer 10 – The items on the Pricing List will remain FFP during the contract and will not change based on contingencies.

Question 11 - PWS 1.2.1 Can the Government provide historical context regarding contractor travel BWI Airport, including the approximate frequency of visits, type of responses (routine maintenance vs.

emergency response), and whether support has historically required same-day or after-hours travel from

JB-MDL?

Answer 11 – Historically, travel to BWI occurs during work hours Monday-Friday, but the contractor is on-call 24/7 and shall be available for trouble tickets that covers the phones at BWI. Travel has occurred approximately once per year.

Question 12 - PWS 1.2.6.1 identifies several required SCA positions, most of which are designated to a specific location, however the Telecommunications Tech II (SCA 23932), and three of the four Telecommunications Tech I (SCA 23931) positions do not have a primary duty location indicated.

Answer 12 – Duty positions/locations shall be identified meeting the requirements within the PWS. Any further requirements will be at the contractors discretion.

Question 13 - PWS 1.2.6.1 The solicitation includes separate Wage Determinations for Burlington and Ocean Counties. For SCA-covered personnel who perform work across multiple JB-MDL locations and counties, can the Government clarify whether Wage Determination compliance should be based on the employee’s primary duty location, or the physical county where the work is performed?

Answer 13 – Employee Wages shall be based on the physical county where the work is performed.

Question 14 - PWS 1.2.6.1 Can the Government clarify whether the Site Supervisor / Manager is expected to be primarily stationed at a specific JB-MDL annex.

Answer 14 – Site Manager will have primary office space on McGuire but will be required to travel and supervise McGuire, Ft. Dix, the Ranges, and Lakehurst.

Question 15 - PWS 1.2.6.1 Following the planned decommissioning of Nortel SL-100 systems at the end of the Base Year, does the Government anticipate any adjustment to workload or staffing expectations, or is the level of effort expected to remain unchanged?

Answer 15 – The Ft. Dix Nortel SL-100 will no longer need a dedicated Switch Technician, but work orders are intended to stay the same.

Question 16 - PWS 1.2.6.2 Will the Government facilitate access to existing documentation, records, and artifacts from the incumbent contractor as part of transition?

Answer 16 – Yes, the Government will provide requested documentation that is available and is necessary for the transition.

Question 17 - PWS 1.3.10 The PWS requires a bucket truck available 24/7. Does the Government expect redundant vehicles to ensure uninterrupted availability, or is a single vehicle acceptable?

Answer 17 – Bucket truck vehicle quantity to the discretion of the contractor, as long as the PWS requirements are met.

Question 18 - PWS 1.2.7 On page 3 of the solicitation, the Government has identified that a "Continuation of Essential Contractor Services Plan" must be provided. On page 7 (Section 1.2.7) of the PWS, it states the "Continuation of Essential Contractor Services Plan" needs to be provided within 30 days of contract award. Will the Government please clarify when the plan must be submitted?

Answer 18 - Continuation of Essential Contractor Services Plan shall be submitted with the proposal package.

Question 19 - PWS 1.2.7 DFARS 252.237.7023 and DFARS 237-7602 does not provide clear guidance on what the Government expects to be part of the plan. Since DFARS 252.237-7024 has been incorporated into the solicitation, will the Government confirm whether we should also follow the guidance provided in this DFARS section?

Answer 19 – As a minimum, DFARS 237-7602 shall be complied with. DFARS 252.237-7024 shall also be referenced for the application of additional plan contents. This also can be tailored to include any additional verbiage supporting a full and complete Service Plan at the contractors discretion.

Question 20 - Attch 6 Would the Government allow us to modify Attachment 6 - Labor to better align with our pricing and accounting methodology to ensure accurate and consistent pricing?

Answer 20 – Yes, Tailored Contractor labor pricing can be annotated demonstrating each Labor category to be proposed.

Question 21 - PWS 1.4.4 PWS indicates the Contractor shall identify work orders where the Davis- Bacon Act (DBA) applies on the face of the work order. Work orders may be subject to DBA dependent upon work effort to be performed. However, the DBA FAR Clause 52.222-6 is not listed under incorporated clauses. Will the Government please add in FAR Clause 52.222-6 and provide the appropriate DBA wage determinations?

Answer 21 – FAR Clause 52.222-6 will be incorporated into the solicitation along with the Applicable DBA Wage Determination.

Question 22 - PWS 1.4.6.1 Will the Government please clarify if the requirement to submit proposals applies to routine O&M work?

Answer 22 – 1.4.6.1 applies to Special Projects, not O&M.

Question 23 - PWS 1.3.6 Is the Government responsible for dig permits?

Answer 23 – The Contractor will be responsible for the established dig permit process for the 87th CS Communications approvals, per PWS 1.3.6. The 87th CES is responsible for the overall dig permit that encompasses Gas, Water, Sewer, Fire, Environmental, and Safety sign-off’s. Contractor is expected to mark out fiber and copper and monitor the integrity of the comm lines when others are digging.

Additionally, the Contractor is responsible for securing their own Base and NJ-One-Call dig permits when O&M, work order, special project, or trouble requires digging.

Question 24 - Attch 6 - Labor Worksheet Will the Government please clarify Attch 6 - Labor Worksheet is required for this proposal response? And if so, will the Government provide an updated Attch 6 with updated Solicitation No. on each tab?

Answer 24 – Attch 6 Labor Worksheet will be required to be submitted with the proposal package. Attch 6 has been updated.

Question 25 - Attch 6 - Labor Worksheet within all tabs column "A", the CLIN structure does not match the Solicitation - FA448426R0006 Section B on pg. 5 of 57.

Answer 25 – Column A is not required and has been deleted.

Question 26 - Attch 6 - Labor Worksheet Since the Government is awarding an FFP-type contract, is the Government requesting a detailed breakdown of an Offeror's Full Burdened Direct Labor Rate per labor category?

Answer 26 – Yes, a complete breakdown of full burden direct labor rate per category is required.

Question 27 - Attch 1 - Performance Work Statement; pg. 3 of 105; sec. 1.2.1 Attch 1 - Performance Work Statement; pg. 3 of 105; sec. 1.2.1 states " BTS Contractor will also be responsible for approx. 89 dial-tones at BWI Airport in support of 305th APS, DET 1. Travel may be required and is not reimbursable through the government." Will the Government please clarify if this sentence is required for this proposal? If it is, will the Government please elaborate on the requirement?

Answer 27 – Yes, BWI support is required per the PWS. Please refer to Question 11 for more details.

Question 28 - Solicitation - FA448426R0006.pdf, page 3 of 57 Section A of the Proposal Preparation Instructions state, "The response shall consist of three separate parts: Part I - Price Proposal, and Part II - Present/Past Performance Information." Will the Government please clarify how many separate parts comprise the response? If three separate parts are expected, will the Government clarify what Offerors are to provide for Part III?

Answer 28 - Only two apply for evaluation purposes: Part I - Price Proposal, and Part II - Present/Past Performance Information

Question 29 - Will the Government provide naming conventions for documents that are required to be submitted?

Answer 29 - Contractor Company Name/FA448426R0006/Attachment # and Name

Question 30 - Will the Government be supplying commercial internet to the contractor? If not, will the Government provide a list of internet service providers available at each location of JBMDL?

Answer 30 – No, commercial internet is not supplied by the government but is needed for the Contractor to conduct commercial business. The current vendor that supplies commercial internet is Comcast, but Verizon has a presence on base as well.

Question 31 - Solicitation - FA448426R0006.pdf, Cover Page (SF 1449) Due to the number of Federal holidays observed since the solicitation issue date (Dec. 24-26 and Jan. 1 and 19), will the Government please extend the proposal due date to allow adequate time to prepare an offer and for CORs on past performance reference contracts to complete and return performance questionnaires?

Answer 31 - Proposal Due Date is extended to 28 January 2026.