Protestant Music Ministries Questions - Answers.pdf

Protestant Music Ministries Questions

1. Annual hours: The PWS requires one music director and one musician, while each annual CLIN lists 164 hours. Do the 164 hours represent combined labor hours for both individuals, or 164 hours of service coverage during which both individuals are required? Please clarify how each person’s time should be accounted for during rehearsals, worship services, meetings, and special services.

Answer: The 164 annual hours represent on-site service coverage hours during which the required music ministry services must be actively delivered at the chapel. This includes the designated times for scheduled rehearsals, worship services, scheduled quarterly meetings, and approved special services as outlined in PWS Section 3.1.

These hours do not include off-site preparation, administrative overhead, coordination, or logistical requirements; offerors must factor these external business costs into their fully burdened hourly rates. Each individual's time on-site must be tracked and accounted for concurrently matching the scheduled service or rehearsal block.

2. Current contract: Is there an incumbent currently providing these services? If so, would you please provide the current contractor’s name, contract number, award amount or pricing, and period of performance, to the extent available for release?

Answer: Holmes Steffi M, Contract Number (previously combined): FA449721P0020, Contract Value $308,024.00

3. Audition: Must both the proposed music director and musician participate in the in-person audition on October 13 or 14? How will qualifying offerors receive their assigned date and timeslot?

Answer: Audition attendance depends on how the offeror structures their proposal:

a. If proposing separate individuals: Only the Musician/Accompanist is required to participate in the in-person audition to demonstrate instrumental and sight-reading proficiency. The Music Director is not required to attend the audition unless they will also be performing instrumentally during services.

b. If proposing a single "dual-hatted" individual: That single individual must participate in the audition to demonstrate both instrumental proficiency and their capability to lead/direct simultaneously.

c. Administrative Personnel: Administrative representatives or prime contractor management do not need to attend.

Following the technical evaluation of written proposals, the Chapel staff will schedule the audition slots for qualifying offerors. These assigned dates, times, and base access coordination procedures will be officially distributed to vendors by the Contracting Officer.

4. Instrument requirements: PWS paragraph 4.2 emphasizes acoustic guitar proficiency and describes piano proficiency as highly preferred. The solicitation’s technical instructions request demonstrated piano proficiency and sight reading. Which instrument skills are required for each proposed individual to receive an acceptable technical rating?

Answer: To clarify the intent of the requirements: proficiency in playing the acoustic guitar is the baseline mandatory requirement for the Protestant Music Director / Musician positions to receive an "Acceptable" rating under the technical evaluation.

While the solicitation's technical instructions request demonstrated piano proficiency and sight-reading, piano proficiency is highly preferred, but not mandatory. To receive an acceptable technical rating, the proposed individual delivering the accompaniment (whether a dedicated Musician/Accompanist or a single "dual-hatted" playing director) must demonstrate proficiency in playing the acoustic guitar. Demonstrated proficiency in piano and sight-reading will be evaluated as a highly preferred, advantageous capability but is not a gatekeeper for technical acceptability.

5. Wage classifications: Which occupational classifications under the attached wage determination does the Government anticipate for the music director and musician? If their duties do not fit a listed classification, should offerors anticipate a conformance request?

Answer: It is the offeror's responsibility to map their proposed labor to the attached Wage Determination (WD). If the roles of "Music Director" or "Musician" are not explicitly listed, offerors should identify the closest "best fit" classification. If no reasonable fit exists, the offeror should anticipate submitting a formal Conformance Request (SF 1444) through the Contracting Officer no later than 30 calendar days after contract start.

6. Seeking clarification regarding total allocated hours for the period of performance. Section

3.1 of the PWS breaks down the number of hours allocated annually, with a maximum of

164. These calculations are based upon the actual time required for one person, while sections 1,4, and 6 of the PWS all suggest a requirement for two persons. Neither the PWS nor the solicitation provide a definition of one "hour" as a billable unit, and so there is room for confusion about how an hourly rate should be computed for the price sheet. How is an offeror intended to use this information to build a proposal, plan, and budget for actual personnel required?

Answer: For the purposes of this contract and the associated pricing sheet (CLINs), one "hour" is defined as one hour of on-site Protestant Music Ministry service coverage.

During this billable hour of service coverage, the contractor is required to provide the capabilities of both roles (Music Director and Musician/Accompanist) concurrently.

How to build your proposal, plan, and budget under different business structures:

a. If bidding as a Company / Prime Contractor: Offerors should build a composite hourly rate that incorporates the subcontractor rates for both the Music Director and the Musician/Accompanist, plus the prime contractor’s administrative management fees, business overhead (e.g., liability insurance, corporate administration), and profit.

b. If proposing separate self-performing individuals: Offerors must combine the hourly wages of both roles, plus any associated taxes and overhead, into a single composite hourly rate.

c. If proposing a single "dual-hatted" individual (playing director): Offerors should bid a single fully burdened hourly rate reflecting the combined responsibilities.

d. In all scenarios, the proposed hourly rate must be fully burdened and multiplied by the 164 annual hours listed. Do not alter the 164-hour quantity on the price sheet.

7. Seeking clarification regarding the required personnel. Section 1 of the PWS states: "The contractor is responsible to provide one music director and one music accompanist for one Protestant worship service." Given the number of hours allocated, there is a uncertainty whether or not two different people are expected to fill each role. Does this requirement mean that two distinct individuals must be present for all rehearsals, services, meetings, and any event involving billable hours? If so, is the attendance of only the music director expected in certain situations, for example, at meetings?

Answer: The requirement in Section 1 to provide one Music Director and one Musician/Accompanist defines the functional capabilities that must be delivered, not an inflexible requirement for two separate physical bodies.

a. Single-Person ("Dual-Hatted") Model: A corporate offeror or management company may propose a single qualified individual (e.g., a local subcontractor acting as a "playing director") to fulfill both the Music Director and Musician/Accompanist roles simultaneously. This individual must meet the qualification and audition requirements for both positions. If a single individual is proposed, only that single individual is required to be present on-site.

b. Two-Person Model: If an offeror chooses to propose separate individuals for the Director and Musician roles, both must be present concurrently during rehearsals, worship services, and special services where direction and accompaniment are required.

c. Meeting Attendance: Corporate prime management personnel are not required to be physically present on-site for routine operational or quarterly meetings. For administrative and quarterly coordination meetings, attendance is only required by the on-site Music Director (or the single dual-hatted lead), who serves as the contractor's on-site operational representative. The Musician/Accompanist does not attend routine administrative meetings.

In all cases, billing remains strictly capped at the 164 total annual service hours defined in the PWS; having multiple individuals present at an event does not duplicate or increase billable service hours.

8. The annual hours required assume 52 weeks per annum, however, periods of performance from Nov 1 - Oct 31 do not always encompass exactly 52 Sundays. In fact, the period of performance from Nov 1 2026 - Oct 31 2027 includes 53 Sundays (in this situation, both the start and end dates happen to be Sunday). Are regular duties anticipated for the last Sunday in that PoP, and will the contract be funded sufficiently?

Answer: Yes, regular duties are anticipated for all scheduled Sundays within the Period of Performance, including the 53rd Sunday occurring during the Nov 1, 2026 – Oct 31, 2027 period.

The contract is sufficiently funded to accommodate this occurrence. The 2.5 service hours required for the 53rd Sunday will be drawn directly from the 30-hour pool allocated in PWS Section 3.1 for special services, additional meetings, and training.

The total annual ceiling of 164 hours per CLIN remains unchanged, and all regular and special services for that period will be managed within that funded ceiling.

9. On page 21 of 24, Subfactor 2 asks for a cover page to include "a capability statement illustrating how you work well with others and solve conflict, disagreement or misunderstanding with someone in accordance with paragraph 5.6 and 5.7 of the PWS."

However, 5.7 of the PWS states: "Dress in a professional and appropriate manner for events while providing services." Based on language found in past versions of this PWS, we believe the intent was to reference paragraph 5.3: "Work in close coordination with the Wing Chaplain or their designee, acknowledging that the Wing Chaplain maintains ultimate oversight and direction of all Chapel programs and services." On which paragraphs of the PWS should the contractor's proposal focus?

Answer: The government appreciates the offeror's diligence in identifying this typographical error.

Offerors are required to submit the capability statement illustrating how they work well with others, manage disagreements, and coordinate operations. This statement must focus on and align with the operational intents of:

• PWS Paragraph 5.3: Working in close coordination with the Wing Chaplain or designee

(acknowledging ultimate chapel program oversight).

• PWS Paragraph 5.6: Maintaining a professional rapport, working constructively, and resolving all operational conflicts.

PWS Paragraph 5.7 remains applicable solely to professional attire and dress code requirements during the performance of duties, and does not need to be addressed in your conflict resolution capability statement.

10. The contract solicitation lists technical requirement, subfactor 1.iii as proficiency in playing the piano. The PWS lists qualification 4.2 as proficiency in playing the acoustic guitar. It also lists proficiency in playing the piano as "highly preferred". Which of these qualifications has precedence and will be evaluated as part of the technical proposal subfactor 3?

Answer: As clarified in Question 4, acoustic guitar proficiency is the baseline mandatory qualification evaluated to determine technical acceptability. Demonstrated proficiency in piano and sight-reading is highly preferred and valued for service delivery, but is not evaluated as a mandatory gate for technical acceptability under the technical proposal evaluation.

11. Under PWS paragraph 6.1, how should we obtain approval to propose a qualified local subcontractor as Music Director, with [Interested Vendor] managing the contract? May the proposed director and accompanist satisfy the experience requirements and attend the audition on our behalf?

Answer: Under your business model as a prime management company, the process is streamlined as follows:

a. Approval Process: You do not need to seek separate or prior approval to propose local subcontractors before bidding. Proposing your local subcontractors within your technical quote (by submitting their resumes, experience, and credentials) serves as your formal request. The award of the contract to your company constitutes the Wing Chaplain’s and

Contracting Officer's official approval of those proposed individuals under PWS paragraph 6.1.

b. Qualifications: Your proposed local subcontractors are expected to satisfy the experience requirements outlined in the PWS, as they are the individuals who will be physically delivering the music ministry services on-site.

c. Auditions: Your proposed local subcontractors must attend the in-person audition on your behalf, as the audition is designed to evaluate the physical, technical capability of the personnel performing the work. Prime contractor management personnel do not need to attend.

12. Does the 164-hour annual pricing quantity cover both the director and accompanist together, or apply separately to each person?

Answer: The 164-hour annual pricing quantity covers both functions together as a single billable service hour. It does not apply separately to each person.

Offerors must propose a single, fully burdened composite hourly rate for the 164-hour CLIN.

This composite rate must incorporate the cost of providing both the Music Director and the Musician/Accompanist concurrently (along with any prime contractor management overhead, taxes, and profit), or the cost of a single "dual-hatted" playing director if that model is proposed. Do not duplicate or alter the 164-hour quantity on the price sheet.

13. The PWS requires acoustic guitar proficiency and describes piano proficiency as highly preferred, while the solicitation’s technical criteria require piano proficiency. Which requirements apply to each position?

Answer: The application of instrument requirements has been reconciled to ensure the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and the solicitation's evaluation criteria are aligned:

a. For the Musician/Accompanist position: The baseline mandatory requirement is proficiency in playing the acoustic guitar. Demonstrated piano/keyboard proficiency and sight-reading ability are evaluated as highly preferred and advantageous capabilities, but they are not mandatory gates for technical acceptability.

b. For the Music Director position (if proposed as a separate individual): No specific instrument proficiency is mandatory, though overall musical literacy, program leadership, and coordination skills are required.

c. For a single "dual-hatted" individual (playing director): Because this individual is executing the accompanist duties, they must meet the baseline mandatory acoustic guitar proficiency requirement.

In all scenarios, a proposal featuring only piano capability without acoustic guitar capability will be evaluated as technically unacceptable, as acoustic guitar is the core baseline requirement for this service.

14. Must both proposed personnel attend the October 13–14 audition, and how will audition scheduling and base access be arranged?

Answer: Audition attendance and scheduling are determined as follows:

a. Who Must Attend:

i. If proposing separate individuals: Only the proposed Musician/Accompanist is required to participate in the in-person audition to demonstrate the mandatory piano and sight-reading proficiency. The separate Music Director is not required to attend unless they will actively perform instrumentally.

ii. If proposing a single "dual-hatted" individual (playing director): That single individual must participate in the audition to demonstrate both instrumental execution and leadership capabilities.

iii. Corporate Management: Administrative representatives or prime contractor management personnel do not need to attend the audition.

b. 2. Scheduling & Base Access Coordination:

i. Following the technical evaluation of written proposals, the Chapel staff will generate the audition schedule for qualifying offerors.

ii. The Contracting Officer will formally distribute the assigned dates, timeslots, and base access coordination requirements to the qualifying vendors.

iii. Contractors will submit the required visitor identification details (complying with the REAL ID Act) back through the Contracting Officer to secure base entry.

Contractors must not contact the Chapel directly for scheduling or access.

15. The Protestant PWS states that the contractor shall provide one Music Director and one

Musician/Accompanist. May one qualified individual perform both functions, provided that individual meets all applicable qualifications and can perform all required services?

Answer: Yes. A single qualified individual may perform both the Music Director and the Musician/Accompanist functions (operating as a "playing director"), provided that individual meets all applicable qualifications, experience requirements, and technical evaluation criteria (including mandatory piano and sight-reading proficiency) for both positions.

16. PWS paragraph 4.2 requires proficiency in acoustic guitar and states that piano proficiency is highly preferred. However, the solicitation's Technical Proposal, Subfactor 1, requires demonstration of piano proficiency and sight-reading ability. Please clarify which instrument qualification will be used to determine technical acceptability.

Answer: Acoustic guitar proficiency is the primary qualification that will be used to determine technical acceptability.

To receive an "Acceptable" rating under Technical Subfactor 1, the individual proposed to perform the accompaniment duties (whether a dedicated Musician/Accompanist or a single "dual-hatted" playing director) must demonstrate proficiency in playing the acoustic guitar.

While the solicitation's Technical Proposal instructions request a demonstration of piano proficiency and sight-reading, these capabilities are evaluated as highly preferred secondary assets and cannot be used to substitute for the baseline mandatory acoustic guitar requirement.

17. PWS paragraph 6.1 states that subcontracting the Music Director role requires prior approval from the Wing Chaplain or designee. May an offeror propose a subcontracted Music Director in its quote, and if so, at what point should the required approval be obtained?

Answer: Yes, an offeror may propose a subcontracted Music Director in its quote. This is standard procedure for prime contractors or management companies.

No prior coordination or approval is required before submitting your proposal. The offeror should submit the proposed subcontractor's resume, qualifications, and experience as part of their technical quote. The formal award of the contract to the winning offeror will constitute the Wing Chaplain's and the Contracting Officer's official approval of the proposed subcontracted Music Director under PWS paragraph 6.1.

Any subsequent changes to this personnel post-award will require written coordination with the Wing Chaplain and formal approval via a contract modification from the Contracting Officer.

18. If an offeror proposes separate individuals for the Music Director and Musician/Accompanist functions, please clarify whether the in-person audition is required for the Music Director, the Musician/Accompanist, or both individuals.

Answer: If separate individuals are proposed, the in-person audition is only required for the Musician/Accompanist to evaluate the mandatory piano and sight-reading proficiency. The proposed Music Director is not required to participate in the in-person audition, unless they also intend to perform instrumentally or provide musical accompaniment during the services.

19. The Protestant solicitations list the same five audition selections, including “Almost Home,” “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” “O How I Love Jesus,” and “On Eagle's Wing.” Please confirm that the listed audition selections and corresponding attachments are correct for both requirements.

Answer: Yes, the government confirms that the listed audition selections—including “Almost Home,” “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” “O How I Love Jesus,” and “On Eagle's Wings”— and their corresponding sheet music attachments provided in the solicitation package are correct and will be utilized for the live auditions.

20. Incumbent Personnel: Is there currently an incumbent contractor or musician performing the Protestant music ministry services? If so, is the Government permitted to provide the incumbent's contact information, or otherwise forward [Interested Vendor’s] contact information to the incumbent for possible continuity of services?

Answer: Holmes Steffi M, Contract Number (previously combined): FA449721P0020, Contract Value $308,024.00

21. Where and how should quotes be submitted (for example, an email address or PIEE)? The solicitations do not state a submission method.

Answer: Submit quote via email.