Solicitation_Q A__2.docx

FA4600-13-R-0001

USAMS III Solicitation Questions and Answers Round 2

2a. Question: Given the Tech Volume centers on responding to Mission Areas and the PWS is organized functionally, what is the government’s expectation regarding addressing individual tasks contained in PWS 1.5.1, 1.5.2, and 1.5.3?

Answer: Actual task requirements in the mission areas will be specified in specific task orders after award. The specific areas the government will evaluate are listed in Section L and the evaluation criteria are in Section M of the RFP. For evaluation purposes of the subfactors, the technical evaluation team will review offeror’s ability to perform in the tasks in the mission areas (subfactors), but the government does not expect offerors to cover every task in every mission area in the page limits.

2b. Question: Please post all USAMS II Task Order Performance Work Statements to the bidders library.

Answer: The majority of USAMS task orders have undergone a FOIA process and documents can be found at https://131.6.12.49/palMain.aspx. The Government has posted sample task orders covering the USSTRATCOM mission areas. The Government will not create a bidder’s library in addition to what has been already posted.

2c. Question: The requirement for past performance citations from the prime appears to be 3 citations, to include 2 responding to mission areas and 1 responding to program management. Is this correct? The alternative would be for the prime to provide citations for 3 mission areas addressing the program management approach in one of those citations. If this is the case, may we use an ID/IQ?

Answer: The Program Management subfactor can have an IDIQ or BPA as a reference.

Contractors may cite the ceiling value of the overall ordering vehicle, but will only get credit for task/delivery order award value.

IDIQ/BPA contracts cited to support USSTRATCOM mission areas will not be accepted. Services supporting the mission areas are only performed at the task order level and must be cited individually.

2d. Question: The RFP states (L4.6) that “The Offeror shall exert its best efforts to ensure that at least two points of contact (Procuring Contracting Officer, Program/Project Manager, Administrative Contracting Officer, or equivalent) per relevant contract submit a completed Past and Present Performance Questionnaire directly to the Government not later than the due date for the past performance proposal volume.” Does this mean that two PPQs are REQUIRED for each past performance submitted or is one sufficient?

Answer: At least two points of contacts shall be provided and contacted to complete the Past and Present Performance Questionnaire (Procuring Contracting Officer, Program/Project Manager, Administrative Contracting officer, or equivalent).

2e. Question: The RFP requests that we include Past Performance Assessment Form (L4.3 and L4.7), however there is no attachment for this. Are they looking for a specific form or are they just wanting us to include our CPARS in here?

Answer: There is no specific format for this portion. It is not necessary that offerors provide a Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) as the Government can access CPAR reports; however, if an evaluation method other than a CPAR has been used in conducting performance assessments (e.g. an Award Fee notification letter, a subcontractor’s prime contractor performance evaluation, etc.) that form/documentation shall be submitted IAW L4.7.

2f. Question: Ref. Solicitation FA4600-13-R-0001, Section L4.5, 2nd paragraph on page 215 and Section M3.2.2.2.1.1 on page 228:

The Government specifies that offerors are only permitted to use an overall ID/IQ contract as a past/present performance reference if…”unless performance is only assessed for the ID/IQ contract as a whole.” Our past performance on a similar A&AS IDIQ prime contract supporting the U.S. Air Force and USSTRATCOM assesses performance at the overall ID/IQ contract level as well as at the task order level depending on the value of the task order. Given that Section M3.2.2.2.1.1 states that relevancy for Program Management past/present performance references are at the contract-level, why wouldn’t the Government accept an ID/IQ contract past/present performance reference if it is assessed at the ID/IQ contract level since it is a present/past performance effort which involved essentially the same scope and magnitude of effort and complexities that the USAMS III ID/IQ solicitation requires in order to best align with the Program Management-Subfactor One under the Past Performance Relevancy Ratings table on page 227 and the relevancy criteria for Subfactor 1- Program Management in Section M3.2..2.2.1.1. This information would be extremely useful to the Government when determining the performance risk involved with a potential prime offeror given their experience, or lack of experience, managing a prime ID/IQ contract providing Advisory & Assistance Services to a DoD customer such as USSTRATCOM. This information would also indicate to the Government the overall ID/IQ contract-level performance prime offeror’s have had on essentially similar ID/IQ contracts and their performance metrics such as task order bid rates and task order win rates. It also indicates the results of a prime offeror’s ability have met performance objectives and thresholds established in the overall ID/IQ’s performance Services Summary. This information would provide the Government its most essentially similar past/present performance information in order to make a lower risk confidence evaluation of a prime offeror’s ability to manage and perform the USAMS III ID/IQ.

In order for the Government to lower their risk when determining confidence ratings based on offeror’s past/present performance information, we strongly recommend the Government change Section L4.5 paragraph 2 in such a way that it requires prime offeror’s to submit one of their past/present ID/IQ contracts as a whole to count as one of the three past/present performance references that must come from the prime offeror in order to satisfy Subfactor 1 – program management as specified in Section M3.2.2.2.1.1. By doing so, the Government will improve its overall evaluation criteria so that it more accurately reflects relevancy to the USAMS III ID/IQ and affords the Government a greater confidence as to whether or not a prime offeror is able to execute the program management tasks at the contract-level of an ID/IQ contract like USAMS III.

Answer: The Program Management subfactor can have an IDIQ or BPA as a reference.

Contractors may cite the ceiling value of the overall ordering vehicle, but will only get credit for task/delivery order award value.

IDIQ/BPA contracts cited to support USSTRATCOM mission areas will not be accepted. Services supporting the mission areas are only performed at the task order level and must be cited individually.

2g. Question: Ref. Solicitation FA4600-13-R-0001, Attachment 10 - Certificate of Compliance with Insurance Requirements on Page 183.

What Volume does this completed Attachment 10 go into?

Answer: Please include the completed Attachment 10 as part of Volume IV – Contract Documentation.

2h. Question: Ref. Solicitation FA4600-13-R-0001: Attachment 11 - DOL EEOC Clearance Request Form on Page 184.

What Volume does this completed Attachment 11 go into?

Answer: Please include the completed Attachment 11 as part of Volume IV – Contract Documentation.

2i. Question: Ref. Solicitation FA4600-13-R-0001: Past Performance Volume II Due Date

Given the fact that there is limited time to get the PPQ’s out to our Program CO, COTR and not nearly enough time for them to complete them as well as forward them on to Eric Mahowald and Jaimie Haddock on September 23. 2013. We respectfully request an extension of two weeks form the current due date for the Past Performance Volume.

Answer: The Past Performance due date is now 1 October 2013 / 2:00 PM CST

2j. Question: We request that the past performance proposal volume submission date/time group be changed from 23 September 2013/2:00PM CST to 15 October 2013/2:00PM CST.

Answer: The Past Performance due date is now 1 October 2013 / 2:00 PM CST

2k. Question: : Due to the precise and extensive nature of the requirements of the Past Performance Volume for USAMS III request the Government extend the Past Performance Volume due date to 15 October 2013 with the other proposal volumes.

Answer: The Past Performance due date is now 1 October 2013 / 2:00 PM CST

2l. Question: With the requirement of submitting 2 PPQs for each citation included in the past performance volume, there is the high probability that there may be some personnel receiving questionnaires and providing evaluations that will also be on the source selection board for USAMS III. Does this create a conflict of interest in any way? Please address.

Answer: No, this does not present a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest does not exist merely because the same contracting agency or contracting agency employees both prepare an offeror's past performance reference and perform the evaluation of offerors' proposals.

2m. Question: Would the Government consider amending Table 2 by removing from each definition the word "annually"?

Answer: Removing the word “annually” from Sec L, para 2.0, Table 2, changes the meaning of Past Performance relevancy. No, the Government will not remove the word “annually.”

2n. Question: The following questions are in regards to the pricing submittal requirements:

(1) Does the Government require or desire Offers to change the page set-up and formatting in order to print an original and 5 copies of the Price Proposal that are more legible?

Answer: The Government does not require or desire Offerors to change the page set-up or formatting in order to print. The USAMS 3 pricing model has been formatted so that each tab prints on a single sheet.

(2) What is required for Salary Supporting Data?

Answer: Please reference FAR 52.222-46.

(3) Should an individual sheet be completed for each labor category and level? If not, then what information does the Government require regarding salaries and salaries supporting data?

Answer: Please reference FAR 52.222-46 and the “Benefit Summary Tab” of the USAMS III Price Model.