FinalAnswersSiteVisit Questions25May11 Amd0002.doc

ANSWERS TO ADDITIONAL HANDWRITTEN/VERBAL SITE VISIT QUESTIONS, ADDITIONAL EMAILED QUESTIONS NOT ANSWERED AT THE SITE VISIT (HANDOUT)

1. Q. Will the government rate higher the past performance for members of a joint venture compared to the past performance of a prime/subcontractor scenario that may not be part of the contract?

A. As stated in Section M-03, E.,4.,c.(page 77), Past performance regarding organizational structure change, predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience, or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement may not be rated as highly as past peformance information for the principal Offeror.

2. Q. Attachment 2 shows a wage determination for service construction act, attachment 3.1 shows a wage determination for building construction, and attachment 3.2 shows a wage determination for heavy construction. Which wage determination is applicable for this solicitation?

A. Attachment 2, Service Contract (SCA) is applicable to the solicitation to complete all CLINs and Attachment 4-2, PIRRM. All three (3) are applicable to the awarded contract. All offerors should look closely at the FAR clauses dealing with the Service Contract Act, FAR 52.222-41 and the Davis Bacon Act FAR 52.222-6 and be knowledgeable of the acts in relation to contract requirements. The Davis Bacon Act WDs will be utilized as necessary for non prepriced items. Payroll will be required on a weekly basis for Davis Bacon construction employees per Section I, FAR 52.222-8 when a work order includes any non prepriced PID over the DB threshold.

3. Q. Reference PWS Section 1.3.14.15 Traffic Management Records - are these records required for each EPN and Key System, or just for the DCO Switch?

A. The Traffic Management Analyzes comes from the switch, but includes the switch, the remotes, and the EPNs.

4. Q. As an ACC Base, is a dial-in capability that conforms to AFI 33-111 Section G permitted by local authority?

A. Yes, dial-in capability that conforms to AFI 33-111, Section G is permitted by local authority

5. Q. Avaya/Nortel requires that a Prepaid Annual Support Service (PASS) contract be purchased and assigned to each Switch that the maintenance is required on. This provides the continued maintenance support on the software and the ability to contact Avaya/Nortel help desk for tier 3 assistance (if needed). Without this there will be no support from Avaya/Nortel engineering. To provide this we have to do a configuration on each switch to establish the pricing for this effort. I have several switch maintenance contracts with other Government Agencies and they required that I provide this for the switches. Is this going to be required for this contract and if so will the contractor be required to provide the pricing for this services as a part of the maintenance on the switches.

A. This is not required on AF BTS contracts. It falls under AF sustainment and is managed by the AF Telcom Program Office (PWS, paragraph 3.1, indicates the AF contract for logistics support).

6. L-02 A. 1. Instructions allow for 11”x17” pages in the proposal. Do 11”x17” foldouts count as one or two pages?

A. Foldouts count as one page.

7. L-02 C. Instructions are to submit 1 CD in the original binder containing all parts. Will the Government clarify which original binder they prefer the CD to be included with since each Part has a separate original binder.

A. Place the CD in the first original binder, Proposal Part I, Technical, provided in response to the solicitation.

8. Q. L-05 F. Does the Organizational Structure Change History requirement apply only to the Prime Contractor or all teammates?

A. No, the organizational structure change history requirement applies to both prime contractor and teaming/joint venture partners.

9. Q. L-05 E Do the consent letters count towards page count?

A. The consent letters referenced in Section L of the solicitation do not count toward the page count. Place these consent letters in separate section within the Proposal Part III, Past Performance binder.

10. Q. PWS Paragraph 3.2.3.12 The Government is providing 4 PCs, 2 printers and a plotter - will the Government provide supplies for these devices?

A. The Government does not provide supplies and shall only provide the items listed in paragraph 3.0 of the PWS. The 4 PCs and 2 printers referenced in the PWS are located in the government provided on-site location (Bldg 221).

10a. Q. Are these in a stand-alone workgroup? Are they on the base network?

A. No, these 4 PCs are not stand-alone. The PCs are on the Land Area Network (LAN).

10b. Q. What security requirements (personnel, thumb drives, vulnerabilities, etc.) are required for use?

A. The Government provides required on-line web based training for all personnel who will be accessing the base LAN system. As part of the training, no thumb drives or similar removable devices are authorized on Holloman AFB. Personnel will be required to obtain a Common Access Card (CAC) to access the LAN-supported Government furnished computers (see Section I, DFARS 5352.242-9001).

11. Q. PWS Paragraph 3.2.4 What equipment is the Government referencing?

A. Paragraph 3.2.4. refers to the Government furnished property and services specified in Paragraph 3.2. Base Support, and is undeterminable. The Contractor shall not incur any cost resulting from lack of base support listed in Paragraph 3.2, unless the Contractor identifies such cost prior to expenditure of any such cost and the CO provides concurrence. The paragraph 3.2.4 will be reworded. The equipment referenced in paragraph 3.2.5 references Items to be Maintained by the Contractor, Appendix 5.2, which is "equipment" and must be inventoried and kept up to date as referenced in para 1.3.14.12.

12. Q. PIRRM Does labor associated with non-priced project count toward 50%?

A. The Government assumes you are referring to the requirement for the 8(a) joint venture/teaming partner to provide 51% of the work in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) to fulfill the contractual requirements. If so, the answer would be it depends on the work orders and the cumulative work required in the PWS. The nonprepriced projects may be done with in-house labor (the 8(a) or the partner) or this is subcontracted out. The contractor determines how the work is accomplished. These nonprepriced projects are usually fewer in number as most of the work is accounted for in the PIRRM.

13. Q. You require that the contractor to provide Tier 1, 2, 3 – does that mean technical problems or does it include materials on the main switch cards?

A. Technical problems and switch cards are covered by using the Voice Switch System sustainment plan. Appendix 5.4 – Voice Switching System (VSS) Sustainment.

14. Q. Which contractor performs during phase in?

A. Both contractors are performing during the 2-week phase-in period. The incumbent contractor will be the contractor who is responsible for the work and the awardee for this solicitation will be shadowing the incumbent contractor.

15. Are references to CPARs allowed in Past Performance?

A. The content of the Past Performance is up to the offeror.

16. Q. Does Holloman use NETCENTS for any replacement cards, etc?

A. Holloman uses the Voice Switch System (VSS) sustainment plan. Appendix 5.4 – Voice Switching System (VSS) Sustainment

17. Q. Total number of feet of existing blown fiber on Holloman AFB?

A. There is 22,443 feet of blown fiber.

18. Q. What is total number cable pairs available on Holloman AFB?

A. The total number of available cable pairs is 50,443.

19a. Q. Avaya require the PASS (Software Support) in order to obtain any technical help through Avaya/Nortell Technical Support Services. This will be needed on each switch under the contract. Do we need to provide this as a part of this contract?

A. This is not required on AF BTS contracts. It falls under AF sustainment and is managed by the AF Telcom Program Office.

19b. If so, we will need to know the configuration of each switch to calculate the PASS cost. (Can you provide the configuration of each switch?)

A. N/A; see 19a above.

20. Q. CLIN (PID) 4251 shows a purchase quantity of 1000 meters and an install quantity of 1000 feet, which is correct?

A. All fiber is purchased in METERS and installed in FEET.

21. Q. CLIN/PID 6151 is for fiber installation for a 6-72 strand, but is asking for a price for purchase. What size fiber should we price (6 strand or 72 strand)?

A. The CLIN is for 6 thru 72 strand fiber to be installed. The fiber to be installed can be a 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 or a 72. One CLIN installs all these sizes since it cost the same to open and close a trench line. The fiber is purchased according to the size needed for the requirement

22. Q. For CLINs/PIDs 3150 through 3180, should we price single mode or multimode?

A. All patch cords should be priced for signal mode.

23. Q. Does Holloman AFB use the “comm focal point” method for work orders?

A. Yes, the Communications Focal Point is used for Trouble Tickets; 49 CS/SCX is for Work Orders.

24a. Q. What are the numbers of active digital ports on the Avaya switch?

A. There are 3147 subscribers (active digital ports).

24b. Q. What are the numbers of active digital ports on the Lucent switch?

A. Holloman AFB does not have a Lucent switch; there is only one switch and it is the Avaya switch. Lucent and Avaya switches merged about 10 years ago. Appendix 5.2 may mention Lucent or some phones on base may be marked Lucent, however the switch is only Avaya.

25a. Q. What are the numbers of active analog ports of the Avaya switch?

A. There are 3246 Subscribers (active analog ports).

25b. Q. What are the numbers of active analog ports on the Lucent switch?

A. Holloman AFB does not have a Lucent switch; there is only one switch and it is the Avaya switch.

26a. Q. What are the numbers of active VOIP ports on the Avaya switch?

A. Currently there is 81 Avaya (maintained by the contractor) and 567 Cisco (maintained by the government). Avaya will be the VoIP solution once all Cisco phones have been installed.

26b. Q. Are there any VoIP ports active on the Lucent switch?

A. Holloman AFB does not have a Lucent switch.

27. Q.What are the numbers of remote EPNs or sites?

A. There are seven (7) EPNs, two (2) survivable at the remotes.

28. Q. What are the model and manufacturers of the wireless systems?

A. The requirement for wireless systems is not covered by this contract.

29. Q. Are there public address systems connected to the voice switches?

A. The public address system is not covered by this contract, but the switch has a paging and intercom system.

30. Q. What are the model and makes of the public address systems used?

A. Irrelevant to this contract. Public address systems are not covered by this contract

31. How many personnel support base communications operations?

A. Eleven Government personnel support base communications operations.

32. Q. The contractor is supposed to keep paper copies of all work orders. Does the Government provide file cabinets and/or furniture?

A. No, the Government provides only what is stated in the contract. However, it was noted during the site visit in the onsite location (Bldg 221) there was Government furnished property that includes a four drawer file cabinet, seven desks and chairs, 2 partition desk units and a glass enclosed safety board. These items will be left in the location when the incumbent contract ends.

33. Q. What are the numbers of work orders per month for past 12 months by CLIN?

A. See table below.

34. Q. What is the workload breakout for the Hospital CLIN?

A. See table above. CLINs 2005, 2006, 3005 and 3006 are Hospital CLINs.

35. Q. Concerning question 8 (Q&A handout Set#2, question #8 of 20), Is Holloman AFB currently making CVC updates?

A. Yes, they are.

36. Q. Is Holloman AFB currently maintaining inside plant drawings in hand drawn or CAD format?

A. CVC is used to update outside plant data. There is no mechanism for inside plant data to date, however, there may be a mechanism that Holloman AFB will get in the future therefore this is the reason it is in the Performance Work Statement. CVC is required for everything in AutoCAD format for the outside plant. In plant data is required in electronic copy, either Visio or Micro station.

37. Q. Is Holloman AFB doing GPS updates?

A. Yes, Holloman AFB is doing GPS updates.

38. Q. Does Holloman AFB have overtime CLIN?

A. No, there is no reimbursable CLIN in the contract to cover overtime hours of contractor employees due to exercises, after normal duty hour’s work, etc. The contractor is expected to manage the work load and employee hours to avoid overtime if possible by juggling work schedules and employee hours, hiring more personnel, etc. This is not a time and materials contract. It is a fixed price contract. Contractor employees are given notice on exercises, etc. when possible and the QAP works with the contractor. Of course, emergency outages cannot be predicted.

39. Q. Who determines an emergency (work order), the QAPs?

A. Yes, the QAPs determine the priority level of a work order (routine, priority, emergency). If the WOMS/TMS system categorizes priorities different from the contract, the QAP will clarify.

40. Q. What is the current manual software support switch configuration?

A. The current switch configuration information should only be given to the vendor that gets the contract.

41. Q. Do they (technicians) have to be blown fiber certified?

A. Yes, they have to be blown fiber certified.

42. Q. Please clarify question 14 (Q&A handout Set #2, question #14 of 20). Are any of these existing underground copper cables lead sheath, air pressurized or paper wrap type?

A. Yes, the existing underground copper cables can be lead sheath or paper wrap type. There are no existing underground copper cables with air pressure on them.

43. Q. How many feet of existing underground copper cables for lead sheath and paper wrap type?

The footage is unknown for the lead sheath and paper wrap type cable. There is no operational CAD with this information.

44. Q. For question number 2 (Q&A handout Set#3, question #2 of _13), what is the current condition of the manholes, hand holes, or pull boxes? Why is the answer irrelevant?

A. This is a performance based contract and each offeror needs to decide how to do the work in accordance with the performance work statement (PWS), what the incumbent contractor has done is irrelevant. The Government does not tell the contractor how to do the job and is only interested in the outcome in accordance with the PWS. This new contract may have to have different data to update.

45. Q. Have the PMIs been completed by timeline.

A. Yes, the PMIs are up-to-date.

46. Q. Is each manhole, hand hole pull box tagged?

A. This is unknown. The incumbent contractor may have never touched a manhole, hand hole, pull box that Holloman AFB has in the course of their contract. The contractor would tag during the PMI and update what they have done on the CVC when they perform the PMI. The new contractor will not have to go back and update data that may not have ever been input before in the past. The new contractor will update the CVC or drawings when they do any new work orders or PMIs. In other words, the new contractor updates what they touch and what they see in place during a PMI or new work order.

47. Q. Are manholes considered real property?

A. Yes, manholes are real property.

48. Q. How many outages have there been?

A. Reference Appendix 5.1, para 5.1.2.1

49. Q. Is the current contractor working extended hours during exercises?

A. Not usually, but this depends on the scenario. During an exercise, the exercise planners will notify the QAP of a requirement and discuss. The QAP will discuss with the contractor and decide if this is feasible for the contractor to participate based on the timelines and other conditions.

50. Q. Does the government furnished equipment (Appendix 5.2) include the mandated key systems?

A. Yes, it includes the key systems. Note: a new recent change to the solicitation on Appendix 5.2 is the commissary does not have an independent switch. This was removed.

51. Q. Do you still want past performance questionnaires if you have access to CPARS?

A. Based on email traffic, 49 CONS has learned there is a problem with getting the past performance replies from Tinker AFB as their policy is to pull the information from CPARS. 49 CONS will pull this CPARS data from PPIRS, but may follow up with Tinker AFB via phone calls as the questionnaires provide more in-depth data to questions. It is the offerors choice whether to submit questionnaires or not. It is responsibility to follow up on questionnaires.

52. Q. Prime contractor versus subcontractor/teaming or joint venture past performance; what happens if the prime has all the past performance and/or the subcontractor/teaming partner all past performance?

A. There is no weights in this area in the evaluation. It is subjective. It all depends on what is given during the technical data, past performance and source selection process.

53. Q. Is there any aerial?

A. No, aerial is all gone since last summer.

54. Q. Is there any cell sites utilizing cable?

A. Yes, only Test Group. White Sands Missile Range handles Army cable but goes through the Central Office. Bldg 1078 area is a mixture of AF or Army Cable (building specific).

55. Q. Is the Giant Voice maintained on this Contract?

A. No, the active duty military maintain.

56. Q. Is the contractor required to maintain paging and intercom?

A. Yes, the contractor maintains paging and intercom.

57. Q. Is the paging connected with the communication system?

A. No, the paging is separate. The paging system is part of the Avaya switch.

58. Is Holloman AFB a joint base?

A. No, Holloman AFB is not a joint base and there are no plans on Holloman AFB becoming a joint base as far as we know. If our mission changes and combines Air Combat Command and Air Training Command in the future there will be a joint AF Command.

59. Q. How many SCIFs are there?

A. Some buildings have 1 and some up to 4. Holloman AFB has four Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility(ies) (SCIFs) on base.

60. Q. How many active ports are there in the remote areas (north part of base)?

A. This contract does not support any building that has Army cable. Cable to remote areas is mostly Army. The Army is not under this contract, but maintained by White Sands Missile Range.

61. Q. Does the contractor have access to the comm room at Bldg 1081?

A. Yes, the contractor has a key to keep and is responsible for the key. A report of survey must be done is the key is missing.

62. Q. Are VOIP and CISCO on the base?

A. There is Avaya and Cisco VoIP on the base. Avaya VoIP is maintained by the contractor and Cisco is maintained by the government.

63. Q. Is there any wireless?

A. Yes, there is wireless; however, it is not our responsibility under this contract.

64. Q. Does Holloman have Remedy?

A. No, Holloman AFB does not use Remedy. Remedy is only used by our 49 CS infrastructure personnel. Holloman AFB uses TMS and WOMS. It is maintained by Tinker AFB. Holloman AFB is the only Air Combat Command base that is not under a Tinker AFB BTS contract with the exception of Langley AFB which is maintained inhouse by the military.

65. Q. How is the work order acceptance and completion accomplished?

A. Work order acceptance and completion is done through the WOMS system and trouble tickets are by the TMS system. All invoicing is accomplished through Wide Area Workflow (See Holloman AFB Statements, Attachment 6 to the solicitation – also note that New Mexico has New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax).

66. Q. Can a firm contact the incumbent contractor employees?

A. 49 CONS has contacted the incumbent contract president as to whether the names and numbers of current employees can be given our to potential offerors, however, no reply has been received. 49 CONS does not intend to give this information out without consent. The contracting officer stated that any contact (if allowed) would not be during the duty day, but during off-duty hours and the lunch break as to not interfere with the incumbent’s work.

67. Q. Is there a recycling program on Holloman AFB?

A. No, base recycling is not mandated. There is a token recycling effort handled by 49 CES Environmental Flight which contracts out a mobile container that is moved from location to location and recycling can be placed there. This is not required.

68. Q. What government equipment is provided in the onsite contractor area (Bldg 221)?

A. There are 4 computers and a plotter. One computer is used strictly for contractor employees to access to get the training required by the contract such as CAC computer training.

69. Q. What about 85-70 (technical certification) is this required by the contractor?

A. Contractor employees only need a NAC, no top secret or secret is required. If any work is required in a secure area, the contractor employees will be escorted at all times.

70. Q. Is the contractor responsible for housekeeping in Bldg 221?

A. The custodial contract cleans the bathroom and responsible for vacuuming the floors. The QAP has the contractor take out the trash. No weed control is needed around the building 221; this would be handled by the military members. Snow removal would also be handled by the military. Holloman AFB only gets one slight snowfall a year (with the exception of this year) and it usually requires only light salt on the doorways/sidewalks.

71. Q. How many gates for access to Holloman AFB are there?

A. Holloman AFB has three Gates:

Holloman AFB Main Gate – Open 24/7 (smaller privately owned vehicles) La Luz Gate – 0600-1800 (Mon-Fri)

West Gate – 0600-1800 (Mon-Fri) Contractor vehicles such as trucks, vans, etc requiring searches

72. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, PIDS 6401-6414 are listed twice with different descriptions. Can you please clarify which descriptions are correct?

A. PIDS 6401-6414 are not listed twice, they are for different requirements, review Performance Work Statement Appendix, 5.8, Equipment and Installation Performance Specification, paragraph 5.8.4.0. Glossary.

73. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, there are PID numbers beside section headers for example: 1XXX Customer Premise Equipment and 1000 Telephone Stations. Please clarify if this was intentional.

A. PID 1XXX is a typo and should be deleted, should start out as 1000. This information will be corrected on the PIRRM.

74. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, PIDs 3001-3017, do you know which connectivity brand (jack, faceplate, patch panel) is currently used?

A. No, this is up to the contractor, but all materials must meet all telecommunications industry standards.

75. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, PIDs 2116-2125, which wall mount cabinet is currently used?

A. In the past Hoffman LAN cabinets have been installed and this is the preferred type

76. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, are plexi-glass doors required for the wall mount and 84" cabinets?

A. No, plexi-glass doors are not required as long as the cabinet can be locked.

77. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, PIDs 3459-3466, how is fiber currently terminated; is it anaerobic or are Unicam termination tools used?

A. Some of the terminations are hot melts and others are pigtail method.

78. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, the quantity on the Blown Fiber PIDs (50 ft) appears to be low, for the amount/expense of equipment required to complete this task. Please confirm that the quantity is correct.

A. The amount should be in the area of 25000 feet, this could be more depending on the requirements.

79. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, these PID numbers/descriptions do not match the PID descriptions on other Air Force BTS contracts that we currently hold. Is this discrepancy intentional or is it an over site?

A. The Government can’t speak for the other bases as to why their PID number/descriptions are different from Holloman AFB’s contract. The PIRRM PIDs were based on Holloman AFB requirements.

80. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, how much blown fiber has been used on the incumbent contract?

A. The incumbent contractor has installed around 23,000 feet.

81. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, on the 2-way and 4-way duct, do we need to quote 2,000 ft total or 4,000 ft for 2-way and 8,000 ft for 4-way?

A. 2000 feet total. The total distance is 2000-feet: 2-way ducts would have a total of 4000-feet of conduit (two 4-inch conduits times 2000-feet), 4-way ducts would have a total of 8000-feet of conduit (four 4-inch conduits times 2000-feet).

82a. A On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, are the descriptions on the following PIDs complete?

A. Yes, these are complete, however remove the ending (i.e., 4-6 and 6-8)

82b. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, what are the last numbers (4-6 and 6-8) referring to?

A. This was an error. Remove the last numbers for PIDs 1068, 1069, 1070 and 1072 (i.e., 4-6, 6-8, 6-8 and 6-8 in conjunction with the PIDs).

83. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, why are the PIDs next to the Section Headers below in a different format?

A. The Government does not understand this question on format, so cannot answer this.

84. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, should there be a Purchase Unit of Measure and also an Install Qty and Install Unit of Measure on the below PIDS?

A

B

A. These PIDs require that numbers be pushed from the Avaya switch to the Cisco call manager

85. Q. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, should the below PIDs be Install only? Please clarify.

A

B

A. These should be priced as installs. All cables and conduits are a separate PID. The PIRRM will be corrected to show PID versus SLIN.

86. On Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule, should the below PIDs be Purchase only? Please clarify

A

B

A. PIDs 8000 – 8005, should be cost as installs.

87. Q. On Appendix 5.1 Workload Estimates and Appendix 5.2, Items to be maintained by the Contractor, is the relatively high number of outages due to the age of the equipment?

A. No, it could be anything. Outages vary from operator error, power outages, etc.

88. Q. On Appendix 5.1 Workload Estimates and Appendix 5.2, can you provide an age report on the items listed in Appendix 5.2 Section 5.2.2?

A. The age of the equipment cannot be determined, since most of the historical data is not available. Contractors should be able to log into a site and find out when the equipment was produced and if it’s still available.

89. Q. On Appendix 5.1 Workload Estimates and Appendix 5.2, is the equipment carrying a heavy load and in need of any updates? Please identify any future planned updates.

A. The only future plan on the books is the removal of all the key systems and gateways.

90. On Appendix 5.1 Workload Estimates and Appendix 5.2, are the workload estimates based on historical data?

A. The workload estimates are based on historical data and projected mission and/or beddowns.

91. Q. What is the number of Full Time Employees on the incumbent contract?

A. Irrevelant, the number of personnel fluctuates throughout the term of the contract. The contract is performance based and the contractor determines the number of personnel based on the Performance Work Statement requirements.

92. Q. What is the total value of the incumbent contract?

A. The total estimated contract value is estimated is $12M. This information was briefed during the PowerPoint slide show at the site visit.

93. Q. Appendix H is referenced in Attachment 4.2 PIRRM Schedule but does not seem to be attached. Please provide

A. This was an oversight, it showed Appendix H, however this should reflect the Performance Work Statement, Appendix 5.7, Global Positioning System Service Documents. Appendix 5.7 was provided with the solicitation.