Postal Service Center Support-Q and A v2.pdf

Postal Service Center Support Questions and Answers

1. SCA Labor Classification: Which labor classification under Wage Determination 2015-5469, Rev. 30 does the Government anticipate applying to the contractor personnel performing the Postal Service Center duties described in the PWS?

• The Government does not mandate or dictate specific labor classifications for contractor personnel; it is the responsibility of the offeror/contractor to evaluate the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and map their proposed staffing to the appropriate Service Contract Act (SCA) labor categories in accordance with the Department of Labor (DOL) Directory of Occupations.

2. Health & Welfare/Fringe: What Health & Welfare fringe rate applies to this requirement, and may the contractor satisfy it through bona fide benefits, cash-in-lieu, or a combination of both?

• The Health & Welfare (H&W) fringe rate is set by the Department of Labor and is specified on the face of the applicable Wage Determination incorporated into this solicitation.

o For Wage Determination 2015-5469, Rev 30, the applicable rate is $5.09 per hour.

o Pursuant to the Service Contract Act (29 CFR § 4.170), the contractor may satisfy this H&W obligation through bona fide fringe benefits, equivalent cash-in-lieu payments, or any combination of both.

3. Contract Management/Supervision: Does the Government require a separate contract manager or supervisor to be physically present during Postal Service Center operating hours, or may one of the required on-site employees serve as the contractor's on-site lead while the contract manager remains available as needed?

• The Government does not require a separate contract manager or supervisor to be physically present during PSC operating hours. Any of the on-site employees can serve as the contractor’s lead while the contract manager remains available as needed.

4. 55-Hour Staffing Requirement: Is the 55-hour weekly staffing level (40 full-time hours and 15 part-time hours) a firm minimum that must be maintained each week, or may the contractor adjust staffing between employees provided all required services and operating hours are fully covered?

• Yes, that schedule currently works well for the employees.

5. Employee Absences/Coverage: In the event of leave, illness, or other employee absence, is the contractor expected to provide a trained and credentialed replacement employee to maintain the required staffing level?

• Yes, always a necessary requirement of staffing the positions.

6. Base Access/Postal Credentials: Following award, will the Government sponsor the required installation access and DD Form 285 postal appointments for contractor personnel, and is there an anticipated timeframe for completing that process before performance begins?

• Yes, the Government will sponsor the required installation access and all DD Form 285 postal appointment cards for contractor personnel. The time frame for base access, maybe 30 days in-length, depends on paperwork needed to complete. Base access lasts 1 yr with renewal at the end of the contractor’s access to base.

7. Customer Window Coverage: Must the customer service window be continuously staffed by a dedicated employee from 0900–1600 Monday through Friday, or may that employee perform other PSC duties when no customer is present?

• Both duties are done throughout the shift. Sometimes you may have no customers at the counter.

8. Prior Postal Experience: Are employees required to have prior postal experience or postal certifications before award, or may qualified employees complete Government-required postal training and DD Form 285 validation before beginning work?

• No Prior postal experience is necessary for employees being vetted and hired by the contractor. The Government-required postal training and DD Form 285 are validated after completing the hiring process.

9. Government Training: Who provides the approximately two days of initial orientation, postal training, and PSC training, and will that training occur before the October 1, 2026, start date?

• Currently, the OPM (Official Postal Manager) and the full-time hire will provide approximately two days of initial orientation, postal training, and PSC training, and that training will occur before October 1, 2026, start date or near the hiring date.

10. Training Labor Cost: Is required Government postal/security training time paid by the contractor, and does that training time count toward the required 55 weekly man-hours?

• Yes, required Government postal/security training time is paid by the contractor and the training time counts toward the required 55 weekly man-hours.

11. Security/Background Requirements: What background investigation, security screening, or credentialing must contractor employees complete before receiving unescorted access to the PSC and Government systems, and what is the typical processing time?

• Currently, the process is done online for Government vetting, and the contractor submits the new employee forms into the system. The earlier the better to get the vetting completed. Possible time frame 7-14 days for processing the forms.

12. Mail Transportation: Is the contractor responsible for transporting mail to or from any off-base USPS facility or other location?

• No, the contractor is not responsible for transporting any mail to any off-base USPS facility or other location.

13. Contractor Vehicle: Is a contractor-provided vehicle required for performance of this contract?

• No, a contractor-provided vehicle is not required for performance of this contract.

14. Historical Workload: Do the workload figures in Appendices C and D reflect recent actual workload, and if not, can the Government provide actual monthly PSC workload for the most recent 12 months?

• Yes, the Government can provide actual monthly PSC workload for the most recent 12 months.

15. December Workload/Staffing Adjustment: The PWS estimates approximately 55,000– 58,000 pieces of mail per month for most of the year and approximately 100,000 pieces in December. Does the Government expect the contractor to absorb the December increase within the required 55 man-hours per week, provide temporary additional staffing at no additional cost, or treat the increased workload as eligible for an equitable price adjustment under the workload-variation provisions of Appendix D?

• No additional staffing will be needed and the 55 man-hours per week will continue to work effectively.

16. Government-Furnished Equipment: Does the Government furnish and maintain all equipment required for mail inspection, scanning, tracking, sorting, and processing, and if not, what equipment must the contractor provide?

• Yes, Government furnishes and maintains all equipment required for mail inspection, scanning, tracking, sorting, and processing.

17. Preventative Maintenance CLIN: Should the Preventive and Required Maintenance CLIN include only routine preventive maintenance and combination lock exchanges, with separately authorized repairs and repair parts excluded from the base price?

• Yes, the Preventive and Required Maintenance CLIN should include only routine preventive maintenance and combination lock exchanges, with separately authorized repairs and repair parts.

18. Historical Maintenance Volume: How many combination changes, lock changes, maintenance calls, and separately funded repairs were performed during the most recent 12-month period?

• 20 combination changes, lock changes were performed during the most recent 12-month period.

19. Incumbent/CBA: Is there a current incumbent contractor, and if so, is there any collective bargaining agreement, predecessor wage determination, or incumbent wage/benefit requirement that applies to this acquisition?

• Incumbent Contractor: Yes, there is a current incumbent contractor performing these services. The incumbent contractor is Bailey’s Premier Services, LLC, operating under Contract Number FA488724P0003.

• Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA): There is no CBA applicable to the incumbent contract or this requirement.

• Wage/Benefit Requirements: The wage and benefit requirements for this acquisition are governed solely by the Service Contract Act (SCA) Wage Determination 2015-5469, Revision 30, which is incorporated into the solicitation.