Advance_Questions_ _Answers.docx

Solicitation FA4890-12-R-0024: EC-130H/A-10 CAT/CWD

ADVANCE QUESTIONS

1. The solicitation clearly states that there is a minimum small business subcontracting goal of 20 percent of total contract dollars.

Question: Due to the fact that this is a small business set aside acquisition, as defined in the SF1449 block 10, are the small business prime contractors required to further subcontract 20 percent of the total contract dollars to another small business?

Answer: Since this is a small business set aside, the requirement for a small business subcontracting plan is not applicable.

2. RFP Section 6, page 90, paragraph 12.5, E,1. This paragraph references a “…worksheet for each contact reference…” Question: Is it the government’s intent to provide a worksheet for the offeror to fill out? Is there a page limit for the worksheet?

Answer: The worksheet is to be drafted by the offeror. It is summation of the work you performed as Prime, subcontractor, etc, under the effort to include an explanation of how that work is relevant to this acquisition. Please limit the worksheet to one page.

3. Reference: Final PWS, Pages 2-3, Paragraph 1.4.4, Training Device Instruction Specific Tasks.

Question: Do DMO/CT missions at D-M and at Moody require review of student grade book prior to events, entries into gradesheets for electronic grade book, and “end-of-phase and end-of-course critiques of training device instruction”?

Revised Answer: Gradebook review for continuation training (CT) will depend on the mission. If the DMO mission is for an upgrade program, i.e. Flight Lead upgrade, then there will be a gradebook associated with the mission. Most CT/DMO work will not have gradebook requirements. CT has no end-of-phase and end-of-course critiques, those are only associated with formal training unit syllabi. In the FTU contract instructors are required to review the students’ grade book prior to the training event.

4. Reference: Final PWS, Pages 9-10, Paragraph 1.7.5 and 1.7.5.1-1.7.5.9, A-10/EC-130 Academic/Training Database.

Question: Could the Government provide historical workload estimates or actual data for performing database requirements?

No. The database workload is directly related to the LMS/TMS provided by the contractor, and historical data is not kept by the Government.

5. Reference: PWS Page 15, Paragraph 3.2.2, Government Furnished Property.

Question: Can the Government provide a break-down of items by location (Davis-Monthan AFB and Moody AFB)?

Answer: Not at this time. The Government will provide sufficient office furnishings for the number of contract personnel at each location. The specific inventory will be conducted and documented during Phase In per PWS para 3.2.2.

6. Reference: PWS Page 30, Paragraph A1.3.1, EC-130H Flight Deck Academic and PTT Instruction, Table A1.2, Note with asterisk: The AC Upgrade program includes specialized flight simulator events instructed at simulator facilities away from Davis-Monthan AFB until the EC-130H WST is ready for training. Contract instructors will travel to conduct this training until the WST at DM AFB is operational.

Question: What is the location of the specialized simulator training, how often are the specialized simulators sessions required, and how long do contractor instructors spend at this location per simulator session?

Answer: McChord is the normal location. TDY is normally 4 days with a travel day on both sides, total 6 days. Frequency is 4 times per year.

7. Reference: CBAs: No wages are shown for Scenario Developers nor Console Operators (CCMCS and WST).

Question: Should these wage rates be derived from the latest Pima County, AZ, Wage Determination?

Answer: They are classified/paid under the FTU Instructor rate.

8. Reference Page 89, Section 6, paragraph 12.5.D.2. “For references where the offeror performed as a Subcontractor:”

Question: Under this section, you requested current Point of Contact information in two (2) places: “PRIME CONTRACT” and “SUBCONTRACT.” Are these POCs the same? Please specify exactly POC information what you want in these two blocks.

Answer: Yes, these POCs are the same.

9. Reference Page 90, Section 6, paragraph 12.5.F. “Offeror’s Proposed Subcontractor.” Under this section, you did not request a Table as described in Paragraph D.

Question: Is a Table required for the Proposed Subcontractor as requested in Paragraph D? If the information is required, should the “Subcontractor Table” be included in Paragraph D or included with the response to Paragraph F?

Answer: Yes, a table is required and it should be included with the response to paragraph 12.5.F.

10. In Section 7, 4.2.1, it is possible for a vendor to reiterate the qualifications listed by the Government in PWS 4.2 to acceptably respond to Aspect 2 of this section.

Question: Would the Government please consider elaborating on the response requirement to this Aspect?

Answer: The proposal should state how the contractor will comply with the hiring requirements in PWS para 4.2, i.e. your proposal should answer questions such as: Will the employees just meet the minimum qualifications or will the employees also meet the desired qualifications? What (if any) qualifications will the contractor require that may be in addition to the Government-defined minimums?

11. Question: In Section 7, 4.2.2, please describe how innovations are evaluated on an acceptable/unacceptable basis.

Answer: Per RFP Section 6, para 1.2 “The proposal shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail to provide for adequate evaluation and for substantiation of the validity of stated claims. Submitted documents must contain adequate information to enable the evaluation board to fully ascertain offerors capability to perform contract requirements…” Therefore, any innovative procedures for how the contractor will manage the training program must be sufficiently explained to meet Subfactor B, Aspect 1.A. and earn an overall subfactor rating of “Acceptable”.

12. Question: Reference PWS para 1.2. This is not an industry in which strikes are prevalent. Considering this, would the Government consider its removal from the requirements?

Answer: No. The Government requires a strike mitigation plan. This plan is not required as part of the proposal and will be delivered during phase-in per PWS para 1.2.

13. Question: Reference PWS para 1.4.3.14. What is the anticipated volume of this requirement?

Answer: The reference is to maintaining a library of all the lesson materials. Lessons currently exist to support all the syllabi in PWS Appendix 4. All of this material will be made available to the contractor per PWS para 3.3. and all of this material will be maintained in the library until replaced by updated versions.

14. Reference PWS para 1.4.4.6. The students hold significant responsibility in the outcome of their studies.

Question: Please consider revising the language to read “Contractor shall also ensure” to “Contractor shall endeavor to ensure”.

Answer: The Government doesn’t see the need to change the wording in paragraph 1.4.4.6. Anyone being trained for Simulator Console Operator duties must meet the requirements of PWS para 4.2.5 or 4.2.6. before entering training. The PWS will be revised to correct the paragraph references.

15. Question: Reference PWS para 1.5.3.7. As this is a FFP contract type, can the Government please establish a quantity threshold for this requirement beyond which a contract adjustment will be made?

Answer: Courseware development required by an Urgent Action Directive is required to maintain safety of flight and will displace lower priority work in the annual courseware delivery schedule. As per PWS Appendix 1 para A1.2., the contractor shall be responsible for increases in the total estimated workload up to 10% without a contract modification.

16. Reference PWS para 3.5.1 regarding equipment upgrades, this is an unpredictable requirement.

Question: As this is a FFP contract type, can the Government please establish a quantity threshold for upgrades the contractor will be responsible for that beyond which warrants a contract adjustment?

Answer: No. As this PWS reference is for contractor furnished equipment, upgrade is a contractor responsibility. Any plan for contractor furnished equipment purchase and/or upgrade should be included in the Phase-In Plan and will be evaluated per Subfactor D, Aspect 1.D. The proposed price will include funds for any proposed equipment upgrades.

17. Question: Should PWS paragraph 4.6.27 be read to mean these are unallowable costs to the contract?

Answer: No, indirect time should be included in your workload estimates and will contribute to the overall price. The PWS workload tables in Atch 1 are direct time, and your workload analysis and manning calculations should include all direct (PWS para 4.6.17), indirect, and ancillary time (PWS para 4.6.2) per RFP Section 7, para 4.2.1. Aspect 1.B. Your price will include all the manpower you propose to accomplish all the PWS work.

18. Question: Please explain the 5% adder to workload estimates in Appendix A. If the contractor is responsible for increases up to 10%, should this adder be 10%?

Answer: The 5% added to the workload estimates in Appendix A is for re-teaching a class due to a student failing that class or missing a class or simulator due to illness, scheduling conflict, etc. It is an historical estimate. The 10% increase without a contract modification applies to the total workload in these tables per PWS para A1.2.

19. During the Pre-Proposal Conference it was stated that a copy of the conference presentation would be released on FBO.

Question: Can you say when this will occur?

Answer: We anticipate having all the information i.e., slides, minutes and Q&A posted by NLT 26 Mar 13.

20. Also during the conference it was stated that we would be told which software programs were GFE and which needed to be proposed.

Question: Can you say when we will be provided this information?

Answer: We anticipate having all the information i.e., slides, minutes and Q&A posted by NLT 26 Mar 13.

21. Question: Does the Government require that the proposed LMS and TMS software solutions be COTS, and not proprietary?

Answer: No. However, for items developed during the term of this contract, PWS para 1.7.5.5.9 states: “The academic database, master files, courseware, specifically developed software and associated websites, etc. are all considered deliverables IAW Appendix 3 of this PWS and as such are the property of the Government IAW PWS paragraph 4.3.”

Questions from Pre-Proposal Conference – 19 Mar 13

22. Question: What programming language(s) and database(s) software products does the A-10 Electronic Grade Book use? (e.g. SQL, C++).

Answer: Web based, uses classic ASP 3.0 and JAVA script.

23. Question: What type of programming environment is used in the A-10 EGB? (e.g. .NET, Windows, Vista).

Answer: Windows, on DM intranet.

24. Question: On average, how many hours per year does an I/SME spend monitoring self-paced CBTs in the student learning center?

Answer: Limited, perhaps an hour per week or less - instructors are available from the instructor offices to answer questions or problems. They do not directly monitor the students while they watch the CBTs.

25. Question: Ref question 3: Does the amount of time differ between A-10 and EC-130? If yes, by how much per year?

Answer: No, the time spent by I/SMEs monitoring CBTs about the same for both weapon systems.

26. Question: How many users (accounts) are involved on the LAN? Who are the main users? (What units or categories of personnel).

Answer: Main users are students, AF instructors, contract instructors and courseware developers. These personnel require passwords to access different systems (CBTs, EGB, Gateways and Critiques). Approximate number of users are: 10 Det 3 personnel, 80 A-10 AF Instructors, 70 EC-130 AF Instructors, 50 contract instructors and courseware personnel, and an average of 30 A-10 students and 30 EC-130 students at any given time.

27. Question: On average, how many users are on line simultaneously at any given time?

Answer: Estimate up to 40 – 50 personnel using different parts of the system.

28. Question: What access controls allow students and other users to access the LAN/systems?

Answer: Password and Windows authentication.

29. Question: What data base is used (SQL, version)?

Answer: On base systems – SQL 2008 Off base systems – SQL 2008/R2, MYSQL

30. Question: What are the system requirements for current applications (e.g. RAM, processing power, storage capacity, operating system)?

Answer: Per PWS para 1.5.3.10.3, 3.5.1, and 4.7: All contractor-furnished computer equipment will comply with the Air Force Network Integration Center (AFNIC) approved products list (APL) and standard desktop configuration (SDC) for computer hardware and software configurations. Contact AFNIC at http://www.afnic.af.mil/ for information on E/APL.

31. Question:What components of the current A-10/EC-130 Academic/Training Database are considered proprietary by the incumbent?

Answer: Per PWS para 1.7.5.5.7. the “C2 Learn” portion of the current system is proprietary and is not considered Government-furnished software. C2 Learn includes the LMS, Electronic Gradebook and Gateway systems. PWS para 1.7.5.5.8. states the brief/debrief program “Wedge” is Government furnished. All of the master files and other data files resident on the current system are also Government property.