Q A_from_Industry_Day_posting.pdf

Solicitation Number FA4890-16-R-0032

Industry Day Question/Response

Question Govt Response

1 Will the Government provide CONUS assets (acft, control stations, etc) for RQ-4 maintenance training? Availability of aircraft and LRE resources at Beale or Grand Forks is being researched. No decision at this time.

Weapons Certifications: Who will conduct weapons certs particularly for Base X, Base Y and any ANG bases that have aircraft/will get aircraft?

The Government will provide weapons load training (academic & practical) through the 432d Weapons Load

Barn at Creech. Fort Huachuca has no requirement for weapons.

Emergency Procedures vs Jettison: Has there been discussion about what happens if the AF-directed checklist for an EP requires jettisoning but (the) contractor is prohibited from jettisoning? Yes, there has been discussion. The Contractor will not jettison in any circumstance.

ACC 9302: Will Contractors have access to historical

9302s in Bidders’ Library? When should we request access to Bidders’ Library?

Response: Contractors will not have access to 9302 reports as they are specific to individual units. What will be provided in the Bidders’ Library is 3 years of historical data for the fleet. Instructions for the Bidders’ Library will be included in the solicitation.

5 Can you talk about Base X and Base Y support, timelines, etc. (Any info beyond PWS)

No, requirements are too fluid in this program. Options out there for flexibility. These will be unpriced options in the RFP.

What will aircrew duties be when not deployed? No CONUS work is included for aircrew. When not deployed they must stay current with their quals.

7 Sites with only GCS—what are the aircrew performing

(simulation, handoff, etc.)? Only military aircrew are at GCS-only sites and they are performing RSO missions.

Will there be an FTE break out by position and location? No. The positions and number of FTEs will be proposed by the bidders.

9 Why are you tailoring past performance to RPA relevancy only when addressing to maintenance? Evaluation criteria within Sections L&M still being developed.

How soon will determination be made on the Small

Business issues? i.e. Small Business set aside acquisition. The Acquisition Strategy Panel will provide determination; scheduled for October.

11 How many people (what functions/sites) need SCI clearances?

Nellis GCS, ANG GCS sites, RQ-4 Blk 30 Aircraft Maintainers at Guam & Sigonella. The PWS or the unique requirements for each task order will provide TS/SCI requirements.

Will the attendee list from today be posted on FBO? Yes.

13 Will the two separate FBO posting threads be combined into one?

Unfortunately we are unable to combine the two FBO posting threads; In discussions with the FBO help desk only way to consolidate is to delete one of the postings and repost everything under one announcement. This would remove any historical posting information.

14 Will the contract be SCA? If yes, how will that blend with CBA?

Yes. CONUS sites are subject to Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) Act. The CBA is between the contractor and the union. Certain sites are SCA and/or CBA only. Whatever is in place now, is what will be in place during recompete.

15 When do you expect to begin Global Hawk performance? Global Hawk Task Orders will start 1 Jul 18. The current contract through AFMC ends 30 Jun 18

16 Will the Government consider including the 380th O-level maintenance on this vehicle? (Note: 380th is the unit at Al Dhafra, UAE). Not a current requirement; requirements can change in the future.

17 Will Beale AFB Field Training Detachment (FTD) resources be available for the Contractor? FTD resources are being considered as an available resource. No decision at this time.

18 Will the Government consider competing RQ-4 separate from MQ-1/-9?

The Government considered the option of a separate contract. The decision made is to capitalize on the synergies of maintenance management among these RPA assets.

19 Can the contractor have flexibility to utilize a QMS program in lieu of 21-101?

The applicable Govt-identified portions of 21-101 will be a requirement and the contractor will have to maintain an internal QMS program. MSEP does not apply to the contractor.

20 Will CAP/combat lines grow? How will that be handled in RFP?

The Government will establish a date where changes to the quantity and/or locations of combat lines will no longer impact the proposals.

Why are you adding LRE for MQ-1/-9?

LRE has been added to address a warfighter requirement to utilize contractors for the launch and recovery activity at deployed locations. Utilizing contractors reduces the strains on the limited quantity of RPA aircrews.

Why are you adding RQ-4 scope?

The existing organizational level maintenance contract supporting RQ-4 operations at OCONUS locations is managed by AFMC and ends on 30 Jun 2018. ACC is the force provider for the RQ-4, thus the contract responsibility is transferring to AMIC.

23 What are the challenges for writing the RQ-4 into the contract?

Inclusion in contract presents no major challenges since it is nested within the re-competition. Each RQ-4 location will have its own task order.

Who owns the RQ-4 contract now? Current RQ-4 contract managed by AFMC at Warner-Robins ALC.

25 How are surges handled with the existing MQ-1/-9 contract?

AMIC isn’t responsible for all 60 combat lines. AMIC is responsible only for the ACC combat lines. Commander-directed sorties provides Ops flexibility to move combat lines amongst sites for short-notice requirements and provide a limited surge capability.

26 Will the contractor be penalized if a site isn’t opened within 60 days?

We make allowances for performing at a new site for situations beyond the contractor’s control. New sites are typically opened by a blue-suit unit, then handed over to the contractor.

27 Commander Direct Sorties (CDS) vs 120-day requirement?

The 120-day requirement is for increasing combat lines at an existing site until the contract modification is signed. We are looking for innovation in meeting this requirement. Initial thoughts are firm-fixed priced packages; State Department rates can be made cost-reimbursable.

28 Any modeling & simulation capabilities needed on this contract? No, we are looking for innovation in management functions, not in the hardware or software.

Will the Government consider changing the Past

Performance criteria to not be so specific to RPA? Can the term “or similar” be inserted into the Past

Performance criteria? Changes to Section M are being considered.

Has the Government considered the parts forecast/procurement to be a contractor role in the future?

No, the contractor will be using the Government supply system. This isn’t a “traditional” CLS contract.

Forecasting is typically a depot task.

Neutral confidence on Past Performance results….will the Government consider lessons learned? (Note:

Contractor verbally communicated that businesses which have never done the work get a better assessment than companies with experience, but have some “warts” because they have been involved) Past Performance will be evaluated IAW DOD Mandatory Source Selection Procedures

32 Will the Government consider providing sample tasks in the RFP to evaluate innovations and best value? The actual Task Orders for active sites will be part of the RFP and will be evaluated.

Will the Government consider allowing Past

Performance for other than RPA & UAV performance, such as manned aircraft? Changes to Section M are being considered.

Crews will go out of quals returning from deployment with a 120-day deployment cycle. Will the Government provide assets to re-qual crews? Yes.

35 Will the Government consider 6-month or longer deployments to save money? It is up to the individual bidders to determine their proposed technical approach.

For Past Performance, how many contracts will be allowed for the team? 3-Prime, 2-each major sub? Can the Government add an “Experience” section? The Government is still drafting Sections L & M.

37 Why is there an exact number of aircrews cited? This limits innovation.

Program office receives defined numbers from the requirements owner. This doesn’t require management capability at the site; the aircrews are a resource at a deployed site to accomplish flying and non-flying duties.

38 Can the Government say “no” to a contractor aircrew member?

If not fully current and qualified in launch & recovery, the Government will review personnel on a case-by-case basis and retains the right to reject aircrew members it believes are not suitable.

Is ISR included? No.

Is the RQ-4 LRE vastly different from the MQ-1/-9 GCS? Yes, vastly different. The integration of hardware and software is what makes the RQ-4 LRE unique.

41 What drives the allocation between ACC and AFSOC combat lines at one location? The GFMAP drives the allocation of combat lines at all locations.

State Department rates have a floor or a ceiling? State Department rates will be cost reimbursable. Use whatever rates are on the State Department website.

43 Why the change from “Combat Air Patrol” to “Combat

Line”? To standardize the nomenclature across the RPA enterprise for leadership.

44 Does the Contractor’s quality program affect the award fee? No, only the findings from the Government’s CORs affect the award fee.

What constitutes a Corrective Action Request (CAR)?

Can a CAR be put in context of a major or minor finding

(per AFI 21-101)? What constitutes a Positive Significant

Incident? What constitutes a Negative Significant

Incident? Do multiple CARs = a NSI?

CARs are risk-based and depend upon the situation. A CAR can be likened to a major/minor finding in that the

COR(s) issuing a first notice, second notice and then a CAR for repeat offenses. PSIs/NSIs are subjective. A CAR can also be a NSI. No program documentation where # of CARs equals an NSI; there is more to it than straight numbers. Contractors can put themselves in for a limited number of PSIs.

If the contract is Full & Open competition, will the Small

Business participation remain at 20%? If 20% is exceeded will there be a bonus?

The Small Business percentage has not been finalized and the Sections L & M criteria are still being drafted.

There will be no "bonus" for exceeding the stated small business participation goal. SB participation evaluated

IAW DOD Source Selection Procedures.

Was multiple-award considered?

Yes, multiple award was considered, however, the Government believes a single award approach is the best way forward.

48 Does the Prime need to have AS9100, or can the Sub have it? The prime needs to have AS9100 or AS9110 certification.

49 Country clearances, SOFA, etc. what is the expectation of the Contractor?

All visas, work permits, country clearances, etc are handled by the Contractor. The Government will sign letters as “Sponsors”. SOFA agreements are generally broad in nature and normally don’t affect our requirements, although contractor personnel may fall under SOFA status.

50 Why weren’t the remaining ANG GCS sites listed (ex.

California, Texas) We respond to requirements provided by the National Guard Bureau.

51 Will Global Hawk divert locations be a “plug #” in the proposals? No. Additionally, this divert location requirement will not be evaluated under Price, it will be Cost Reimbursable.

52 Will Pilots and Sensor Operators be evaluated in Past

Performance? Section M criteria being reviewed for updates.

Does the 120-day transition period include training?

Yes, it includes training, in addition to all the other tasks including, but not limited to, hiring, account turnovers, aircraft transfers, travel requirements, etc.

Is Contractor responsible for the SBSS, IMDS networks? No, the Government supports the networks.

Will Government require the Prime to prove access to depot or sustainment activities prior to submitting a proposal? Will the Prime have to enter agreements with other companies prior to submitting a proposal?

Bidders will not be required to enter into depot-level agreements for their proposals. All Technical Orders will be available through the Bidders’ Library. The Prime will be expected to communicate with the depot through normal channels – AFTO107 submissions.

56 With the 12-18 months for OPM to issue clearances, there will be limitations for TS/SCI manning at contract start. Will this impact Award Fees?

No direct Award Fee impact for not having SCI, but their ability to perform work to the satisfaction of the customer can impact Award Fees. Workarounds exist for MQ-1/-9 (covering screens). No workarounds for RQ-4;

two-person integrity required for aircraft launches.

The draft PWS dated 16 Jun 2016 contains very little guidance regarding RQ-4 O&M requirements. Is it the

Government's intent to provide specific O&M guidance for RQ-4 support similar in scope and nature to the support required for MQ-1/9 operations? Or, will the

RQ-4 requirement be treated in a different manner, and if so, what will that be? Will the Government update the final PWS accordingly to include RQ-4 O&M requirements?

Generic topics are not specifically addressed to an airframe in the PWS. Specific items to any of the weapon systems will be identified in the PWS as applicable.

Current and qualified MQ-1/9 LRE aircrew are going to be a very scarce resource to recruit, hire, and retain for this contract. Will the Government consider using a

"plug-value" for employee salaries in these labor categories to ensure realistic cost and pricing data is provided by each competitor for this requirement?

A "plug value" for aircrew will not be provided. It is anticipated that adequate price competition will exist and drive reasonable costs.

Paragraph 2.17 states "use and comply with most current version of AS 9100 or AS 9110"; Appendix G

Paragraph 1.a. states “Registration to AS 9110B is required.” Which is binding?

The Prime must be either AS9100 or AS9110 certified at the time of proposal submission. The next version of the

PWS will reflect this edit.

Based on the draft PWS, please confirm this re-compete does not include the Reachback Facilities and the personnel, supervision and other services necessary to support, operate, configure and repair C4ISR systems, equipment and circuits supporting RPA missions at

OCONUS sites.

Correct, the recompete effort will not include Reachback support or the associated support for the equipment, circuits, etc. related to it.

Does the government anticipate inclusion of

“Government Owned – Contractor Operated” (GOCO) tasking with future RPA Task Orders?

The solicitation will have notional task orders which include GOCO taskings. These notional taskings do not guarantee that this contract will receive additional GOCO taskings during the contract.

62 Does the government anticipate utilizing the TSA III IDIQ for future RPA Task Orders? The Government does not anticipate utilizing the TSA III IDIQ.

What competition type does the government anticipate utilizing for future RPA Task Orders; i.e. “Full and Open” or “Small Business Set-Aside”?

Future task orders will be awarded on a sole source basis to the winning offeror under a single award IDIQ contract. There are no plans for multiple award.

If the government utilizes a “Full and Open” type competition, what is the anticipated Small Business utilization?

Small Business Participation will be evaluated IAW DoD Source Selection Procedures. The Small Business participation percentage has not been finalized as Sections L&M are still being drafted.

Does the 14 day SPOT request allow enough time to process entry, exit and work permit requirements for deployment? In some countries the visa process has been extended considerably.

Entry, exit and work permits are not dependent upon SPOT approval. The contractor is expected to work the deployment tasks efficiently to ensure required start dates are met.

66 Are deployments from the RQ-4 OCONUS bases fully funded by government?

The Government will fully fund the deployment from a RQ-4 OCONUS base following negotiation of the proposal with the Contractor.

67 What is the typical duration and frequency of deployments?

Average current deployment is 120 days for MQ-1/-9 per the PWS. Recently, the RQ-4 deployment from Guam has been approximately 6 months/once per year.

68 Will the flying hour commitment be spread across deployed and OCONUS locations? Appendix N details the average sortie duration and average sorties/month per location.

Will there be a requirement for additional personnel to support? For example, low density positions required for 24 hour coverage?

The contractor proposes manpower for a site based upon their evaluation of the workload. Any unique requirements for manning (i.e. 24 hour coverage for low density positions) will be communicated when the

Government issues the RFP.

Will the contractor be afforded the opportunity to respond prior to the tasking to cover any additional costs associated with additional personnel or locations?

The contractor's opportunity to respond prior to the tasking occurs with their proposal in response to the RFP.

The proposal will document any additional costs the contractor deems inherent to the task order.

Is it the government’s intention for the contractor to have a ready reserve of personnel to support these additional combat lines for every deployed location?

(Ref 2.21.7) The Government is not dictating how industry will provide this capability.

72 Will this capability be priced as notified or be required to be included in current proposal? (Ref 2.21.7) This capability will be priced in the offeror's initial proposal.

73 Will the government provide all tools, equipment and facilities required for NDI testing? (Ref 4.3.4) Tools, equipment and facilities for MQ-1/-9 NDI testing is provided.

You cite Appendix K for demarcation points, but there is no Appendix K listed under contract documents. Can you please provide demarcation requirements for GCS? Appendix K will be posted with the remainder of the documents.

75 How many M-JATD devices are currently in use and what locations? Two M-JATD devices are currently in use at Ellsworth AFB and Nellis AFB.

76 How many SETSS are currently in operation and specific locations?

None currently on contract, but the possibility exists for maintaining a SETTS at a deployed location, and at one

CONUS location.

Does scheduling 2 aircraft for one line violate ACCI 21-

165? Does the second aircraft launched on a different mission constitute a separate combat line? (ref 4.13) This paragraph is referring to providing a spare aircraft for the daily flying schedule.

How many aircraft are required to be launched to support a combat line when original aircraft is unable to support? Will this number exceed the spares rule in

ACCI 21-165?

The working relationship between the Site Lead and the military leadership at the deployed locations is critical when assessing flying schedule requirements to available resources (aircraft, manpower). The Site Lead's must have the ability to effectively communicate how to support requirements over the next 24, 48, 72 hours.

Will the government define total number of aircraft to support combat lines? You cite up to four, but this example does not allow contractor to make an accurate manning forecasts. No further definition will be provided.

80 Will the requirement to recover/repair divert aircraft be funded separately under an additional CLIN?

Recovering divert RQ-4 aircraft will be cost-reimbursable. No separate CLIN will exist for recovery/repair of MQ-

1/-9 aircraft.

Will the flying schedule be reduced at deployed location to support aircraft recovery actions?

The working relationship between the Site Lead and the military leadership at the deployed locations is critical when assessing workload to available resources (aircraft, manpower). The Site Lead and military leadership will have to agree on a mutually agreeable and supportable course of action with respect to aircraft recovery and execution of the flying schedule.

Will the diverted aircraft supported at deployed location be part of the contracted combat lines? For example, deployed combat line allocation is 8 combat lines per day and we are required to repair/service and launch 2 divert aircraft, would we be reduced to 6 combat lines?

Or would these be considered commander directed and count for the total for the month?

The working relationship between the Site Lead and the military leadership at the deployed locations is critical when assessing workload to available resources (aircraft, manpower). The Site Lead and military leadership will have to agree on a mutually supportable course of action with respect to aircraft recovery and execution of the flying schedule. Aircraft divert recovery & launch are not counted in the Commander-Directed Sorties tally.

Does the government intend to allocate number of

MSRP’s to number of assigned aircraft? For example, 6 aircraft equals 1 MSRP kit? The Government will allocate the MRSPs among all the sites depending upon kit availability and priorities.

84 Will a COR be required at deployed locations for flightline evaluations? (ref 4.22.4 - Weekly Flightline Evaluations for load crews) - CORs are present at all deployed locations.

Does the 3% ops deviation match established ops deviation rates for AD aircrew? Is this computed on a monthly or annual basis? The ops deviation is consistent with current ops deviation rates, and is computed on a monthly basis.

Can the government define the number/frequency of increased evaluations that would drive a charge to the contractor for evaluation costs? Is it defined by the level of risk? For example; decreased, normal or increased? Quantity of increased evaluations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Will it be tied to the overall quality assessment rates of inspections by government inspectors? Is there a pass rate percentage of overall quality assessment that drives a change of risk?

Increased evaluations will be implemented based subjective and objective analysis of pass/fail trends, significant incidents, recommendations from the CORs and/or site leadership, and other presented factors. It is not tied to a pass rate percentage. Quantity of increased evaluations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.