Q-A_as_of_2Feb18_rev1.pdf

1. Paragraph 4, CONTRACT INFORMATION. The first section of that paragraph states "This procurement will result in three (3) IDIQ contracts for multi-discipline A-E services."

A. The anticipation is up to 5

2. The general instructions for SF330 Section F state: "Present ten projects, unless otherwise specified by the agency." As detailed in the AFRC AE Services Solicitation, Section 6 (a) Specialized Experience and Technical Competence, "The Offeror shall submit a maximum of three projects for each capability listed in section 5 (Project Information) above." Please list the required capabilities that offerors must demonstrate for Past Performance evaluation in Section F. How many total Section F project descriptions are requested/permissible to include?

A. Paragraph 6.a was edited to reflect more accurate expectation of what is required for submittals

3. Section 6. Selection Criteria, paragraph (a) defines recency for Section F projects. Specifically, it states: "All projects must be completed within the last five years, from the date of this solicitation. Projects must be at least 90% complete." Does the 90% complete stipulation refer to 90% construction complete? Please clarify.

4. Section 12 Attachments (a) Past Performance Questionnaire. In the third paragraph of the past performance questionnaire included as an attachment, it states: ".we request your written response no later than 27 Feb 2017." The fourth paragraph states: ".the questionnaire may be filled out electronically and included in your AMRDEC SAFE Application package." Please consider revising the past performance questionnaire attachment to direct customers to return PPQs to the offeror for submittal with offeror's proposal via AMRDEC SAFE.

A. PPQ date was revised to the final date for package submission.

5. Section 6 (b) Professional Qualifications lists six key disciplines for offerors to demonstrate professional qualifications. Please confirm that only these six disciplines are requested and will be evaluated in the government’s review of Section E resumes.

A. The six disciplines listed are the ones we require firms to show proof of registration

6. Section 6 (c) Past Performance states that CPARS or PPIRS may be submitted. We request that offerors be allowed to submit previously completed past performance questionnaires (PPQs) in lieu of CPARS or in lieu of burdening our customers with a request to complete another PPQ if no CPARS is available.

A. We will accept previously completed past performance questionnaires in lieu of CPARS or PPIRS if those projects show full design capabilities as described in section 5 above and if the projects were completed within the past five (5) years.

7. Does the 75-page limit exclude covers, tabs, divider pages, table of contents, cover letter, PARS/PPQ (multiple pages each), proof of firm registration/certification, letters of commitment, and SF330 Part IIs?

A. "The SF 330 Part I shall not exceed 75 pages". We interpret that to be 75 pages of actual substantive material and would not include covers, tabs, divider pages, or cover letter. The registration proofs, CPARS/PPIRS/PPQs, and letters of commitment would also be excluded from the page count.

8. Ref SF 330 Request Synopsis, Section 6 paragraph a) Specialized Experience and Technical competence:

Verbiage from this paragraphs directs "The Offeror shall submit a maximum of three projects for each capability listed in section 5 (Project Information) above." Please clarify "three projects for each capability listed in section 5." Section 5 has four paragraphs, I. Primary, II. The anticipated work may include. III. Airfield Obstructions, and IV. Experience in the following areas.

Can you please be more specific on the capabilities you want to see projects covering? My assumption is we should include 3 projects showing full AE design for complete facility and infrastructure designs. Another three projects showing Title I and Title II services (which could potentially include capabilities from projects supporting paragraph I. Primary. And finally 3 Projects highlighting Airfield Obstruction Surveys. So that could be a potential total of 9 projects. Is this correct?

A. Intent is to have each firm present a maximum of three projects showing experience in full A-E design within the past 5 years--three projects total. That is an equal playing field since we have not had an A-E IDIQ since 2010 so there is no advantage to a firm because of being an "incumbent" in a current IDIQ with AFRC.

9. Ref SF 330 Request Synopsis, Section 6 paragraph a) Specialized Experience and Technical Competence:

Verbiage from this paragraph instructs that "all projects must be completed within the last five years...” Further down in the same paragraph it says "Offerors who demonstrate previous experience with AFRC units may be deemed more highly qualified."

Together these two requirements tilt in favor of the incumbents more than usual since the incumbents had a significant advantage of working for AFRC units over the past five years. Would you please consider extending the past experience window from 5 years to either 10 or 7 years?

A. Intent is to have each firm present three projects showing experience in full A-E design within the past 5 years--three projects total. That is an equal playing field since we have not had an A-E IDIQ since 2010 so there is no advantage to a firm because of being an "incumbent" in a current IDIQ with AFRC.

10. Our team wanted to confirm that Section E resumes are required for the listed Key disciplines: Project Manager, Architect, Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Structural Engineer, and Mechanical Engineer.

A. The A-E firm must identify the qualifications and registrations of personnel in the following

Key disciplines: Project Manager, Architect, Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Structural Engineer, and Mechanical Engineer." Submitting resumes for personnel in those key disciplines would be one way to achieve that requirement.

11. Regarding item 6a) Specialized Experience and Technical Competence -Please confirm that only three projects are required to be submitted in Section F.

A. Edited paragraph 6.a

12. Regarding Section 5. Project information, can you explain the difference between item I. Primary (full A-E design services for facility and infrastructure projects through AFRC) and Item II. Title I and Title II services (which are typically part of full A-E design services).

A. Please see the SOW which was attached with the request for SF330’s. Title II (Type "C" Services). Those items involving inspecting, monitoring, and evaluating construction activities to validate conformance to plans and specifications, including reviewing, evaluating and testing product submittals and shop drawing;

and preparation of construction contract modifications.

13. Regarding item 6b) Professional Qualifications - Should we provide Section E resumes for just the disciplines listed in this paragraph, or do you also want resumes for all the disciplines listed under Section 5. Project Information, IV. (06 Architect, 12 Civil Engineer, 13 Communications Engineer, 18 Cost Engineer/Estimator, 21 Electrical Engineer, 23 Environmental Engineer, 25 Fire Protection Engineer, 27 Foundation/Geotechnical Engineer, 37 Interior Designer, 42 Mechanical Engineer, 51 Safety/Occupational Health Engineer, 52 Sanitary Engineer, 55 Soils Engineer, 56 Specifications Writer, 57 Structural Engineer, 60 Transportation Engineer, 62 Water Resources Engineer)?

A. The A-E firm must identify the qualifications and registrations of personnel in the following key disciplines:

Project Manager, Architect, Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Structural Engineer, and Mechanical Engineer." Submitting resumes for personnel in those key disciplines would be one way to achieve that requirement

14. Regarding item 6c) Past Performance - Is there any requirement beyond submitting CPAR or PPQ evaluations for our Section F projects? Are we allowed to submit CPAR or PPQ for projects beyond those included in Section F?

A. Any CPARS or PPQ submitted for projects other than those will not be considered during evaluation

15. Regarding Item 8. Submission Requirements, can the Section D organization chart be 11x17?

A. We will allow the org chart to be on 11 x 17 paper if the firm chooses. That will be the only section exempt for the 8.5 x 11 size restriction for the rest of the submission

16. Please clarify, if responders are to submit three Section F full design projects in total, which capture each of the Section 5 categories. Or should responders submit up to three Section F full design projects for each of the 10 Section 5 categories, which could result in up to a total of 30 Section F projects?

A. We expect three (3) project total showing full design capability.

17. The solicitation states in 6. Selection Criteria a) Specialized Experience and Technical Competence - “The Offeror shall submit a maximum of 3 projects showcasing full design capabilities as described in Section 5 (Project Information) above.”

a. Does this mean that a total of only 3 projects should be submitted in Section F (and only those 3 projects should also referenced in the matrix in Section G)?

A. We already answered this question and it should have been clarified in the revised solicitation

18. The solicitation states in 6. Selection Criteria a) Specialized Experience and Technical Competence – “Submittals must demonstrate the specialized experience and technical competence of the prime firm, joint venture partners, consultants, key subcontractors and/or free-lance associates”. There are requirements for “key subcontractors” in the solicitation, so we are trying to determine who those requirements apply to.

a. Can you please define or explain the difference between the terms consultants, key subcontractors, and partners as used in the solicitation?

A. These terms are fairly common. We generally view a consultant as another company the A-E firm may hire for additional expertise. We see a key subcontractor as one who provides critical input to a product or service provided by the A-E firm. A partner is seen as another firm with whom there is a formal contractual relationship for a specific project or effort.

19. The solicitation states in 6. Selection Criteria b) Professional Qualifications – “The A-E firm must identify the qualifications and registrations of personnel in the following key disciplines: Project Manager, Architect, Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Structural Engineer, and Mechanical Engineer.”

The solicitation also states in 5. Project Information that “Successful A-E firms must possess or have access to expertise in all related engineering disciplines to develop complete facility and infrastructure designs for construction award, including but not limited to: Architect, Civil Engineer, Communications Engineer, Cost Engineer/Estimator, Electrical Engineer, Environmental Engineer, Fire Protection Engineer, Foundation/Geotechnical Engineer, Interior Designer, Mechanical Engineer, Safety/Occupational Health Engineer, Sanitary Engineer, Soils Engineer, Specifications Writer, Structural Engineer, Transportation Engineer, Water Resources Engineer.”

a. Will only the resumes for the 6 “key” disciplines identified in Selection Criteria b) be evaluated?

b. Are resumes for the other disciplines noted in the “Project Information” section required and will they be evaluated if resumes are included for them?

A. We feel we answered this in the revision and Q&A’s above

20. The solicitation states in 6. Selection Criteria a) Specialized Experience and Technical Competence - “If the experience of key subcontractors is offered for any experience requirements, then a letter of commitment…..is required…..Please see the attached example Letter of Commitment.”

a. If subcontractor projects are included in Section F, would they be considered “offered for experience requirements” and therefore require the letter of commitment?

b. If subcontractor resumes are included in Section E are would they be considered “offered for experience requirements” and therefore require the letter of commitment?

c. Are the commitment letters to be included in this SF 330 submittal? If so, are they excluded from the page count and where should they be included in the SF330?

d. A commitment letter example was noted as being provided, but we do not believe an attachment was included or posted in FedBizOpps. Will one be provided, or are we to develop our own letter?

A. We would expect experience submitted for evaluation to be that of the A-E firm submitting the work. If the submission is from a JV, then we would evaluate work from either firm in that JV

21. The solicitation states in 8. Submission Requirements b) - “Each factor must be included in a separate tabbed section”.

a. Is this referring to each section of the SF330 (Part I, A-C, D, E, F, G, H-I and Part II)? If so, are the tabbed section divider pages for each of those sections excluded from the page count?

A. Yes and No the Tabbed sections are not part of the page count. (Cover page, Back page, TABS, and Table of content will be excluded from page count.

22. The solicitation states in 8. Submission Requirements c) – “The proposal shall identify the solicitation number, name, address, and telephone number of the Prime Offeror on the cover”.

a. Is this Front Cover Page (and if a Back Cover Page is included) excluded from the page count?

A. Cover page, Back page, TABS, and Table of content will be excluded from page count.

23. The solicitation states in 8. Submission Requirements d) “Each volume shall contain a Table of Contents and include at the bottom left side of each page with the volume and page number”.

a. Are Part I and Part II intended to be the “volumes” identified here?

b. Does the Table of Contents only appear on the tab divider page for Part I and Part II and all other pages require only the volume, section, and page number in the footer at the bottom left of the page?

c. Are the pages for each Volume (Part I and Part II) that contain the Table of Contents excluded from the page count?

A. Cover page, Back page, TABS, and Table of content will be excluded from page count.

24. The solicitation states in 8. Submission Requirements e) “Verify the information for all forms submitted is current, correct and complete, including names of the points-of-contact, e-mail address, and telephone number”.

a. Does the signature of our authorized representative (that includes the wording “the foregoing is a statement of facts”) in Section I, Block 31 constitute this verification requirement?

A. That statement shall be sufficient

25. Is it acceptable to include our team organizational chart (Section D) on 11x17 size paper, and if so, would that be considered 1 page in the page count?

A. We will allow the org chart to be on 11 x 17 paper if the firm chooses. That will be the only section exempt

26. Is it acceptable to use a font type smaller than size 11 for charts/graphs/captions?

A. No

27. Under Section 5, criteria III, there are several categories of personnel. Do you wish to see resumes for each of these positions, or would it be sufficient to list resources within the firm who provide these areas of expertise in a table or on the org chart?

A. The six disciplines listed are the ones we require firms to show proof of registration.

28. In Section 6, criteria a, paragraph 1, it says only 3 projects should be submitted. Is this 3 across the 3 areas (9 total) or just 3 total?

29. The past performance questionnaire attached to the solicitation is similar, but not identical, to PPQs obtained on projects used in other proposals. Is it acceptable to include a PPQ previously obtained for a project if it is not on the same form but contains similar information?

A. Official PPQs or CPARS/PPIRS will be accepted for evaluation even if they are in a slightly different format as long as the same information is provided that is on the current form

30. Section 6, criteria d, paragraph 1 includes a requirement that the submittal include Blocks D and H of the SF330.

Is this language included here to say that this should be duplicated with the Management Plan? If not, should we include the Management Plan as a part of Section H, or is this a separate requirement and therefore excluded from the page limit?

A. Per Section 8 of the solicitation, the total page limit for Part I shall not exceed 75 pages

31. Section 8, subsection b) asks that each factor be included under separate tabs. Could you clarify whether this means each SF330 section (Vol I: A-C, D, E, F, G, H, I; Vol II: Part IIs; Vol III: Past Performance & Other Attachments) or each section under the Selection Criteria (section 6 of the solicitation: a through f)? If the latter, would the SF330 sections still need to appear in the order of the forms, or should they be rearranged in the order called for by the selection criteria (criteria a corresponds to SF330 section f, for example)?

A. The SF330 convention shall be used. Please tab the submittal per SF330 convention

32. Can the Org Chart be included on an 11x17 page to help illustrate our lines of communication and responsibilities?

A. We will allow the org chart to be on 11 x 17 paper if the firm chooses. That will be the only section exempt

33. Are all 5 awarded firms anticipated under this solicitation expected to be large, unrestricted contracts, or will some of those 5 be assigned to some small businesses as well?

A. AFRC intent is to hire the 3-5 best qualified firms

34. Please clarify, if responders are to submit three Section F full design projects in total, which capture each of the

Section 5 categories. Or should responders submit up to three Section F full design projects for each of the 10 Section 5 categories, which could result in up to a total of 30 Section F projects?

A. We expect three (3) project total showing full design capability.