ADAMTD_Q_and_A__1.pdf

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

ADAMTD Solicitation FA7022-13-R-0002

1. The RFP request the Technical volume to have Compliance Matrix however it is not excluded from the page count in Section L.2.1 as the other front matter for the proposal has been. Due to the limited page count provided to respond to the proposal, we recommend that the compliance matrix be excluded from the page count for the Technical Volume?

ANSWER: Compliance Matrix is excluded from the page count for the Technical Volume.

Change added to Section L, paragraph 1.2.1. (See Amendment 3)

2. Resumes are requested for the “program manager down to, and including, the technical personnel.” The Labor Categories listed for in Attachment 4 are for Program Manager, Senior

Scientist/Software Engineer, and Associate Scientist. Please clarify if the Government is requesting one resume for each of the positions identified in Attachment 4.

ANSWER: Yes, the Government is requesting one resume for each of the positions identified in attachment 4.

3. The RFP states “Offerors shall also include cost or pricing information and supporting data, to include estimating methodology (see paragraph 5.3 and 5.4 below)”. Please clarify that the reference should read “(see paragraph 4.4) below”?

ANSWER: The reference should read “(see paragraph 4.3). (See Amendment 3)

4. The information asked for in this section is also requested in L.4.2 Cost/Price Volume, Section 1. Please clarify if this information is required in Section 1 or Section 2 of the Cost/Price

Volume.

ANSWER: Information is required in both, Sections 1 and 2.

5. “Offeror will provide separate cost proposal for Task Order 0001 (FFP). The cost proposal should be aligned with the PWS paragraphs and level of effort proposed to satisfy Technical

Capability subfactor 2”. Please clarify that the Offeror is to complete Attachment 4 for pricing realism and evaluation purposes only and that the pricing for the Task Order 0001 shall be based on the fully loaded labor rates provided from Attachment 4.

ANSWER: Yes, the Offeror completes Attachment 4 for pricing realism and evaluation purposes. Pricing for Task Order 0001 and subsequent Task Orders will be based on fully loaded rates provided in Attachment 4.

6. Exhibit C does not meet the formatting and font specification listed in Section L. 1.2.1.1.

Page Size and Format. The font is only 10 point and side margins are wider than required.

ANSWER: Follow Exhibit C Format using 10 point font and leave page count at 1-3 per reference. Follow Section L 1.2.1.1. for margin width.

7. The specific content request in section L does not match the order the information is asked for on Exhibit C. Please clarify that the order of the past performance material should be as provided in Exhibit C?

ANSWER: Follow Exhibit C Format.

8. May we, as the Prime add an introduction to the Past Performance Volume as long as we do not use more than the 30 pages allowed (10 contracts at 3 pages each)?

ANSWER: Yes.

9. To ease the evaluation of Volume V, we recommend that Volume V follow a similar outline that is required for Volume II. Meaning that Volume V would include: 1. Table of Contents 2.

List of Table and Drawings 3. Glossary 4. Cross Reference Matrix 5. Short introduction and summary 6. Subfactor One, Two, etc 7. Risk Matrix. As in Volume II, the Table of Contents, List of Table and Drawings, Glossary, and Cross Reference Matrix would be excluded from page count.

ANSWER: Refer to page 54, paragraph 3.2.2, Volume Organization.

10. As 11x17 pages are only to be used for large tables and graphics and not text are they to be counted as one page?

ANSWER: Yes.

11. The table in Section L.1.2 says that one CD-ROM should be provided for each volume I–V.

Section L.1.3(e) says that each volume of the electronic proposal shall be in its own subdirectory on the CD-ROM, sequentially labeled Volume 1 through Volume 4. Please clarify the requirement to provide electronic offers: one CD-ROM with four directories or four CD-ROM one per Volume?

ANSWER: Electronic copies should be provided on one (1) CD-ROM with five (5) directories, (volumes I – V). (See Amendment 3)

12. Volumes I and III will contain preprinted documents and Excel Spread sheets that are not easily changed to number sequentially, and if they are changed the pages numbers may not reflect the information preprinted on the pages. May the requirement to number pages sequentially by Volume be removed for Volumes I and III?

ANSWER: Preprinted documents/Excel spreadsheets should be included as Attachments, Tables etc. and are not required to be included in volume page number. Pages must be numbered sequentially.

13. It is unclear in the RFP/SOW where the O&M of the network will take place. Please clarify if the O&M will take place at the AFTAC facility. Please also clarify that software development and modification will take place at the contractor’s secure facility with transmission of products to AFTAC via secure methods?

ANSWER: O&M is the implementation of developed software into AFTAC’s modeling system; this will occur from the contractor’s facility via remote log-in to AFTAC’s unclassified LINUX cluster used for testing (mirrors the operational classified LINUX cluster). Software development and modification will take place at the contractor’s facility; this software will be delivered to AFTAC, as stated above, via remote log-in to

AFTAC’s unclassified LINUX cluster.

14. Is the Government able to release an unclassified listing of current weather models and associated hardware that AFTAC operates on for assistance in assessing O&M for Task Order

0001?

ANSWER: Ensemble Weather and Research Model (E-WRF), unclassified LINUX cluster with REDHAT 6.3.

15. Can the government provide further clarification on the intent behind the number of hours listed (per Fiscal year) in Attachment 4. More specifically, is the government's intent behind providing these numbers to provide their expectation for a suggested number of hours (per year) required to complete the SR#: T/4402, Basic, the SR#:T/4402 Task Order #1, both performance work statements (together or separately), or some other intent?

ANSWER: The intent is to give “an estimate” of work that may be required per year during the 8 year period of performance (PoP) (Basic PWS). Task Order #1 PWS PoP will be 12 months from time of award.

16. The Instructions for Proposal Preparation section of the solicitation document states on page

55 section 3.2.3 that: "Resumes for the program manager down to, and including, the technical personnel. Provide evidence of commitment for all personnel whose resumes are submitted" should be included in Volume II which has a 20 page limit. If detailed resumes are requested/required in our proposal, can we provide short biographical sketches in Volume II in order to save space for more technical content and provide the detailed resumes as supplemental information in some way that does not count against the 20 page limit of Volume II. For example, can the detailed resumes be provided in another Volume without page limits (eg.

Volume I)?

ANSWER: Detailed resumes can be included in Volume I. (See Amendment 3)

17. Can the government provide clarification on the ceiling for this contract award? On the Fed

Biz Ops the solicitation states "This acquisition will be conducted on a restricted basis. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541990 - All Other

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services with a size standard of $14M.", but on page 3 section B-2 of the solicitation document it states: "The guaranteed minimum is $65,000.00. The maximum amount and the ceiling for this contract awarded is $4,000,000. TASK ORDERS

WILL BE ISSUED AS STATED IN SECTION H OF THE CONTRACT."

ANSWER: The NAICS Code size standard does not drive the maximum amount and ceiling of the contract.

18. RFP Section M, Past Performance (PP) Relevancy Rating (Table 4), page

68 states that PP relevancy will be assessed on 12 factors from Subfactor 2; yet only 11

Subfactors are listed in Subfactor 2, Technical Approach and Ability; (M-II, b(b), pages

65 and 66. However, Section L, Para 3.2.4. (Pages 55 and 56) list 12 Subfactors. Is paragraph 3.2.4.3 (Page 55) the 12th area to be assessed?

ANSWER: Eleven (11) subfactors will be assessed. (See Amendment 3)

19. Please clarify if Task Order 0001 will be awarded with the award of the base contract.

Note: The next two questions relate to this question. Section J, Part III, Attachment 3 (Task

Order 0001 PWS), page 40, states that this attachment “Shall not be part of resulting contract, will be issued separately.” Will a revised Task Order 0001 be issued after contract award?

ANSWER: The Base and Task Order 0001 will be awarded at the same time. (See

Amendment 3)

20. Page 57 of 70 states that “The proposed Task Order 0001 price will be use for execution of this order at the time of contract award. ” Bidders are asked to price Task Order 0001 as FFP.

PWS-Task_Order_1_(RFP_Atch_3), Specific Tasks included in paragraph 1.2.1 is identified as

Research & Development (R&D) tasks. Since, RFP Section B, CLIN 0002 (Research &

Development (R&D) Labor) is CPFF would the bidder include both FFP and CPFF pricing for

Task Order 0001?

ANSWER: Yes. (See Amendment 3)

21. Is an organizational change history required for subs or just the prime (Page 60 of 70, paragraph 5.3.2 Organizational Structure Change History)?

ANSWER: No, Not required for subcontractors.

22. Of the technical items listed in Section L, Para 3.2.4 (Pages 55 and 56) Subfactor 2, Technical Approach and Ability, what technical artifacts will the government make available to industry to review? To properly bid this we need to know the current state of resident capabilities for each of the 12 elements.

ANSWERS:

1. Developing a state-of-the-art ensemble numerical weather prediction system.

AFTAC currently runs the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model. Both deterministic and probabilistic products are produced. The ensemble simulation methodology includes hybrid

(3DVAR-ensemble) ensemble data assimilation. To maintain appropriate ensemble spread, multiple physical parameterizations are used among the ensemble members. Furthermore, stochastic backscatter is implemented and the observations that are assimilated into the system are perturbed with appropriate observational error separately in each member. That is, an ensemble of hybrid analyses are propagated in a retrospective mode to ensure a quality analysis as well as accompanying simulation error estimates.

2. Enhancing mission capabilities by improving the accuracy of the forecast simulations and characterizing the uncertainties within the re-analysis and improving the data assimilation system.

AFTAC currently performs ensemble analyses over key locations. The ensemble is continuously monitored and adjusted (e.g., unstable ensemble member physics are changed) in order to maintain performance over various regions of the globe. Since WRF’s performance and thus the ensemble assimilation system’s is highly dependent on the location being modeled, this process in ongoing and arduous.

3. Recommending, developing, testing, evaluating, and delivering atmospheric data assimilation enhancements, atmospheric model enhancements, AT&D modeling and source estimation technique enhancements, and enhancements to climatological analysis techniques.

AFTAC currently runs the hybrid ensemble system at horizontal grid resolutions of less than 10-

km. At these scales, model physics become less dependent on physical parameterizations and more dependent on the inherent model numerics. Furthermore, performing data assimilation at these scales is not fully mature and datasets that resolve meteorological phenomena at these scales are not readily available. AFTAC is interested in evolving its ability to performing very-high resolution meteorological modeling with a focus on AT&D applications. AFTAC’s source estimation techniques vary on a case-by-case basis. AFTAC currently uses the ensemble mean results to provide a best estimate of the source term. AFTAC’s climatological analysis methodology usually does not include an ensemble modeling component due to computational restrictions.

4. Conducting surveys of new modeling capabilities to determine the relevancy to the AFTAC atmospheric modeling mission.

AFTAC remains up-to-date with its modeling techniques by following published literature as well as following the progress made at NCAR.

5. Creating or modifying software for incorporation of new modeling capabilities into the AFTAC modeling system(s).

AFTAC scientists rely heavily rely on and develop shell scripts, Python GUI interfaces, and IDL routines in order to perform its mission. (As the ADAMTD contractor determines new modeling capabilities relevant to AFTAC (#4 above), they will modify the software or create new code as necessary to incorporate the new capabilities into the AFTAC modeling system.)

6. Developing, testing, and evaluating improvements to the current advanced data assimilation system and ensure compatibility with AFTAC’s ensemble simulation system.

AFTAC continually develops, tests, and evaluates improvements to its system. However, operational requirements take priority leaving room for improvement.

7. Identifying and testing the most appropriate model-set-up, physics parameterizations, and initial/boundary condition perturbations that will best characterize the analysis and forecast uncertainties.

AFTAC currently tests model-set-up parameters for various regions. Again, operational requirements as well as computer restrictions prevent a full-scale evaluation from being performed.

8. Determining optimal usage of WRF’s inline tracer capability for AT&D modeling.

AFTAC is currently testing the WRF inline tracer capability. The code is running on AFTAC’s computers and is being run on choice cases in order to evaluate its performance as well to develop post processing codes.

9. Developing, testing, and evaluating methods which enable mesoscale meteorological and AT&D models to direct the optimal placement of collection instrumentation.

AFTAC currently performs “optimal placement” studies with a deterministic (vice ensemble) modeling approach.

10. Enhancing capabilities for using observations and meteorological modeling to better estimate the source parameters for the release of materials into the atmosphere.

AFTAC currently performs source term analyses using HYSPLIT coupled with GFS and WRF output.

11. Providing modeling capabilities to determine climatological opportunities for detection of given sources(s) by developing/modifying, testing, and evaluating algorithms and input data to enhance existing climatological and analysis capabilities.

AFTAC currently performs “opportunities for detection” studies with a deterministic modeling approach. The studies are based primarily on flow patterns and the resulting plume transport.

12. Supporting the implementation of developed/modified enhancements to AFTAC’s operational modeling system.

AFTAC scientists rely heavily on and develop shell scripts, Python GUI interfaces, and IDL routines in order to implement enhancements.

23. Per the PWS-Basic, 2.0. Service Summary and the QASP, the contractor is required to provide SW (that) shall be 100 compatible with AFTAC Enterprise Linus Cluster.” What hardware and operating system version are being used within the enterprise? What applications will the contractor have to integrate with on this enterprise system?

ANSWER: Unclassified LINUX Cluster with REDHAT 6.3. As stated in the Performance

Work Statement (PWS), these applications will be primarily mesoscale model (WRF) updates and enhancements as they become available by the WRF development community.

The contractor will conduct ongoing surveys for applications that will be relevant to the

AFTAC atmospheric modeling mission. The contractor will create or modify existing software as necessary to incorporate the modifications/enhancements into the AFTAC modeling system. A few specific applications (not necessarily WRF-related) are mentioned in the PWS, such as an optimization software tool that will determine the minimum number of samplers required to detect a given source and determine the positional information of the measurements relative to the emission source.

24. In clause 52.204-8, the small business size standard is listed as $1,600,000 but the NAICS code 541990 has a standard of $14,000,000.

ANSWER: Size standard is $14,000,000. (See Amendment 3)

25. Is there a limitation on the amount of effort that a small business prime can subcontract to other team members?

ANSWER: IAW Far Clause 52.519-14, at least 50% of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern.