Language_Portal_Consolidated_Responses_to_Questions_-_9_Apr_2014.docx

Language Portal Solicitation Number FA7037-14-R-0003 Questions and Answers

The following information represents a consolidation of Questions and Answers in response to the follow-on Language Portal Solicitation FA7037-14-R-0003. If the information below does not completely address your questions, it is your responsibility to notify this office no later than 4:00 PM (CST) on Friday, 11 April 2014.

Proposal Due Date:

Q: Solicitation FA7037-14-R-0003, Block 8 of the 1449 has the due date as 12:00 PM 10 Apr 2014. Section L.B.1.6 has the due date as 12:00 pm 31 Mar 2014. Please clarify which due date takes precedence.

A: An amendment will be issued to resolve the conflict. The amendment will reflect an extension, proposals are due 12:00 PM (CST) on Monday 21 Apr 2014.

Accreditation:

Q: Who will be responsible for the tasks associated with accreditation?

A: Reference PWS paragraph 2.1; the contractor shall perform all necessary actions and documentation in accordance with (IAW) Air Force Network Information Center (AFNIC) requirements.

Q: How many hours are spent each year on accreditation activities?

A: In the past, while in maintenance mode, approximately five hours weekly are spent on accreditation activities. Historically, it has increased by 25+ hours weekly as time nears for a new Authority to Operate (ATO) to be issued.

Q: What is the accreditation status of the system on classified network domains?

A: All systems are accredited.

Clauses:

Q: With regard to FAR 52.222-17, will the Government explain the applicability to incumbent employees?

A: Please reference the Federal Acquisition Regulation http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm for applicability to the incumbent employees.

Q: With regard to the completion of FAR 52.212-3, does the Government prefer the November 2013 version (stated on page 35) or the June 2009 version (stated on page 28)?

A: The latest clause will always be the preferred version; please use the November 2013 version. An amendment will be issued to reflect this correction.

Cost and Pricing:

Q: Does the Government require subcontractors to submit a breakdown of their pricing?

A: Yes. When responding to the Cost/Price Volume requirements in the solicitation, the offeror and associated subcontractors may use any generally accepted estimating technique, including contemporary estimating methods [such as Cost-to-Cost and Cost-to-Non-Cost Estimating Relationships (CERs)], commercially available parametric cost models, in-house developed parametric cost models, etc.), to develop their estimates.

Q. The cost/pricing information indicates information regarding an IDIQ contract versus a firm fixed price contract. Please confirm.

A: All IDIQ language will be removed by amendment to the solicitation. Language appropriate for a firm fixed price (FFP) contract with a cost reimbursable travel contract line item (CLIN) will be reflected in the amendment.

Section L, paragraph 8.2.1.2. represents historical information. The offeror’s approach will determine the number of Full-Time-Equivalents (FTEs)/labor categories/job descriptions to fulfill requirements in the PWS. The FTE information referenced in the CLIN description will be removed.

The forthcoming amendment will be issued correcting Section L, Cost/Price with the following information (paragraphs will be numbered in the amendment):

· General Instructions. Offerors will provide a breakdown of their proposal which includes, at a minimum, fully loaded labor rates and hours for each of the labor categories included in the labor matrix. Offerors may submit any other pricing data that they believe is prudent and necessary to justify their cost/price proposal.

· Cost/Price Reasonableness and Realism. These instructions are to assist you in submitting information other than cost or pricing data that is required to evaluate the reasonableness and realism of your proposed cost/price. Note that unrealistically low or high proposed costs or prices, initially or subsequently, may be grounds for eliminating a proposal from competition either on the basis that the offeror does not understand the requirement or has made an unrealistic proposal. Offers should be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate their reasonableness and realism. The burden of proof for credibility of proposed costs and prices rests with the offeror.

· Estimating Techniques and Methods. When responding to the Cost/Price Volume requirements in the solicitation, the offeror and associated subcontractors may use any generally accepted estimating technique, including contemporary estimating methods [such as Cost-to-Cost and Cost-to-Non-Cost Estimating Relationships (CERs)], commercially available parametric cost models, in-house developed parametric cost models, etc.), to develop their estimates.

· Non-Required Data. Data beyond that required by these instructions shall not be submitted, unless you consider it essential to document or support your cost/price position. All required information relating to the proposed costs and prices, including all required supporting documentation must be included in the section of the proposal designated as the Cost/Price volume.

· Rounding. All dollar amounts provided shall be rounded to the nearest dollar. All loaded labor rates shall be rounded to the nearest penny.

· Cost/Pricing Content

· Basis of Price Evaluation. Offerors are required to propose a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) amount for Command Language Program Manager Database/Language Portal Services. In determining the evaluated price, the Government will add the contractor’s proposed price for Command Language Program Manager Database/Language Portal Services for the base year and each option period. The cost proposals must contain sufficient data to allow the government to confirm the offered labor categories and hours are consistent with the evaluated technical approach.

· Requirement for Cost or Pricing Data. The Government anticipates award based on adequate competition; however, additional data may be required in the event that adequate price competition is not obtained. Information submitted in support of the proposal will be considered other than cost and pricing data.

The forthcoming amendment will be issued correcting Section M, Cost/Price with the following information (paragraphs will be numbered in the amendment):

- Price/Cost Evaluation. The offeror’s proposal shall demonstrate and clearly describe an effective and efficient cost approach for accomplishing the stated requirements. The offeror’s cost/price proposal will be evaluated, using one or more of the techniques defined in FAR 15.404, in order to determine if it is reasonable and realistic. The Government will determine an evaluated cost based by adding the proposed basic and option year prices. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). The method of calculating of the offeror's evaluated cost will be as follows:

Our total evaluated price will be calculated by utilizing the contractor's proposed prices established in CLIN X001 of Schedule B. The base and option years will be added to determine the total evaluated price.

· Price Reasonableness and Realism. The offeror’s cost/price proposal will be evaluated, using one or more of the techniques defined in FAR 15.404, in order to determine if it is reasonable and realistic. The Government will evaluate the realism of each offerors’ proposed costs. This will include an evaluation of the extent to which proposed costs indicate a clear understanding of solicitation requirements, and reflect a sound approach to satisfying those requirements. The Cost/Price Realism Assessment (CPRA) will consider technical/management risks identified during the evaluation of the proposal and associated costs. When the Government evaluates an offer as unrealistically low compared to the anticipated costs of performance and the offeror fails to explain these underestimated costs, the Government will consider the offeror’s lack of understanding of the technical requirements of the corresponding Mission Capability subfactor.

Cross Reference Matrix:

Q: In order to more effectively map the subparagraphs to the offeror’s proposal, can the contractor edit the Cross Reference Matrix?

A: Yes, the Cross Reference Matrix may be edited; however, it still must contain all information as stated in Section L, paragraph 6.0. Failure by the offeror to complete the matrix will result in the offeror being considered as failing to meet the RFP terms and conditions.

DD254:

Q: The requirement in the DD254 to obtain AF ISR Agency/NSA approval for use of facsimile to transmit information; is this requirement for the 12 employees working on the contract or all members of the contractors, such as security for SCI nomination and other Program Manager reports, etc.?

A: Information is normally transmitted via email; however, if it becomes necessary to transmit via FAX, the contractors at the sites (Lackland AFB and Offutt AFB) will need Government approval to use the equipment. In regards to the 12 FTEs, the offeror's approach will determine the number of FTEs/labor categories/job descriptions to fulfill requirements in the PWS. Reference Section L, paragraph 8.2.1.2 for historical usage. The FTEs reference in the CLINs will be removed in the amendment.

Q: Will employees require access to NSA systems or require NSA CI poly prior to performing on the program?

A: Yes, employees will require access to NSA systems and NSA CI poly prior to accessing NSANet Servers.

Q: The DD254 contains an expiration date of 12 May 2014, will this change?

A: At time of contract award, a revised DD254 will be incorporated reflecting the appropriate expiration dates and billets.

Q: It is understood a Top Secret facility clearance is required. However, is an existing Top Secret facility clearance a prerequisite for award?

A: The contract company shall have a TS/SCI facility clearance at time of award – this is non-negotiable.

Funding:

Q: Has this contract been funded?

A: Funds have been appropriated and are available for the base year. Option years are subject to future appropriations.

Help Desk/Historical Information:

Q: Please provide the number of help desk tickets submitted; average times spent on each ticket and resolved over the past 12 months.

A: The number of tickets varies and the average time spent on each ticket also varies depending on the issue. In the past 12 months 5,049 help desk tickets have been submitted; 5,033 resolved.

Q: Where is the current help desk operated (contractor location or Government site)?

A: The current help desk is operated from a Government facility at Lackland AFB, Texas.

Q: On average, how many deficiencies are identified annually? Are they considered primarily considered minor, major or critical?

A: No deficiencies have been identified to date.

Incumbent:

Q: Who is the incumbent for this effort?

A: The incumbent is Spiral Solutions & Technologies, Inc.

Q: Are there any firms that you are currently considering for this contract/ A: Prime contractors must meet the size and business standards specified in the solicitation.

Operating Systems/Databases/Software/Servers:

Q: What help desk software tools are currently in use to track issues?

A: The ticketing system used by the Help Desk to track issues is Bugzilla.

Q: What operating systems and database types are in use on the primary and back-up systems that require support?

A: Operating systems: MS Server 03, MS Server 08, OSX Lion Web service: IIS7 and Apache Database: MS sequel server 2008, and MySQL Q: What software is currently used that requires support?

A: Software: ASP.net forms/MVC, JAVA Script, JQuery, VB.net, C#, PHP, AJAX, Perl, Visual Studio, SVN.

Q: What Learning Management System (LMS) and Content Management System (CMS) are currently being used?

A: Moodle is currently being used for LMS and CMS.

Q: Clarify the number and locations of servers.

A: There are four Nonsecure Internet Protocol (IP) Router Network (NIPRNet) servers, two Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet), one Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications Systems (JWICS), two National Security Agency Network (NSANet), and two commercial servers all of which are located at Offutt AFB. The two Unclass servers for back-up are located at the contractor facility. The servers are furnished by the Government. Reference PWS paragraph 1.3.

Q: Will the Government provide all source code and database schemas required to support this effort?

A: Yes, all source code and database schemas will be provided by the Government.

Q: Will the Government furnish computers/laptops for all contractor personnel working this effort?

A: The Government will provide desktop computers for use at the Government facilities.

Q: Does Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) provide hosting for the current database/portal/applications?

A: DISA does not provide hosting for the current database/portal/applications.

Q: Who is responsible for securing software licensing?

A: The contractor shall be required to identify software requirements and complete all actions up to the point of purchasing. The Government will purchase all software licenses for new software, if required.

Q: Will any additional hardware/software to support scaling efforts (growth to 50K users) be the responsibility of the contractor of the hosting agency?

A: The host agency will be responsible for the purchase of additional hardware/software. The contractor will be tasked with identifying requirements, possible solutions and installation.

Past Performance:

Q: Are you evaluating past performance for all team members, or only prime 8(a) past performance?

A: Reference Section L, paragraph 7.1, “Each offeror shall submit past performance information with its proposal. This information is required on the offeror and all subcontractors, teaming partners, and/or joint venture partners. Please reference Section M, paragraphs 4.0 for how the information will be evaluated.

Performance Work Statement (PWS):

Q: Solicitation paragraph 5.2.1 references PWS paragraph 1.2, which is the Scope of Work. Should the contractor’s response also include a description of their understanding of PWS paragraph 2.0 and all subparagraphs, as indicated in the Cross Reference Matrix?

A: The offeror should provide their approach to include labor categories/job descriptions to fulfill the requirements in the PWS. An amendment will be issued to resolve this conflict.

Q: PWS paragraph 2.2 states “Content Catalog: The Contractor shall maintain a content catalog to include all DoD-procured language and cultural materials and technologies.” This implies that the government procures and provides to the contractor the training materials that are to be uploaded to the portal. Paragraph 8.2.3 however states “The Government shall have unlimited use rights to all deliverables developed under this contract to include all language training materials developed and uploaded to the language side of the Language Portal and any technical applications developed. “ Can you clarify whether the vendor is responsible for developing the training material, or is that outside the scope of this contract?

A: The Government will direct the contractor as to what training materials to upload whether they are from a Government source or come from the contractor. PWS paragraph 2.2.1 also states the contractor shall develop and integrate software applications compatible with mobile devices such as the iPod Touch or iPhone and provide compatible functions with operating systems such as iOS and Android. PWS Paragraph 8.2.3 also focuses on any technical applications the contractor develops.

Q: The FBO page provides the following information and direction but these statements are not included in the PWS or the solicitation: Maintenance of all servers shall include, but not be limited to, updating databases, creating standardized and custom queries and reports, Automated Data-Processing Equipment (ADPE) accountability and uploading/ updating language and cultural resources. The Contractor shall make recommended maintenance updates and changes according to timelines determined by the amount of updates required and agreed upon by the Government COR and Contractor. … The Contractor shall describe how they are completely able to program routine, repeatable standard queries of a large database and output results on an aspx web page. The database must be in the background, providing all the data for the web page front end; manage the users and various levels of control (read/write/manage); manage a commercial web page with aspx content, various data libraries that include iOS applications, audio and video files. The Contractor shall describe their accreditation process experience on unclassified and classified domains. The Contractor shall describe their knowledge set of SharePoint version 2013. The current operating system for this requirement is Windows 7, all Macs are running Lion OSX 10.7.5, commercial servers are running Active Directory 2008 r2 and Windows 2003, and NIPR servers are all running windows server 2008 r2. Are these statements relevant to the solicitation and should they be included in the PWS and/or solicitation?

A: Yes, these statements are relevant to the solicitation and are included in the PWS and/or solicitation. "The Contractor shall describe how they are completely able to program routine, repeatable standard queries of a large database and output results on an aspx web page. The database must be in the background, providing all the data for the web page front end; manage the users and various levels of control (read/write/manage); manage a commercial web page with aspx content, various data libraries that include iOS applications, audio and video files. The Contractor shall describe their accreditation process experience on unclassified and classified domains. The Contractor shall describe their knowledge set of SharePoint version 2013. The current operating system for this requirement is Windows 7, all Macs are running Lion OSX 10.7.5, commercial servers are running Active Directory 2008 r2 and Windows 2003, and NIPR servers are all running windows server 2008 r2. “An amendment will be issued to ensure this is clear.

Q: Can the contractor address individual PWS subparagraphs in response to Section L requirements to which the PWS subparagraphs are most relevant?

A: The contractor can address individual PWS subparagraphs. Reference Section L, paragraphs 5.0 through 5.3.6. The technical volume will be the primary basis for evaluating your proposed approach to meeting or exceeding the minimum performance or capability requirements of each Technical subfactors. Your proposal shall describe the capability of your organization to perform this contract including pertinent aspects of the proposed approach. However, as stated in the solicitation, do not merely reiterate the objectives or reformulate the requirements specified in the solicitation. The proposal shall provide a descriptive narrative with convincing rationale to address how the offeror intends to meet the requirements of the solicitation.

Program Managers/Programmers:

Q: Confirm that at least one of the programmers must have Oracle experience.

A: An amendment will be issued incorporating a revised Performance Work Statement (PWS), which reflects Oracle is no longer a requirement.

Q: Provide the ratio of how much time the programmers spend maintaining the existing database versus creating new code or working on the Learning Management System (LMS)?

A: Programmers spend approximately 75% of their time on maintenance and 25% on new code or LMS.

Q: Is a full-time Program Manager (PM) required for this effort?

A: Yes a full-time PM is required. An amendment will be issued incorporating this change to the PWS.

Q: Where should the PM be located?

A: The full time PM shall be located at Lackland AFB, TX. An amendment will be issued incorporating this change.

Q: Will the work be conducted in San Antonio, TX only consists of contract management support or will work in Texas also include technical management analysis?

A: Currently, contract management support and help desk functions are being performed in San Antonio. As stated above, a full-time PM is required at Lackland AFB. Reference PWS paragraph 1.3: “Day-to-day management and system configuration for the Command Language Program Manager Database/Language Portal shall be conducted at Offutt AFB, NE. The full time, Program Manager and Help Desk shall be located at Lackland AFB, TX. The systems shall be maintained and updated by a mixture of Government and Contractor personnel in multiple locations including, but not limited to, San Antonio, TX; Offutt AFB, NE and Contractor’s geographically separated location.”

Proposal Organization/Preparation:

Q: Are there any restrictions on page margins?

A: Reference Section L, paragraph 3.1.6 “Page margins shall be a minimum of 1-inch for the top, bottom, and sides.”

Q: Section L, 3.1.4 Illustrations and Tables, says “Text used for call-outs on graphics and exhibits shall be no smaller than…8-point…” This can be interpreted two ways. It could refer only to “call-outs” for both graphics and exhibits. We interpret it to mean text used for a) “call-outs on graphics” and b) “exhibits” as separate instructions. Is our interpretation correct?

A: Reference Section L, paragraph 3.1.4., as you have indicated above “Text used for call-outs on graphics and exhibits shall be no smaller than Times New Roman or Arial, 8-point in height after final reduction. “ In regards to exhibit there are separate instructions, they read “… except for foldouts used for charts, illustrations, tables, or diagrams, which may not exceed 11 x 17 inches. For page count purposes, each printed side of foldout page will count as two (2) 8 ½ x 11-inch pages and shall only be used for graphics and exhibits, not text.” Also noted is that Section L, paragraph 3.1.7 reflects “12-point font” and will be corrected in the amendment.

Q: What is the minimum size text that may be used in tables?

A: Tables should not be smaller than Times New Roman or Arial, 8-point in height after final reduction.

Q: Would the Government accept a staffing matrix which would not be included in the page count?

A: No. Reference Section L, paragraph 4.1.3.4 The “Team Structure Matrix” is required and will be included in the page count. Reference Section L, paragraph 3.1.7, Table B-1 for exclusions from page limitation.

Q: Section L, paragraph 5.2.7, the requirement is to “describe your assigned personnel’s knowledge of a foreign language”. Please clarify this statement. What personnel does this requirement refer to, only the SME(s) or are there other personnel required to have foreign language?

A: The requirement applies to the SME/Site Lead. An amendment will be issued to clarify this requirement.

Q: Section L, Paragraph 9.3, the instruction is to provide completed Solicitation / Contract – Completed Sections B through J in Volume V, however some of the sections are not present. Please identify where we would put copies of Section B through J, and identify what is expected to be completed for these sections.

A: The forthcoming amendment will be issued to resolve this issue.

Q: Section L; paragraph 2.4 states “Adobe Acrobat is not acceptable. The content and page size of electronic copies must be identical to the hard copies.” With regard to the signed SF1449 and the Section B fill-ins, does the Government want these included in the soft copy? If so, what format is preferred?

A: In regards to the SF1449 and Section B fill-ins, the Government prefers scanned documents be included in the soft copy.

Q: Do tables of contents, glossaries of abbreviations, cover sheets, and cover letters count toward the page count?

A: Reference Section L, paragraph 3.1.7, notes under Table B-1, **Excluded from Page Limitation: Blank Pages, Dividers, Cover Pages, Title Pages, Tabs, Indexes, Table of Contents, Glossaries, Cross-Reference Matrix, Consent Letters, Present and Past Performance Recipient List, Resumes (2-page limit per resume), time lines including attached notes, call-outs and/or equivalent descriptive narrative, and Organization Charts.

Resumes:

Q: Are resumes required for all staff proposed for this effort?

A: Resumes are not required and will not be evaluated. All references to “Resumes” will be removed with the issued amendment.

Unrealistic Offers:

Q: Unrealistic offers will be rejected; it would behoove the Government to provide its estimate, or an estimated range that it will use for evaluation, to prevent a significant number of unrealistic proposals from being submitted.

A: Section M., paragraph 1.5 will remain unchanged. All Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) language will be removed by amendment. Reference Section L, paragraph 8.2.1.2 for historical usage.

Travel:

Q: Shall offerors submit a travel CLIN amount to reflect the estimated 10 trips from Offutt AFB to Lackland AFB or another amount preferred by the Government?

A: No, the Government has determined a not-to-exceed (NTE) amount of $20K per year will be placed on each travel CLIN. An amendment will be issued to incorporate the estimated travel amount for each Travel CLIN.

Transition Plan:

Q: Will there be a transition period between the incumbent and the contract awardee?

A: The Government has determined a transition period is not required.

Websites:

Q: How many classification levels are there?

A: There are five classification levels – commercial site, NIPRNet, SIPRNet, NSANet and JWICS.

Q: How many web pages currently exist and how often are these pages modified or updated?

A: There are 50 or more pages per website; they are updated/modified at least weekly.

Q: What is the accreditation status of the system on classified network domains? Has any portion of the system been accredited for NIPRNET, i.e. CLPM database portion but not commercial portal website?

A: All systems are accredited. The commercial portal website is commercial and is not connected to NIPRNet.