Questions and Answers for Prospective Offerors.docx

Questions and Answers for Prospective Offerors

FA8232-24-R-3006

6 March 2024

Question 1: Reaching out to see if the government is at liberty to share the incumbent name and associated task order for “FA8232-24-R-3006 Consolidated Technical Coordination Group (TCG) Web-Enabled Database”?

Answer 1: Incumbent SI Systems Technologies; Task Order FA8232-19-F-0099 Question 2: Is this a recompete and if so, who is the incumbent contractor?

Answer 2: SI Systems Technologies Question 3: If this is a recompete, what is the current contract number?

Answer 3: FA8771-12-D-1010; FA8232-19-F-0099 Question 4: Can we receive the evaluation report and bid tabulation from the incumbent contractor or from the prior awarded bid?

Answer 4: No, that is proprietary information.

Question 5: Can we provide multiple pricing options for the bid reviewer to consider (3-tiered targeted pricing proposal – Silver, Gold, Platinum)?

Answer 5: No, only one price will be evaluated.

Question 6: Section M Paragraph 5.1.3.2 Sub-Factor: Internet Protocol (IP) Addresses indicates that that "Offeror must demonstrate that they currently have three (3) static IP addresses that are accessible from the Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN)." How can an offeror validate whether their IPs are accessible from DoDIN before submitting a proposal? Is there a process for submitting IPs to an allow list that would enable access from the governmental facility and the Government Virtual Private Network?

Answer 6: The three (3) static IP addresses are required for the assessment. The offeror must already have exceptions in place for the assessment.

Question 7: Could you please let us know if there is an incumbent contractor for this solicitation? If yes, we would greatly appreciate it if you could share the name of the contractor and their contract number for performing these services.

Answer 7: SI Systems Technologies; FA8771-12-D-1010; FA8232-19-F-0099 Question 8: I am preparing a bid for the TCG Database opportunity and have question about 6.6.2 in Section - L. I just want to confirm that I need to register the static IPs with the USAF Help Desk mentioned in PWS 5.5 as part of the bid.

Answer 8: The three (3) static IP addresses are required for the assessment. The offeror must already have exceptions in place for the assessment as part of the bid.

Question 9: Is this a brand new contract, or is (was) an incumbent performing these services? If not brand new, could you please provide the previous contract number?

Answer 9: FA8771-12-D-1010; FA8232-19-F-0099 Question 10: Reference 3.2.1.1 Commercial off The Shelf (COTS) Cybersecurity; Can the government please confirm what COTS system is used now?

Answer 10: Unknown Question 11: Reference 3.2.1.1 Commercial off The Shelf (COTS) Cybersecurity; Who owns the license for this COTS tool?

Answer 11: Unknown Question 12: Reference 3.2.1.2 Continual Scanning; Can the government please confirm what COTS system is used now?

Answer 12: Unknown Question 13: Reference 3.2.1.2 Continual Scanning; Who owns the license for this COTS tool?

Answer 13: Unknown Question 14: Can you confirm if we need to host the equipment in a private cage or is a shared closed cabinet acceptable?

Answer 14: It is currently all on its own rack/cabinet.

Question 15: If private cabinet then dimensions of current cabinet (height / width / depth) Answer 15: Current rack dimensions: Height - 78.5" Depth - 38" Width - 24"

Question 16: What is the expected Power Consumption / usage

Answer 16: Unknown

Question 17: What type of power circuits (Amp / Voltage details) are currently used (30a208V single phase or 30a208V triple phase etc…)

Answer 17: Unknown Question 18: Are there any other tools that are currently in use for Data Cleansing?

Answer 18: Not that we are aware of, no.

Question 19: Please confirm if existing training materials will be shared or will the awardee be developing them from scratch?

Answer 19: Training materials will be provided by the USG.

Question 20: How often did assigned government administrators reach out for technical support outside scheduled business hours?

Answer 20: 1-2 times per year but could vary.

Question 21: What happens if the software provided does not function upon provision to the new infrastructure location?

The contractor is expected to have the experienced and qualified personnel and expertise on hand to ensure that the system is fully operational within the first 72 hours of receiving all hardware and software. The mission of the TCGs is to fully support our FMS partner nations and we cannot risk there being any more down time than the 72 hours described.

Question 22: Can USG please confirm the Solication Number is FA8232-24-R-3006 Answer 22: Yes, that is the solicitation number.

Question 23: """Provide websites uniform resource locator (URL)"" Does the govt VPN whitelist both the URL as well as the IP addresses? Our format of IPs will be as follows - will this format be acceptable?

URL: https://contractorname.cloud/#ip1 Associated IP 1: 98.***.** URL: https://contractorname.cloud/#ip1 Associated IP 1: 98.***.** URL: https://contractorname.cloud/#ip1 Associated IP 1: 98.***.** " Answer 23: The format should be acceptable.

Question 24: "The PWS in section 5.5 mentions 'The contractor shall acquire three (3) static IP address for the TCG Database and get them approved through the USAF Help Desk to acquire an “exception status” in order to be considered as an approved IP on the USAF firewall. The contractor shall provide registration status of IP address within the monthly status report. (CDRL A003, Monthly Status Report (MSR))'. Where as the support section_M mentions section 5.1.3.3 mentions 'If the source selection team determines that any of the three (3) static IP addresses are inaccessible from either the government facility and/or while working remotely through the approved Government Virtual Private Network and/or through commercial internet providers, the offeror will receive a rating of unacceptable and will be ineligible for award'. Can the government please confirm that as per PWS, the offeror needs to get the 3 IPs approved through the USAF Help Desk to acquire an ""exception status"" AFTER the award and provide the status within the MSR and the assesment process as mentioned in Section M will entail the government to add the 3 static IPs as exceptions to the firewall DURING the assessment process?

Answer 24: The three (3) static IP addresses are required for the assessment. The offeror must already have exceptions in place for the assessment prior to award.

Question 25: I intend to submit a bid on Solicitation Notice FA8232-24-R-3006. I would appreciate any information you could provide regarding whether there is a current incumbent on this project and if so, can you provide their name, their contract number and the contract amount?

Answer 25: Yes, SI Systems Technologies; FA8771-12-D-1010; FA8232-19-F-0099 Question 26: Will the bid need to include procuring software licenses, such as VMWare and Oracle Database software licenses? If so, can you provide a list of software that will need to be included?

Answer 26: Currently there is an Air Force contract with Oracle that the current contractor is authorized to use the software and receive support for the software. Other than that, any software that is listed in the PWS should be the responsibility of the contractor. No further list of software is available.

Question 27: The topology mentions a Disaster Recovery (DR) environment at a different geographical location. Do we need to include in the bid a second location to host the DR systems?

Answer 27: There needs to be a separate, different location provided by the contractor to physically host the DR system. That secondary DR location preferably needs to be far enough away from the primary system location that any regional power outages or other outside events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.) that would affect the primary system would not also affect the DR system. That may require that the DR location to be in another state.

Question 28: Does the IP address testing require minimum 50 Mbps at time of testing?

Answer 28: The 50 Mbps requirement is for the actual system. The testing will be as described in the L & M documents to ensure access to each of the three (3) websites through the three (3) access environments described in the L & M documents. (On base through the USAF network and firewalls, off base through the USG VPN systems, and through regular personal internet connections such as residential Internet Service Providers or cell phone system providers.) So, no, the IP address testing will not be testing the 50 Mbps rate, only the accessibility of all of the websites through each access environment. (Please note that in the event of contract award, all three IP addresses will need to be capable of the required upload and download speeds required in the PWS at time of system set up.)

Question 29: Do you expect the work to be performed by personnel assigned full time to the project? If not, approximately how many average hours per week do you expect personnel to be assigned for the project?

Answer 29: We do not expect or require the work to be performed by personnel assigned full time to the project. That is up to the discretion of the contractor to determine how they wish to manage the execution of the contract requirements. There needs to be qualified and capable personnel assigned to and available to directly support and answer questions when they arise and to participate in any required meetings.

Question 30: Section 3.1 of “TCG_Database_System_Support_Section_L_Final.pdf” mentions “database administration and maintenance.” Could you please specify the database technologies in use (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle), and outline the key maintenance tasks expected under this contract?

Answer 30: Oracle is currently used. Maintenance tasks may include correcting bugs in the system and updates to how the system appears or performs.

Question 31: Section 5.9.2 of “FMS_TCG_Database_PWS_Technical_Document_Final.pdf” discusses “If the contractor is unable to restore the system.” Could you please define the required Recovery Point Objective (RPO)?

Answer 31: Recovery point should be to the most recent system backup on the disaster recovery system. System back up should take place daily.

Question 32: Section 5.6 of “FMS_TCG_Database_PWS_Technical_Document_Final.pdf” outlines the need for “The contractor shall monitor the performance of the system and resolve any issues related to the efficient and effective use of the system in general.” Can you please provide a list of the key performance indicators (KPIs) the Government will use for evaluation and any preferred monitoring tools?

Answer 32: After award, some KPIs will be upload and download speed, email messages going out on time and daily notifications being sent as required. Ensure that the system operates as intended and designed. If something is not working properly, such as a search function, a reports function, comments not being saved, whatever capability is presently part of the system needs to be maintained and corrected if it degrades.

Question 33: Section 5.10.2 of “FMS_TCG_Database_PWS_Technical_Document_Final.pdf” addresses “the current and future training materials developed by the contractor.” Could you please specify your preferences for training materials (e.g., hands-on workshops, video tutorials, written manuals) and the expected scope of the documentation?

Answer 33: Hands on, in person if possible, or by video conference such as Zoom or Microsoft TEAMS where screens can be shared, and the presentation recorded for future use. It will be on an “as needed” basis and not that extensive.

Question 34: Section 5.9.2 of “FMS_TCG_Database_PWS_Technical_Document_Final.pdf” outlines “operational status” requirements. Does the Government have a preferred ticketing system or issue-tracking tool? If so, could you please specify it? Additionally, please outline the expected Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for response and resolution times.

Answer 34: There is not any formal ticketing system for when the website goes offline. The priority is to get it back up and running at full capability as soon as possible. In other words, the system needs to be brought back online at the full functionality that was present prior to the system going offline. Any documentation would be shown in the monthly status report. In the past 5 years there has not been any incident of this nature other than a few unexpected power outages at the location where the hardware was set up. The USAF system administrators stay in close communication with the contractor personnel until the system is back online.

Question 35: Section 6.2.4 of “TCG_Database_System_Support_Section_L_Final.pdf” discusses “test, and deploy updates in order to meet the hardware and software requirements of the TCG Database.” Please clarify the anticipated frequency of these updates and patches. Could you outline the process for testing and deploying them in a production environment?

Answer 35: Over the past year there were on average 3.9 updates/bug fixes per month, but much less than that over the last 2-3 months now. As bug fixes are needed, the work is done and uploaded to the test website for the contractor to run tests and then the contractor lets the USAF website administrators and select personnel go to the test website and check out the fixes. If it solves the problem, then the tested fix is pushed to the production website.

Question 36: Section 5.12.1 of “FMS_TCG_Database_PWS_Technical_Document_Final.pdf”, outlines the need for “The contractor shall update the configuration management report as needed and deliver to the government after update.” Could you provide examples of the specific reports and analytics required and your preferred delivery format (e.g., dashboards, scheduled reports)?

Answer 36: CDRL A009 describes the required Configuration Management Report. Section 5.12.1 refers to updating the Configuration Management Report at the 120-day milestone after the beginning of the contract period of performance. This will set the standard or baseline for the system going forward throughout the contract period. If there are any changes to the baseline for the system throughout the contract period, then updates to the Configuration Management Report need to be made and mentioned in the Monthly status report. Then at just 120 days remaining on the contract period of performance, a final update to the Configuration Management report needs to be made by the contractor to set the baseline of the system going into the next contract award.

Question 37: Section 4.2 of “FMS_TCG_Database_PWS_Technical_Document_Final.pdf”, mentions “the architecture of TCG Database system”. Are there any major changes anticipated to the existing database schema? Will the contractor need expertise in performance tuning for complex queries?

Answer 37: There are not any major changes anticipated to the existing database schema other than the likely need to move the system to an USG approved cloud service provider near the end of the contract period of performance. The main expertise would be to have experience successfully transitioning database systems to the cloud.

Question 38: Section 6 of “FMS_TCG_Database_PWS_Technical_Document_Final.pdf”, outlines the need for “further development of software and or database to support a government requirement.” Could you please elaborate on the anticipated scope of this work?

Answer 38: At this time, there are no specific plans other than the eventual transition of the system hardware based to cloud based for the database system. The Task Orders section of the PWS gives the USG the option to add any unexpected major updates or enhancements. That work would be specifically defined in the task order that would then be negotiated for the price of that specific task order of work and agreed to by both parties. Once agreed to, then that task order would be added to the contract as a contract modification.

Question 39: Section 2.3.1 of “FMS_TCG_Database_PWS_Technical_Document_Final.pdf”, discusses “user interface (UI) creation.” Are there any existing style guides or branding requirements that the proposed solution’s UI should follow?

Answer 39: Not currently other than to keep all user interface as close as possible to the current familiar user interface so that the end user has very little change to how they interact with the system.

Question 40: Section 5.11 of FMS_TCG_Database_PWS_Technical_Document_Final.pdf”, outlines “help desk support.” Can you please specify the desired hours of operation for the help desk? Are there any requirements for multi-channel support (e.g., phone, email, chat)?

Answer 40: The Help Desk is available 24/7/365 on the website for any user to submit a help desk ticket. That ticket will then follow the process outlined in section 5.11 during regular business hours for the USG system administrator if they can resolve the issue and also during regular business hours for the contractor if it were beyond the capabilities of the USG system administrator, who would then assign it to the contractor to resolve the ticket and close it. As far as the Government Admin Support as described in section 5.11.1, that would need to be accessible by cell phone and email 24/7/365 and would most likely only be utilized in the event of a power outage or other major system offline event.

Question 41: In Section 6.2 of the file "TCG_Database_System_Support_Section_L_Final.pdf" (pp. 9-10), the solicitation states, "The proposal shall describe the Offeror’s technical capabilities and experience to support evidence of meeting the PWS and CDRL requirements within the four (4) technical subfactors: ... Sub-Factor Software and Hardware Qualified Personnel". Please clarify if the Government is expecting offerors to submit resumes of proposed staff in their proposals. If so, will the resumes be within the 25 page limit allocated to the Technical volume in Table 1 on p. 4?

Answer 41: Resumes are not required but all information provided will need to be within the 25 page limit.

Question 42: Is there an incumbent contractor performing the all or part of the services covered by this solicitation? If so, what is the name of the contractor, contract number, contract value, and period of performance?

Answer 42: SI Systems Technologies, LLC is the current contractor performing this work. Contract #: FA877112D1010 DO: FA823219F0099. Period of performance ends on 9 July, 2024.

Question 43: If there has been an incumbent contractor, is the contract fully staffed at this time?

Answer 43: Yes, fully staffed at this time.

Question 44: If there has been an incumbent contractor, has the scope changed in any significant way, larger or smaller, between the incumbent contract and that covered in this solicitation? If so, in what way?

Answer 44: No, there has not been any significant changes.

Question 45: Please confirm that facility clearance is not required for offerors and the awarded contractor?

Answer 45: That is correct. Clearance to come on to the USAF base in support of this contract has been determined to be so infrequent that it is not worth the effort to require facility clearance for contractor personnel. In the rare occasion that contractor personnel might be required to come on base, they will be sponsored onto the base by USG personnel.

Question 46: Will there be a transition period between the incumbent contractor and awarded offeror of this solicitation? If so, how long will the transition period be, and will the incumbent or the awarded offeror be formally responsible for performance during the transition period?

Answer 46: There is a small chance that there could be a transition period between the current incumbent contractor and the new offeror for this solicitation. It is not likely though. If there is a transition period, then the incumbent contractor is only responsible for performance up to their contract end of period of performance date. Thereafter, the new contractor would be responsible for contract performance. That is why one of the four technical sub-factors specifically is about the set-up time for the new contractor being within 72 hours of receipt of GFE to the new contractor.