13Feb08.doc

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

RFP FA8530-08-R-21758

13 Feb 08

Question: In Questions and Answers dated 06 February 2008 noted below

Question: Does the Government still intend for Offerors to submit their Small Disadvantaged Business Targets under FAR 52.219-24 in Volume III – Present and Past Performance? In the Questions and Answers released 30 January 2008, the Government indicated that this information would be provided as part of the Small Business Subcontracting Plan which is to be submitted as part of Volume I. If the Government does intend for this information to be provided as part of Volume III, would you please detail the evaluation factor or subfactor that will be applied? The only thing currently listed in Section M pertains to the evaluation of an Offerors’ prior compliance with 52.219-8 and -9.

Answer: The information required in Volume III regarding Small Disadvantaged Business Targets, FAR 52.219-24, is required to be submitted in Volume III and is specific to Small Disadvantaged Business targets only. Identification of SDB targets in this volume is different from the submission of a Small Business Subcontracting Plan, which covers all small business categories. The Small Business Subcontracting Plan covering all categories is required to be submitted as part of Volume I. Provision of the required SDB Targets in Volume III is treated as a “pass/fail”: Offerors who provide the required information receive a “pass” on this portion of Volume III. Offerors who do not provide the required information receive a “fail” on this portion of Volume III, which may impact their overall confidence rating.

The underlined sentence above indicates that there is a requirement to include a small business subcontracting plan in Volume I of the proposal. Without a Section L reference, should an offeror assume that a Small Business Subcontracting Plan, or the Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan (in lieu of the Small Business Subcontracting Plan) is now required to be provided with the proposal?

Answer: RFP Amendment 0001 incorporated language requiring submission of the Small Business Subcontracting Plan in Volume I of the proposal (see revised L-900(2)(d)).

Question: In the Government’s response (posted 29 Jan 08) to a question regarding required documentation of qualified Fastener Hole Cold-Work personnel, it was stated, “Offerors must provide the current number of qualified personnel by prime and/or subcontractor(s). No further documentation is required.” Yet when Amendment 0001 to the solicitation moved the Fastener Hole Cold-work Qualification requirement in Attachment 4, Minimum Capabilities Matrix, from the Facilities requirements to the Certifications requirements, the instructions were expanded from “Provide current number of qualified personnel by Prime and/or Subcontractor(s)” to “Identify Prime and/or Subcontractor(s) that meet(s) this requirement and provide current number of qualified personnel, type of certification/capabilities/qualifications held, and effective date for each”. We are unaware of any certification or qualification process for technicians to be able perform fastener hole cold-work outside of company/vendor provided training. Does this training satisfy the MCM qualification/certification requirement? Does company/vendor provided training also satisfy MCM qualification/certification requirement for Aircraft Alignment & Symmetry/Wing Joint Planarity Check?

We recommend the following revision to the RFP: Add company/vendor provided training will satisfy qualification/certification requirements of the MCM attachment 4.

Answer: Company/vendor provided training satisfies the qualification/certification requirement for fastener hole cold-work and Aircraft Alignment & Symmetry/Wing Joint Planarity Check. The RFP will not be revised.

Question: Reference 1 February 08 Q&A Answer for Wage Determinations. Your answer stated that “Offerors must identify to the Government which labor categories it has proposed as being covered by the SCA and which are not.”

Since the SCA may or may not be applicable to specific labor categories depending on the job to be performed on the D/TO, how do we identify SCA applicability without some sample Task Orders to identify applicability? Reference, PWS for C-130 applicability: We do not believe that the SCA clause applies to this type of work since the work being performed is "remanufacturing" under FAR 22.1003-6 and is subject to the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act, rather than to the Service Contracting act.

Work such as that required for C-130 work does not comply with the SCA requirements due to exemption as "manufacturing or remanufacturing".

Contracts for maintenance/modification of C-130 aircraft are typically issued under the provisions of the "Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act" in lieu of the Service Contract Act. The rationale for that conclusion is that the level of aircraft overhaul services performed at the contractor depot facility is so extensive as to constitute "manufacturing". As such, those services are labeled "remanufacturing" and are subject to the Walsh-Healey Act as identified in FAR 22.1003-6.

We recommend issuance of a sample D/TO to determine which labor categories would be SCA covered in specific circumstances.

Answer: An answer will be provided as soon as possible.

Question: Reference RFP Section H-910. If company X is a critical subcontractor with prime A and after award wants to be added to prime B, would company X prices be subject to the median constraint or would the already fair and reasonable prices from prime A be migrated? Company X prices may not fit into median for prime B.

Answer: As long as “Company X” is a critical subcontractor to one of the prime contractors at the time of award, they may be added to another prime contractor’s team after award using the rates established at the time of award, without being subject to the median for the prime contractor to whose team they are being added. Clause H-910 will be revised accordingly.

Question: Clause H-910 includes, "Prime contractors will be allowed to request consent to add subcontractors during the following periods only: from date of award of the basic contract through 90 days, and the first quarter of each fiscal year thereafter. The Government may, at its discretion, allow additional subcontractors to be added at any time if those additional subcontractors are needed for performance of a specific known requirement."

No single prime or critical subcontractor is required to provide labor rates for every labor category; the team is required to supply rates for all labor categories. It is therefore likely that certain primes and/or critical subcontractors will bid less than 100% of the total labor categories. Will primes and/or critical subcontractors be allowed to add labor rates subsequent to prime contract award, for additional labor categories for which they did not submit rates at initial submission for the prime contract, or will they be restricted to participation in only the labor categories originally proposed?

We recommend Clause H-910 be expanded to include the statement. "During periods when additional subcontractors are allowed to join F2AST Teams, already approved team members will be allowed to add additional labor rates for labor categories not bid/approved during prior submissions."

Answer: Primes and existing subcontractors may add additional labor rates during periods when additional subcontractors may be added. In the event that a prime contractor does not submit rates at initial submission for the prime contract, and such rates are required during performance of the contract, addition of those rates will be accomplished in accordance with Clause H-916 of the RFP. Addition of rates for all subcontractors, including critical subcontractor rates that were not bid at the time of initial contract award, will be in accordance with rate restriction set forth in Clause H-910.

Question: When evaluating the extent of participation of SDB firms in performance of the resulting F2AST contract, the does Government intend to use the same relevancy and confidence factors that it is using for the remaining portions of the Present/Past Performance Volume or will it utilize the “pass/fail” criteria discussed in the 6 February 2008 Questions and Answers.

Answer: Submission of the required target information is not tied in any way to the relevancy of past performance information, but failure to submit the required target information may impact the overall confidence rating. As stated in Questions and Answers dated 6 February 2008, “Provision of the required SDB Targets inVolume III is treated as a “pass/fail”: Offerors who do not provide the required information receive a “fail” on this portion of Volume III, which may impact their overall confidence rating.”

Question: During the 9th F2AST Industry Exchange, the following Question and Answer took place:

Question: Our company is planning to submit a proposal as a prime contractor and also plans to participate as a subcontractor on one or more teams. It is our understanding that all offerors are required to propose the exact same labor categories and rates for every F2AST team it participates on in the original competition as either a prime contractor or subcontractor. This will also apply to subcontractors that join another team after award if their rates were accepted by the Government during the initial competition as either a prime contractor or subcontractor. Please confirm that this is true.

Answer: That is correct.

Is this assumption still correct?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Pursuant to clauses H-910 (Consent to Add Subcontractors), L-69 (FAR 52.216-29) and L-233 (DFAR 252.216-7002) of the RFP we are assuming that we may add subordinate or affiliate organizations as subcontractors from the date of award of the basic contract through 90 days, and during the first quarter of each fiscal year thereafter, provided that no labor category for these affiliates exceeds the median F2AST subcontractor labor rate that was incorporated at initial award. Does the Government concur with this assumption?

Answer: Yes. A prime contractor may add subordinate and/or affiliate organizations as subcontractors during the specified periods. Rates for all subcontractors added after award are subject to the median restriction set forth in Clause H-910.

Question: Reference the Minimum Capabilities Specification, which states: “The Offeror shall possess enclosed hangar space for the accomplishment of all-major component disassembly and assembly, major structural repairs, alignment and symmetry, and wing joint planarity checks for one C-130 aircraft. All hangars shall be free of obstruction to ensure safety of the aircraft and have a minimum door height of 40 feet with a minimum door width of 140 feet. A minimum of 7 feet clearance is required between the aircraft and any obstruction. A nose dock hangar is considered an enclosed hangar for maintenance work forward of Fuselage Station 737 (FS 737), and it is not considered an enclosed hangar for maintenance work aft of FS 737. The Offeror shall possess hangar lighting, electricity, and compressed air IAW TO 00-25-172, TO 1-1-3, TO 1-1-300, NAS 3306, and NFPA 409 or equivalent. The Offeror shall posses an on-aircraft avionics cooling cart.”

Reference the last sentence, is the on-aircraft avionics cooling cart supposed to be part of the GHE matrix? What is the Government’s identification of this item as there are many different types of on-aircraft avionics cooling carts?

Answer: The on-aircraft avionics cooling cart is part of the hangar requirement, not the GHE matrix. The Government does not require any specific type of on-aircraft avionics cooling cart. The Offeror must identify the type of on-aircraft avionics cooling cart they have.

Question: Amendment 0001, section L, paragraph 2.d. on Volume I, Completed and

Executed RFP, added a requirement to provide: "a brief (no more than two page) description of the Offeror's compensation plan for professional employees IAW FAR 52.222-46, the information required by DFARS 252.242-7001, and the Offeror's Small

Business Subcontracting Plan IAW FAR 52.219-9 and FAR 52.219-9 Alt II."

Please clarify the following relative to this requirement:

Is the requirement to provide a summary of our company's Employee Compensation Plan (IAW FAR 52.222-46), and information regarding our Earned Value Management System (DFARS 252.242-7001), and the Small Business Subcontracting Plan (IAW FAR 52.219-9 and FAR 52.219-9 Alternative II)? Summarize three (3) different and unique requirements within the two page limits?

FAR 52.222-46 requires "As part of their proposals, offerors will submit a total compensation plan setting forth salaries and fringe benefits proposed for the professional employees who will work under the contract." For us to submit our Employee Compensation Plan, what information may we exclude to meet your page requirement.

Please clarify what documentation will meet the EVMS (DFARS 252.242-7001) requirement? DFAR 252.242-7001 paragraph a) states: (a) The offeror shall provide documentation that the cognizant Administrative Contracting Officer has recognized that the proposed earned value management system (EVMS) complies with the EVMS criteria of DoDI 5000.2, Operation of the Defense Acquisition System, or that the proposed cost/schedule control system has been accepted by the Department of Defense.

All three of these requirements are to be submitted in Volume I, in a tabbed section behind the Completed RFP?

Answer: The two-page limitation applies only to the “description of the Offeror’s compensation plan for professional employees IAW FAR 52.222-46.” FAR 52.222-46 requires that that this information cover “salaries and fringe benefits proposed for the professional employees who will work under the contract.” For purposes of this effort, Offerors are to summarize their professional employee compensation plan in no more than two pages.

Regarding the EVMS (DFARS 252.242-7001) requirement, Offerors must provide written verification that either the ACO has recognized that the proposed earned value management system (EVMS) complies with the EVMS criteria of DoDI 5000.2, Operation of the Defense Acquisition System, or that the proposed cost/schedule control system has been accepted by the Department of Defense.

All three of these requirements are to be submitted in Volume I.

Question: Relative to the language as provided in RFP Amendment 0005, page 11 of

14, "Offerors will provide targets, expressed as dollars and percentages of total contract value, for SDB participation in any of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Industry Subsectors as determined by the Department of Commerce." Offerors are unable to provide targets in dollars when resultant D/TOs have not been identified, proposed or awarded. Is it acceptable to provide percentages only?

Answer: FAR 52.219-24 requires that SDB targets be expressed in both dollars and as a percentage of total contract value. It is not acceptable to provide percentages only. Offerors should use the estimated contract ceiling of $5.4B as their basis for calculating dollars.

Question: Does the Small Business (SB) requirement of 13% apply to total contract value or just outsourced value?

Answer: The 13% requirement applies to competitive, obligated dollars.

Question: Reference the following text:

i.

All text shall be formatted to an 11-point Arial font and shall be on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper (this applies only to offeror generated documents, and not to certifications or other documentation not generated by the offeror). Characters are to be in black ink. Charts or graphs may be on fold-out pages, but must fold within the page size specified and will count as one page. All text shall be double-spaced, with the exception of the FACTS Sheets and spreadsheets which should be single-spaced.

ii.

Any paper that has text on one side shall be counted as one page. Any paper that has text on both sides shall be counted as two pages.

iii. Margins shall be no smaller than 1 inch.

iv.

Each page within a section shall be numbered consecutively.

v.

Each page containing proprietary information should be so marked.

vi.

Each page should contain the following legend at the bottom of each sheet:

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION--SEE FAR 3.104

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Can legend and proprietary information be printed within the 1 inch margin (header & footer)? Or must it be above or below the 1 inch margin?

Answer: The required legend can be within the 1 inch margin.