Government_Responses_to_Industry_Questions-Comments_-_20_December_2018.pdf

Responses to Industry Questions and Comments dated 20 December 2018

FA8750-19-R-0001 1

Draft RFP Section Reference Questions/Comments Government Response 1 Section L - Instructions, Conditions, and

Notices to Offerors Given the instructions in the RFP material regarding the Technical Volume, the Government indicates that the offeror should talk to each of the five provided PWSs (master and one for each of the four TOs) in the specified order, and to not repeat material written to in a previous section. Given the significant similarities between the five PWS documents, the result of this will be a Section 1 with roughly 90% of the material, and then four subsequent sections with very little material but a lot of outline/section headings. Can the Government confirm that this is their intent?

The Government does not want duplicate information already contained in Section 1 (Section L - RIK- L009(b)(1)) of the technical volume of the proposal that describes the technical performance of the Basic contract PWS to be repeated in Sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 that describe the technical approach and stand-up plan for the 3 Real O&M orders and the Sample R&D order performance work descriptions.

Please note, the Government requests that the technical volume of the proposal descibes, in complete detail, all aspects of the proposed program. The minimum requirements that the technical volume of the proposal shall address are located in section L - RIK-L009(c).

2 Section L - Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors

Numbering is confusing on p. 215:

(c) (3) (i) - related experience

(c) (3) (ii) - resumes

(d) - technical risk

(d) (iii) - related experience and qualifications

(d) (iii) (4) - draft program plan

(d) (iii) (5) - preliminary software development plan

We believe that (d) (iii) - related experience and qualifications should be (c) (iii) and appear after resumes.

Technical Risk (d) seems to interrupt that flow.

We also believe that the "(d)" is in error as it seems that technical risks should appear within "(c)" which lists all of the requirements of each section/TO response.

Can the government please correct the numbering so it's clear what sections belong together? Should "related experience and qualifications be moved in front of techical risk and become (c) (3) (iii)? If yes, should technical risks remain (d) or maye be changed to (3) so that it continues to fall under (c) which lists all the required information that each Section/TO response of the proposal should include?

If related experience and quals becomes (c) (3) (iii) and technical risks becomes (c) (4), then would the Government change the numbering of the Draft Program Plan and Software Development Plan which are currently (4) and (5) to (5) and (6) respectively?

The RFP has been updated for Section L: RIK-L009 paragraph numbering to read:

(c)(3)(i) - related experience.

(c)(3)(ii) - resumes (c)(3)(iii) - related experience and qualifications (c)(4) - draft program plan & schedule (c)(5) - software development plan

(d) Technical Risk

3 Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award

The evaluation criteria states: "Within the technical factor, the following 4 sub-factors will be considered:

technical approach, management approach, stand-up plan, and small business participation." The instructions state that the small business participation plan should be part of Vol I, not Vol III.

Is it correct that the small business participation plan should remain part of volume I or would the government prefer this be part of volume III?

It is correct that the small business participation plan will be part of Volume I (applicable to PWS only) and will be evaluated as Technical Subfactor 4: Small Business Participation.

4 Section L - Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors & Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award

(b) (2) says "This section shall describe technical approach to… and will be evaluated as outlined under Section M, Evaluation Factors Under "Factor 1: Technical" and subfactors 1 and 3."

Section M, Factor 1, does not list subfactors.

Is the content in Factor 1 (i) Technical Approach on page M-2 of 5 the only evaluation criteria for volume III?

In accordance with RIK-L009, Technical -Volume III, (b)(2), (b)(3), (b4), and (b)(5), will be evaluated under Section M, Factor 1: Technical and subfactors 1 and 3. Updated the RFP Section M Factor 1:

TECHNICAL paragraphs to read as follows to emphasize the use of 4 subfactors under Factor 1:

TECHNICAL:

Section M(e): Factor 1: TECHNICAL.

(i) Subfactor 1 - Technical Approach

(ii) Subfactor 2 - Management Approach

(iii) Subfactor 3 - Stand-up Plan

(iv) Subfactor 4 - Small Business Participation

5 Draft Real TO 0004 PWD Per section 2.1.1: "System engineering includes but is not limited to system installations (para 4.3), testing (para 4.15), documentation (para 4.6), PR/CR management (para 4.2), systems engineering (para 4.5), Configuration Management (4.8), Authorization and Assessment (A&A) (para 4.16), interface management (para 4.4), and integration."

Can the Government confirm that testing should point to paragraph 4.16 and that A&A should point to paragraph 4.17?

The Government confirms that testing should point to paragraph 4.16 and that A&A should point to paragraph 4.17. The changes will be reflected in the Real RFP.

6 All PWDs Does the Government want all PWD 4.0 requirements to be addressed in the technical volume? Or should some be in the management volume? If all should be in the management volume, does the Government have a preference for where in the required Section L outline each should appear?

Per the Cross Reference Matrix, Attachment No. 8, PWS and PWD paragraph 4.0 items are broken out between the Technical Volume III and the Management Volume IV of the proposal. Please note, an updated Cross Reference Matrix will be attached to the Real RFP addressing small PWS and PWD paragraph reference corrections.

7 Draft Sample TO 0002 PWD 2.1.1.1 On-site tasks include but are not limited to system installations (para 4.8), testing (para 4.12), documentation, Change Request (CR) management (para 4.16), systems engineering (para 4.3), Authorization and Assessment (A&A) (para 4.12 and para 4.13), interface management (para 4.2), and integration.

Can the Government confirm which paragraph "systems installations" should reference? That section seems to be missing from that PWD. 4.8 is "Acquire Hardware and Software".

Can the Government confirm that A&A should point to 4.13 and not 4.12 as written?

Also, should documentation point to para 4.4 (management requirements) like it does in the other TOs? It currently does not reference any paragraph.

The R&D Order F-0002 system installation requirement does not have a separate "system installation" parapraph. It correctly references, paragraph 4.8 - Acquire Hardware and Software, where it states "Arrange for delivery and installation of hardware, firmware, software and licenses to Government designated sites."

The Government removed the reference to 4.12 for the A&A portion of paragraph 2.1.1.1 in the Sample R&D Order F-0002.

The Government added the reference 4.4 for the documentation portion of paragraph 2.1.1.1 in the Sample R&D Order F-0002.

8 Pricing Template The pricing template is structured to allow travel costs on the First Order, however, labor is not built into the Pricing template (Kickoff Travel tab).

Should labor costs be added to the table on the 'Kickoff Travel' tab of the pricing template?

The pricing template has been updated to include a line item for Direct Labor in the "Kickoff Travel" tab.

The updated pricing template will be attached to the Real RFP.

9 Section L - Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors

Will AFRL accept FOUO proposal responses for GARDEM? If yes, should contractors follow the instructions in RIK-L006(g) when submitting FOUO responses?

The Government will accept FOUO proposal responses for GARDEM and Contractors should follow the instructions in RIK-L006(g) when submitting FOUO responses.

10 Pricing Template Can you clarify that the labor pricing will be based on FFP basis and indirects/fee should be included in labor? The pricing template has been updated to include line items for indirects and profit in the "Kickoff Travel" tab. The updated pricing template will be attached to the Real RFP.

11 Section L - Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors

All other CLINs to be priced list a period of performance, but CLIN 0500 only lists the time period (30 months).

What does the government anticipate as the PoP beginning month/year?

RIK-L005 paragraph (2)a. will be updated to read, "Sample order for pricing and evaluation purposes. The sample order will not be negotiated or awarded. For proposal pricing purposes only, as this is a sample order that will not be awarded, offeror's should assume an estimated start date of January 2020 for pricing purposes only."

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