SLISS Draft Section L 31 Jan 12.docx

Section L Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Bidders SMC/SL Space Logistics Infrastructure Support Services (SLISS)

v. 12

PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

A. To assure timely and equitable evaluation of proposals, offerors are required to follow these instructions. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors and sub factors. The Offeror shall use the requirements stated in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL). Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale. Failure to comply with instructions, terms and conditions of RFP may result in offeror being non-compliant and subsequently being ineligible for award. The proposal shall consist of two (2) separate parts:

B. In accordance with FAR 15.4, the contracting officer has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition (APC) in this acquisition. Therefore, offerors shall submit data other than certified cost or pricing data to support price reasonableness IAW 15.402 (a)(2)(ii). In the event the contracting officer determines APC does not exist, the offeror may be required to submit certified cost of pricing data.

C. Specific instructions. For all contractor submittals, the contractor shall submit to the following standards:

- Hard Copy: Original and four (4) paper copies segregated by parts/volumes bound in three ring binders

- Electronic: Two (2) complete sets of CDs with all parts/volumes on one (1) CD or as needed to accommodate file sizes.

-The proposal must be organized in a cohesive manner and must be readable using Microsoft Office applications appropriate for the document type and information content.

- Electronic submittals are to retain full edit/copy privileges to facilitate government evaluation and analysis

D. The proposal shall not exceed 60, single-sided pages.

E. The proposal shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet these requirements by demonstrating, illustrating, providing examples, or providing thoroughly explained alternate solutions. The Offeror shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their facilities and experience, and will base its evaluation on only the information presented in the Offeror proposal.

F. Offeror shall make a clear statement in the proposal documentation that the proposal can be considered valid for ninety (90) calendar days. In compliance with FAR Subpart 4.802 (Contract Files), the Government will retain one copy of all unsuccessful proposals and will destroy all extra copies of such unsuccessful proposals.

G. Elaborate brochures, foldouts, detailed artwork, or other embellishments are unnecessary and are not desired.

H. In accordance with FAR 15.506, the Offerors are advised that the Government will release the overall evaluated price of the successful Offeror during the post-award debriefs to the unsuccessful Offeror(s).

PART I – ACCEPTABILITY OF SERVICES VOLUME

This section of the RFP provides specific instructions on the content of the proposal. The Offerors proposal must include all data and information requested by the RFP and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. Non-conformance with this RFP will result in an overall “unacceptable” rating and therefore be considered disqualified.

This contract will require Subject Matter Expertise in the areas of Information Technology, Information Assurance, Facilities Engineering, and Financial Management. The definition of a Subject Matter Expert (SME) is a Senior-Level or higher individual who, by virtue of position, education, training, and breadth and depth of experience, is expected to have greater-than-normal expertise or insight relative to a particular discipline, system, or process, and who has been identified as the individual to participate in the development, verification, validation, or use of processes, procedures, and tools. This individual is usually considered a leader with the ability to train and teach. Additional specific qualifications for SME, senior, mid-level, and junior staff members can be found in the Evaluation Criteria (ref table 1, section M).

1. Technical

Subfactor 1 – Cost Efficiency Initiatives Process

Describe your processes for identifying, assessing, evaluating, and implementing cost efficiency initiatives to achieve continuous cost reduction. Provide evidence of these processes and their incorporation in the price for the contract resulting in downward outyear prices. Include any pertinent diagrams, charts or tables.

Subfactor 2 – Staffing and Personnel Experience:

(a) Allocation of Resources: The Offeror shall provide a separate organizational chart with FTE assignments:

1. Cite which FTE will be assigned to each functional area: Information Technology, Facilities, Financial Management, Office Administration, SBIRS SAFB support, and Human Resources.

2. Include the proposed number of FTE per labor category and associated function they will be supporting

3. Identify the correlation between the proposed labor categories and the following groupings: PM, SME, senior, mid-level, and junior

4. Distinguish between those employees already hired and those projected for hire. Alternate personnel sources shall be listed if assurance of availability cannot be stated.

5. Provide a statement of assurance that proposed personnel will be available for work on this contract.

(b) Anticipated Skill Mix. The offeror shall submit an Excel spreadsheet to include the applicable labor category, staffing levels and skill mix and the associated number of hours for each functional area. It is acceptable if there is not an applicable Labor Category and associated hours for a given task, however, please put N/A in each of those applicable columns. In accordance with the contract terms and conditions, the Offeror must demonstrate that at least 50% of the proposed labor charges will be incurred by the Offeror’s employees.

(c) Include rationale of how this proposed anticipated skill mix will execute the requirements with no impacts to the mission to include alternates or back-up plans. This rationale shall be provided at the functional area: Information Technology, Facilities, Financial Management Office Administration, SBIRS SAFB support, and Human Resources

(d) Identify key personnel to be assigned for each functional area (Information Technology, Facilities, Financial Management Office Administration, SBIRS SAFB support, and Human Resources). Include general resume-like information, such as education, previous jobs, accomplishments, office location (city and state) if your company has offices in multiple cities and other pertinent information. Do not include names of key personnel. Alternate personnel sources should be listed if assurance of availability cannot be stated. Include any pertinent diagrams, charts or tables.

Format: for each key employee identify the following:

· Labor category

· Percentage of time available for the contract, considering all existing contracts and proposed contracts/RFPs (on which they may be currently working or committed to support).

· Security clearance level

· Level of education and major studied

· Total years of relevant experience (comparable performance on a previous contract)

· Number of years worked in each PWS functional area

· Number of major projects completed in each PWS functional are

Subfactor 3 – Transition Plan and Quality Control Plan

(a) The Offeror shall provide a transition plan which must fully explain and demonstrate how the Offeror will support and execute the tasks described in the PWS for all Information Technology, Facilities, Financial Management Office Administration, SBIRS SAFB support, and Human Resources requirements from the first day of the contract while simultaneously ramping up to full capability for achieving self-sufficient operations within 30 days with no adverse impacts to the mission. Adverse impacts to the mission include personnel not being in place within 30 days, late deliverables, and the inability to meet suspenses. Include the following:

1. Staffing Plan:

i. Identify which personnel will be in place the first day and where they will be assigned.

ii. If the entire hired staff is not going to be in place the first day, identify and explain the process for how and when the rest of the hired staff will be integrated into place within 30 days.

iii. Fully explain all alternatives or back-up plans for when employees cannot or choose not to accept employment or assignment.

2. Security Clearances: Offeror shall describe the process for validating security clearances for existing personnel as well as for obtaining the necessary security clearances for new personnel.

(b) Quality Control Plan (QCP): Offeror shall provide a QCP for measuring and attaining quality of performance under this contract. The QCP shall explain the manner in which the offeror will ensure all contract requirements are being accomplished in accordance with the contract.

2. Past Performance

(a) The Offeror shall provide a description of applicable previous experience that is recent and relevant to the tasks described in the PWS to include that of the teammate as well, if applicable.

(b) Limited to no more than two (2) pages per contract listed. The Government will evaluate the quality and extent of offeror’s performance deemed relevant to the requirements of this RFP. The Government will use information submitted by the offeror and other sources such as other Federal Government offices and commercial sources, to assess performance. Provide a list of no more than five (5) for the prime and three (3) per subcontractor/team member, of the most relevant contracts performed for federal agencies and commercial customers within the last three (3) years. Relevant contracts of similar scope and size to the infrastructure support requirements of this RFP include contracts with Federal Agencies in support of National Security Space or commercial space activities, and contracts with companies in support of National Security Space or commercial space activities. Relevant contracts of similar scope and size to all other requirements of this RFP include contracts with Federal Agencies and companies in support of Federal Government acquisition or sustainment activities. The evaluation of past performance information will take into account past performance information regarding predecessor companies and subcontractors/team members who will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to this acquisition. Furnish the following information for each contract listed:

i. Company/division name

ii. CAGE code

iii. Brief description of product/service

iv. NAICS code

v. Contracting agency/customer

vi. Contract number

vii. Total contract dollar value awarded (including options)

viii. Total period of performance (including options)

ix. Current Contracting Officer name and contact information (phone and email)

x. Comments regarding compliance with contract terms and conditions

xi. Comments regarding any known performance deemed unacceptable to the customer, or not IAW the contract terms and conditions

xii. Performance work statement (PWS)/statement of work (SOW)/statement of objectives (SOO). The PWS/SOW/SOO is not included in the two (2) page limitation stated above

If a teaming arrangement is contemplated, provide complete information as to the arrangement, including any relevant and recent past performance information on previous teaming arrangements with same partner. If this is a first time joint effort, each party to the arrangement must provide a list of past and present relevant contracts.

(c) Past Performance Questionnaires: The Government requires the Offeror to send out past performance questionnaires to the Points of Contacts (POCs) for each identified reference. The questionnaires are located at Attachment #1. Best efforts should be made to ensure completion of the questionnaires. The preferred POCs include the Program Manager, Functional Area Evaluators (FAEs), Quality Assurance Evaluators (QAEs) or Contractor Officer Representatives (CORs), Procuring Contracting Officer/Contract Negotiator, Lead Engineer, and/or Administrative Contracting Officer/Contract Administrator. Once the questionnaires are completed by the POCs the information contained therein shall be submitted directly to the Government not later than the proposal submission date. Each of the POCs shall email, fax, or mail the completed questionnaire directly to the Contracting Officer at the contact information below:

SMC/PKL

(d) Subcontractor Consent: Past performance information pertaining to a subcontractor cannot be disclosed to the prime offeror without the subcontractor’s consent. Provide with the proposal a letter from all subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement, consenting to the release of their past performance information to the prime contractor.

PART II – PRICE VOLUME

(a) The Offeror shall provide a complete pricing matrix by labor category (include the proposed number of program management and administrative hours required to execute the contract), company and PWS breakout with any discounts. The pricing matrix shall separately identify the price for the basic period of performance and each option year.

(b) Provide a brief explanation of how the estimates were developed and the relationship between the tasks to be performed and the proposed number of hours. In addition, please identify personnel with the proposed labor rate. The Offeror may provide additional information as deemed appropriate.

(d) The contractor will be directed by the Government Contracting Officer Representative (COR) when travel is required. Travel costs for this effort will be Cost-Reimbursable with no additional fee. Offeror personnel are required to be co-located with the Program Office. All Other Direct Costs will be Cost-Reimbursable with no additional fee.

I. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI): There is a potential organizational conflict of interest (see FAR 9.5) in performance of this contract as the Offeror will have unequal access to nonpublic information (proprietary data of another contractor or advanced competition information). Therefore, restrictions are needed. Prior to obtaining access to any this proprietary data or advanced competition information, nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) must be established. As a part of the proposal, the Offeror shall provide the Contracting Officer with complete information of previous or ongoing work that is any way associated with the contemplated acquisition. The Offeror shall also describe any other potential conflict of interest anticipated in the performance of this contract. If a conflict exists the Offeror shall describe the plans, process(es) and procedures for assuring compliance with AFFARS 5352.209-9000, Organizational Conflict of Interest (October 2010), as described in the contract. Also included shall be a discussion about the protection and isolation of information between the Offerors’ (and team members’) other divisions, units, or subsidiaries. Specifically identify any corporate activities or contracts that would present potential OCI issues and how these will be addressed. To be eligible for award, all OCI issues shall be mitigated, avoided or neutralized. The OCI Plan will be incorporated as an attachment to the contract. The OCI Plan must be approved in order to receive award of the contract. An OCI mitigation plan checklist is attached and must be completed and submitted as part of the proposal. If no actual OCIs exist, the Offeror shall so state.

J. Documents submitted in response to this RFP must be fully responsive to and consistent with the following:

(a) Requirements of the RFP (CLIN and PWS) and government standards and regulations pertaining to the PWS

(b) The Offeror’s proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rational to address how the offeror intends to meet these requirements. Offerors shall assume the Government has no prior knowledge of their capabilities and experience, and will base its evaluation solely on the information presented in the designed section of the offerors proposal.

(c) Evaluation factors for awards in section M of this RFP

(d) Any limitation on the number of proposal pages. Pages exceeding the page limitations sent forth in Section L will not be read or evaluated, and will be removed from the proposal.

(e) Format for proposal Parts I and II shall be as follows:

i. Font size shall be no less than 12 point

ii. Font size for tables shall be no less than 10 point.

iii. Cover pages, table of contents, tabs, resume-like information, price proposals (and breakouts), the Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) mitigation plan, the Transition Plan, Past Performance and contract documentation do not count toward the 60 page limit.

iv. Resume-like information shall be limited to two (2), single sided pages each and shall clearly identify all Subject Matter Expertise and the required years of experience.

v. Page size shall be 8.5 x 11 inches.

vi. Use at least 1-inch margins all around. Pages shall be numbered sequentially.

vii. Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the proposal. If both sides of a sheet display printed material, then it shall be counted as 2 pages.

(f) Receipt of proposals: all Volumes of the offeror’s proposal must be received no later than the date and time identified in block XX of the RFP. Proposals shall be delivered to:

i. Delivery may be accomplished either by mail or hand-carried to the address above. However, offerors using mail or other carrier delivery are cautioned that security screening of incoming mail might potentially delay arrival of your proposals and correspondence. Offerors are advised to plan accordingly. Timely receipt of proposals is the sole responsibility of the offeror. Late proposals will not be accepted or considered.

ii. Hand carried deliveries shall be received and accepted at the address above. Please call the POC at least two hours prior to your anticipated arrival time to ensure there will be personnel available to receive your proposal. Offerors should speak personally (and not rely on voice mail) with one of the individuals listed below to confirm the delivery method

POC: TBD: 719-556-

POC: TBD: 719-556-

iii. Offerors shall give written notice to the PCO of ambiguities in the solicitation, including attachments and the PWS, not later than seven (7) days after RFP release.

Proposals must be received by the PCO no later than 2:00 pm (Mountain Standard Time), ENTER DATE 2012.

SLISS Section L Page 4 of 7