Attch 12 - Questions and Answers to Solicitation.pdf

FA9401-23-R-0001

Ques�ons and Answers

Q1: Can you provide current AV line diagrams for each system.

A1: Yes, the customer does have the AV line diagrams for systems included in this requirement.

Individual drawings will be provided as required upon award of IDIQ. An example of the multi-classification systems and an unclassified Teams setup has been included for reference.

Q2: Has the programming been changed since the original room installation. If so, does the customer have the uncompiled Crestron source code for each room? This will be needed to replace any controlled equipment in the room.

A2: Yes, the customer does have all the recent code for all systems included in this requirement.

It will be provided as required upon award of IDIQ.

Q3: Are you able to specify which rooms will be relocated? The cost to relocate a huddle space compared to a multi classification conference room would be drastically different. Besides different labor costs there will be cabling costs, and miscellaneous items.

A3: After discussion, the Government has decided to request 2 relocations in the base year of task order 1. All future room relocations and additions will be requested and funded on an as needed basis under the IDIQ after award to the single source contractor. These room relocation projects and/or additions will be initiated and awarded throughout the IDIQ 60-month period of performance via a 1) Over and Above in scope modification to Task Order 1, or 2) Modification for New Work in scope to Task Order 1, or 3) award of a new task order for new work. The PWS for Task Order 1 has been amended appropriately. Further, the pricing worksheet has been amended to only request quotes for 2 relocations during the base year of Task Order 1.

Q4: On Attachment 9 the CLIN001 text references “provide services in accordance with Task Order 1 Performance Work Statement paragraphs 3.1 - 3.4” but that PWS only has paragraphs 3.0 and 3.1. What are the contents of 3.2-3.4?

A4: Attachment 9 CLINS have all been updated to read the appropriate paragraph of the PWS.

Q5: Also, in Attachment 9 CLIN002 and CLIN003 reference “provide services in accordance with Task Order 1 Performance Work Statement paragraphs 3.5 & 3.6” but the PWS only has paragraphs 3.0 and 3.1. What are the contents of 3.5 & 3.6?

A5: Attachment 9 CLINS have all been updated to read the appropriate paragraph of the PWS.

Q6: Attachment 4 Task Order One in section 3.0 references that “The Contractor shall complete O&A requirements In Accordance With (IAW) Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.217-7028. PGI 217”. However, DFARS 252.217-7028, Over and Above Work, requires the contractor and the contracting officer responsible for administering the contract to negotiate specific procedures for Government administration and contractor performance of over and above work requests. We presume this will this be negotiated separately after award. In the interim what assumptions should we make about this requirement?

A6: The CO encourages the contractor to read DFARS clause 252.217-7028. All work meeting the definition of over and above will be executed IAW the procedures of that clause. Upon discovery or identification of the needed additional over and above work (by Government or by Contractor), the procedures of the clause will be followed. The PWS just provides more in-depth discussion of the appropriate steps and procedures in paragraphs 3.0 and 3.1. The purpose of this clause is to ensure that a process for in scope modifications for over and above work is provided for, but is not executed until approval by the CO through an in scope modification with certified and available Government funding to cover the additional work. Examples of over and above work related to Task Order 1 include but are not limited to: room relocations, room modifications, additional equipment purchases beyond the baseline funding, additional maintenance work not provided for or anticipated upon award of Task Order 1, etc.

Q7: The US Inflation Rate is currently at 3.24%, compared to 3.70% last month and 7.75% last year. Do you have an anticipated rate of inflation or price escalation that you are looking at or are we to make our own selection/estimate?

A7: The contractor shall propose their own escalation rate as appropriate for the IDIQ labor categories/rates and for the option years associated with Task Order 1. This solicitation is competitive in nature, and the offerors proposed pricing will be evaluated IAW Attach 8 - 52.212-2 Evaluation, paragraph 2.5. Factor 3 – Price. (Reasonableness, Unbalanced Pricing, and Total Evaluated Price).

Q8: DAF365 is currently a requirement for NIPR rooms, but not SIPR rooms. The existing SX80 units are EOL by Cisco (see below) and are no longer listed on the DISA APL so they may have also been decertified. Will there be an approval/permission to continue to support them in SIPR rooms until the transition to SIPR DAF365?

https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/dfars/html/current/252217.htm#252.217-7028

A8: Yes, Until the systems are replaced the current equipment is authorized for continued use and require support until the equipment can be replaced.

Reminder to offerors – the purpose of utilizing an IDIQ is so that future task orders to request equipment replacement can be initiated throughout the 60-month period of performance of the IDIQ. The PWS for Task Order 1 and Task Order 2 do not direct the offerors to purchase and perform equipment replacement related to DAF365. Task Order 1 is focused on maintenance of the current system. Task Order 2 is focused on site survey and solutions engineering with rendered plans for conference room transition to DAF365.

Q9: The pricing worksheet has multiple CLIN’s and shall be submitted as part of the quote. The CLIN’s in TO1 are 0001 through 5003 with the work periods being 12 months. The CLIN’s in TO2 are 0001-0002 and have a 6-month performance period. The Solicitation FA940124R0001 document on page 3 shows two items one for 60 months and one for 6 months. What process do you want us to use to reconcile between the items in the solicitation and the CLIN’s in the pricing sheet. Do you want us to add everything (except the 6-month extension) up then divide by 60 months to have an average cost? Or is there some other process?

A9: An IDIQ contract does NOT have funding or pricing associated at the CLIN level. Instead, the structure of an IDIQ and the CLINS of an IDIQ provide for a period of performance in which task orders can be continuously awarded from for those 60 months. Task Order 1 and Task Order 2 are the FIRST funded task orders for this IDIQ that will be executed upon award of the IDIQ.

The offeror SHOULD NOT propose any pricing on the IDIQ CLINS. Instead, the offeror is encouraged to read Attach 7 - IAW 52.212-1 Instructions. There the offeror will find that labor categories and labor rates shall be proposed yearly for all the work identified in the IDIQ PWS, and these labor categories and rates will be incorporated as an attachment to the IDIQ upon award. These identified labor categories and labor rates provided by the offeror shall then be used by the offeror to build their Task Order 1 pricing, Task Order 2 pricing, and all future awarded Task Orders for work identified with the IDIQ PWS.

Task Order 1 and Task Order 2 will have funded CLINS as identified in the pricing worksheet, and those task order contracts will be executed upon award of the IDIQ. Future task orders (mainly focused on DAF365 transition equipment purchase and labor/installation) will be awarded and funded by the Government as the need and funding arises over the 60-month period of performance.

Offerors should ONLY fill out pricing details on the pricing worksheet for the funded Task Orders 1 and 2. Do not input pricing details on the solicitation.

Q10: The PWS TO2 indicates “All existing conference and collaboration rooms need to be designed to support DAF365 TEAMS as the primary video and audio conference capability.” And that “The contractor will provide transition plans to the government within 45 days of award for all Mission Critical rooms. The contractor will provide transition plans to the government within 90 days of award for all remaining rooms (Routine rooms)” which implies we are to transition all rooms to DAF365 TEAMS. However, the pricing worksheet shows:

CLIN Description Quantit y Unit Unit Price Total Price

CLIN 0001

Solutions Engineering (MISSION CRITICAL ROOMS) – The Contractor shall furnish all labor, tools, parts, materials, facilities and transportation necessary to provide services IAW Task Order 2 Performance Work Statement.

1 Each

CLIN 0002

Solutions Engineering (ROUTINE ROOMS) – The Contractor shall furnish all labor, tools, parts, materials, facilities and transportation necessary to provide services IAW Task Order 2 Performance Work Statement.

1 Each

Are we to understand this to be indicating 1) Provide a lump sum amount to transition all of each of the Mission Critical Room, and the Routine Rooms, or 2) Provide a price for one room each area, or 3) Provide an average price for each room and a total for all rooms?

A10: IAW Attach 5 – Task Order Two, this task order is to provide solutions engineering ONLY.

Paragraph 2.1 reads: “The contractor will utilize the inventory and initial site survey to engineer the required solution to create transition plans for each room listed in attachment 1 of IDIQ PWS. The transition plans will include a proposed equipment list, bench stock recommendations, control systems and network drawings, touch panel layouts, test plan, estimated equipment costs per proposed solution, and schedule for the transition to include room downtime. The contractor will provide transition plans to the government…”

The PWS does NOT direct the contractor to purchase equipment associated with the transition or provide labor to start the transition. The PWS directs the offeror to conduct a site survey and provide plans in the form of solutions engineering to aid the Government is transition project planning for scheduling and funding purposes. As identified in the PWS and CLIN structure, the contractor must furnish solutions engineering plans for mission critical rooms with 45 days of award and for routine rooms within 90 days of award. The unit pricing is 1 each as when the full bundle of plans is delivered and accepted by the Government for the mission critical rooms, the contractor may invoice (and same for the routine rooms).

All offerors should note: the purpose of an IDIQ structure allows for future task orders to be funded and executed by the Government associated with DAF365 transition labor and equipment purchases across the 60-month period of performance. Neither Task Order 1 nor Task Order 2 currently request, nor fund equipment purchases nor labor for installation specifically related to transition to DAF365. The IDIQ PWS does include a description of this work as future task orders may be required to perform work related to the transition, and all task orders must relate back to the services under the overall IDIQ for 60-months of rendered service.

Q11: In the instructions (attachment 7) there is a note “The offeror SHALL propose SCLS labor category positions ONLY”. As part of our processes, we utilize a Project Manager who is paid hourly to Schedule work, interface with the end user, review on-site workmanship and quality, process requested changes etc. In the wage document WD 2015- 5443_Rv20_21July23 we do not see an SCLS code number for Project Manager. Our Project Manager is assigned to projects on a part time basis with his involvement being dependent on the complexity of the project. Do we just put him on the IDIQ list at his regular billing rate? Do you have a SCLS position code number that I am missing? Or are we required to include the Project manager in our overhead?

A11: All offerors are encouraged to read FAR Clause 52.222-41(c)(2), resources and education on the SCA Conformance Guide for guidance and direction on conformance procedures, and the Department of Labor’s as it relates to the exemption requirements IAW 29 CFR Part 541. We have pasted links for education below for you.

Attachment 7 has also been amended to read “IAW FAR Clause 52.222-41, all offerors shall propose SCLS labor categories for all non-exempt positions in direct support of the PWS. Should a proposed labor category in direct support of the PWS not be listed in the attached wage determination, the offeror shall be prepared to follow the Department of Labor’s conformance procedures of FAR Clause 52.222-41 upon receipt of award by utilizing the SF1444.”

It is the contractor’s responsibility to determine staffing mixtures, exempt status, non-exempt status, and to perform conformance procedures for all employees. If a proposed position is not directly engaged with the service and does not directly perform a task or job function called out in the PWS/SOW, then the position and any associated costs should be accounted for in their G&A, profit or overhead.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/17a-overtime https://sam.gov/content/wage-determinations/resources/sca-conformances https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/17a-overtime https://sam.gov/content/wage-determinations/resources/sca-conformances