2.2.1_Attachment E_NPAD CID Solicitation Questions Template_02-07-2025_KTR Response.pdf

Item # Questions / Clarifications / Comments Solicitation Reference Government Responses

1 Is there an incumbent? Yes

2 If yes, what is the incumbent's name, contract number, award amount and duration?

The CNA Corporation

BPA # 70FA2020A00000001

Value was approximately $24,900,000.00 (inclusive of options)

Five Years (One Base Period and Four Option Periods)

It says in the description that “ Only quotations submitted by other-than-large firms having an active GSA MAS under NAICS 541611 will be considered.” How is this different from set-aside for small businesses?

This is an unrestricted solicitation to those firms having an active GSA MAS under NAICS 541611 will be considered for this requirement. The Solicitation description was amended on 01/22/2024 to reflect this information.

Given this requirement is solicited as a BPA, the breadth and depth of the PWS, and the importance of managing multiple orders, can the Government please consider amending the referenced language to the following? “The Government defines a project as a single award BPA, contract, or task/call order.”

RFQ, Section E.8 Evaluation

Factors, Factor 4, Corporate

Experience (page 76) states:

“The Government defines a project as a single contract or task/call order. The project will not be considered if more than one task/call order is referenced in the response.”

No

The Base Year tab does not include the following labor categories and hours (total of 3,760) which are included in the Option Periods 1-4 tabs:

Regional Surge Support, Analysts - 1,880 hours

Regional Surge Support, Leads - 1,880 hours

2.2.1_Attachment+D_Pricing+

Worksheet_01-06-

2025_Protected

The Base Year does not include the labor category Regional Surge Support, Analysts or Regional Surge Support, Leads and is referenced in the solicitation, pages 5 through 18, Section B.7 Price Schedule. Use of the BPA changes year to year based on the need for call orders. The different labor categories and number of hours reflect varying contracting needs each year. You may want to note that the pricing worksheet under Attachment D is for pricing purposes only. Actual labor hours will vary.

The Option Period 1 and Option Period 3 tabs do not include the following labor categories and hours (total of 9,494) which are included in the Base Year, Option

Period 2 and Option Period 4 tabs:

Tier 1 National AAR Data Analyst - 1,504 hours

Tier 1 National AAR Graphics - 470 hours

Tier 1 National AAR Jr. Analyst - 1,504 hours

Tier 1 National AAR Mid-level Analyst - 1,504 hours

Tier 1 National AAR Program Manager - 470 hours

Tier 1 National AAR Project Manager - 1,880 hours

Tier 1 National AAR SMEs - 188 hours

Tier 1 National AAR Sr. Analyst - 1,504 hours

Tier 1 National AAR Tech Editor - 470 hours

If the labor categories and hours should be included, will the government please add them to the Option Period 1 and Option Period 3 tabs of the Attachment D Pricing

Worksheet?

2.2.1_Attachment+D_Pricing+

Worksheet_01-06-

2025_Protected

The Option Period 1 and Option Period 3 does not include the labor categories Tier 1 National AAR Data Analyst, Tier 1 National

AAR Graphics, Tier 1 National AAR Jr. Analyst, Tier 1 National AAR Mid-level Analyst, Tier 1 National AAR Program Manager, Tier

1 National AAR Project Manager, Tier 1 National AAR SMEs, Tier 1 National AAR Sr. Analyst, or Tier 1 National AAR Tech Editor and is referenced in the solicitation, pages 5 through 18, Section B.7 Price Schedule. Use of the BPA changes year to year based on the need for call orders. The different labor categories and number of hours reflect varying contracting needs each year.

Can the Government unprotect all formulas in the Pricing Worksheet so we can properly foot the file?

2.2.1_Attachment+D_Pricing+

Worksheet_01-06-

2025_Protected

2.2.1_Attachment D_Pricing Worksheet_01-06-2025_Unprotected has been provided, allowing offerors to foot the file. Formulas shall not be changed in the Pricing Worksheet.

Please clarify whether the qualifications for the BPA Program Manager and BPA

Deputy Program Manager are the same.

p. 93 of 155

Yes, the qualifications are the same with the exception the Deputy PM requires a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience and the PM requires a minimum of 12 years of relevant experience.

Can the government confirm if cover letters are included in the definition of "front matter" and therefore excluded from the page limit?

Solicitation - Page 65

Cover Letters are front matter. The allowable front matter for the Technical and Business volumes will not be included in the page limit. The front matter will not be evaluated.

Date: 02-05-2025

Solicitation 70FA2025Q00000006

Date: 02-05-2025

Solicitation 70FA2025Q00000006

Can the government clarify whether assumptions are excluded from the page limit?

Solicitation - Page 65

Any assumptions and / or conditions used in the Technical volume will be included in the page limit. However, in the Business volume they are not included in the page limit, as there is none. Offerors are reminded any assumptions and / or conditions pertaining to the work defined in the PWS shall be referenced in the Technical volume. Anyassumptions and / or conditions pertaining to the solicitation or pricing shall be referenced in the Business volume.

Can the government confirm that the 10-point font exception for charts, graphs, and tables can also be used for figures and info-graphics?

Solicitation - Page 66 No

Would the government consider striking this line from its Factor 4: Corporate

Experience instructions on Page 76:

"The project will not be considered if more than one task/call order is referenced in the response."

For justification, the CID BPA requires multiple, ongoing task orders to be executed in tandem, per the PWS. With this in mind, FEMA-awarded Blanket Purchase

Agreements and Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contracts best represent the scope and complexity of the work. Limiting corporate experience examples to one specific project within a larger FEMA award will reduce the government's ability to assess offerors' capacity to manage the complexity associated with the CID BPA.

Solicitation - Page 76, Corp

Experience

The Government defines a single project as one (1) single contract or one (1) task order or one (1) call order. The reference on page 76 under Factor-4: Corporate Experience stating "The project will not be considered if more than one task/call order is referenced in the response." has been removed from the solicitation. Additional language has been inserted on page 68 and 76 under Factor-4: Corporate Experience stating: "Note: Do not submit multiple task / call orders from a single IDIQ / BPA as separate projects".

On page 76, the paragraph starting with "The government defines" contains two conflicting statements within the first two sentences. A single contract can be considered a BPA or IDIQ, which include multiple task orders. Please consider striking the second line to deconflict this paragraph and align with the Factor-4

Corporate Experience instructions listed earlier in the document on page 68.

Solicitation - Page 76, Corp

Experience

The Government defines a single project as one (1) single contract or one (1) task order or one (1) call order. The reference on page 76 under Factor-4: Corporate Experience stating "The project will not be considered if more than one task/call order is referenced in the response." has been removed from the solicitation. Additional language has been inserted on page 68 and 76 under Factor-4: Corporate Experience stating: "Note: Do not submit multiple task / call orders from a single IDIQ / BPA as separate projects".

Would FEMA please confirm that Order-Level Materials SIN in pricing is authorized?

This approach will allow offerors to provide specialized services and materials in support of call order requirements.

RFQ, Section E.1 (C)

Business Quotation

Instructions and Section E.7

Evaluation Factor 6: Price

Since, Order-Level Materials (OLM) Special Item Number (SIN) under the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Contract are typically unknown and can’t be priced until the order lever, the Government will not consider the use OLM SIN in the offeror’s BPA proposal.

The minimum years of experience for the government labor category "Training

Attendance Labor" is listed as 0-20. Could the government please provide clarification about this range. Personnel with such a broad range of experience cannot be aligned to a single labor category and rate. If it is the government's intention to seek a range of experience for this role, multiple government labor categories may be needed to enable offerors to align a range of junior to senior labor categories rates.

Attachment D - Pricing

Worksheet

The experience range for this labor category is correct. Should the Offeror feel it is necessary to add a labor category, the solicitation does allow for this as stated on page 70, Section (C) Business Quotation Instructions.

The Government Labor Category "Mid-Level Analyst" is listed twice, each with 940 hours. Is it the government's preference to have two personnel support this role, or is one full time person acceptable?

Attachment D - Pricing

Worksheet

It is the government's preference to have two personnel support this role as stated in the solicitation, pages 5 through 18, Section

B.7 Price Schedule.

If work is to be performed mostly at contractor locations, is it correct to assume that for evaluation purposes the government requires offerors to include only contractor site rates for all labor categories in the Pricing Worksheet? Please confirm.

Attachment D - Pricing

Worksheet

In the solicitation, page70, Section (C) Business Quotation Instructions, states "GSA/BPA discounts and most favorable terms are highly encouraged." Please Note: The quoted fully burdened rates are for Government and Contractor site work.

Solicitation 70FA2025Q00000006

Project Scenario Two involves designing, developing, and releasing extensions of the functionality of the Continuous Improvement Information System (CIIS).

Estimating the level-of-effort required to complete the scenario depends on the current state of the CIIS system, including whether it is currently accessible from outside of FEMA, what technologies it currently incorporates, and what functionality it currently provides. Please provide descriptions of the as-is CIIS business architecture, system architecture, and security architecture to provide a common understanding of the system and allow the estimation of the level-of-effort required to complete the scenario.

Project Scenario Two

What is CIIS?

CIIS is FEMA’s system for recording after-action review (AAR) findings and referred actions from Major Disaster Declarations (MDD). This system enables FEMA to document and manage areas for improvement and best practices, track Agency action to resolve issues, and evaluate improvement progress. By leveraging CIIS, FEMA can enhance its disaster response and recovery capabilities to better serve communities affected by natural disasters. Reports and dashboards connected to the system facilitate communication of finding and action statuses to senior leadership, information which influences program decision-making. Additionally, data is retained for up to 10 years and informs field and program staff encountering similar situations in future operations.

Architecture

CIIS operates primarily as a Model Driven Microsoft PowerApps application on a MS Dataverse repository. Business logic is managed through

MS PowerAutomate workflows and cloud flows with some Javascript custom features. Some components of the system include customized

Canvas PowerApps with Microsoft Lists and Sharepoint file storage integration for unlicensed users. PowerBI desktop, PowerBI Server and

PowerBI Premium are all used for reporting of various content. Finally, the system is integrated via automated daily imports with data from DTS, OpenFEMA, and NEMIS.

CIIS Primary Users

CIIS is primarily used by CIP Regional Continuous Improvement Coordinators (RCICs) to manage the approval of Finding content (20-30 users).

CIP cadre Collectors may include FEMA employees or contractors deployed to disaster events for data collection (50-75 users). HQ Users review the recommended actions and develop findings for national-level events (2-5 users). Region and HQ Program Action

Managers are responsible for entering the progress of actions taken (75-100 users). Decision Makers and Validators are able to access decision documents and forms through SharePoint without a CIIS license. When the Comprehensive After-Action Review Analysis

Tool (CAARAT) becomes available, all FEMA users will gain access without requiring a PowerBI user license. In total, there are approximately 300 allocated per-app PowerApps licenses, supplemented by 10 additional per-user licenses for system administrators Data Description The system contains text-based narrative data, with some fields supporting rich text to preserve formatting.

Automated flows manage critical dates and observation statuses. Additionally, Personally Identifiable Information (PII) retrieved from the

Deployment Tracking System (DTS) and Azure Active Directory is maintained to manage user licenses and data access.

Limiting Factors

Although Microsoft PowerApps is less flexible than Canvas, it allows for faster development. User Interface (UI) controls are managed via

JavaScript when necessary. Some business logic workflows have been adjusted to ensure access to data and security could be maintained. An Azure Synapse SQL database is under consideration to enhance CAARAT analytic features but complexity and security may present future risks.

What is the Continuous Improvement Information System (CIIS)?

CIIS is FEMA’s system for recording after-action review (AAR) findings and referred actions from Major Disaster Declarations (MDD). This system enables FEMA to document and manage areas for improvement and best practices, track Agency action to resolve issues, and evaluate improvement progress. By leveraging CIIS, FEMA can enhance its disaster response and recovery capabilities to better serve communities affected by natural disasters.

How to Use CIIS?

Figure 1 shows the multiple modules included in CIIS, which users can use to establish collections, draft and submit findings for review, request formal decisions on findings, and develop recommendations as part of the continuous improvement process. Collection Teams navigate CIIS to input observations from FEMA AARs. Program Offices analyze this information to make informed decisions about actions to take and track progress on issues resolved. Ultimately, CIIS aims to drive action and improvement at every level of FEMA’s emergency response.

Who Uses CIIS?

Regional Collectors use CIIS for data collection during disaster events. Regional Continuous Improvement Coordinators (RCIC) analyze and present the findings to Continuous Improvement Working Groups (CIWG) to determine regional actions or refer to HQ if necessary. HQ Users review the recommended actions and develop findings for national-level events. Program Action Managers track the progress of actions taken and report completed results back to CIP.

What are the benefits of using CIIS?

CIIS helps regions to track and send automated notifications to responsible parties at every step of the finding development and approval process. Once approved, the automation continues to track responses from programs on actions taken to help ensure accountability. Analyzing data in CIIS can help inform decision-makers and program offices of trends across AARs from different regions. Users can harness these insights to improve emergency response practices and update emergency plans to minimize gaps and integrate best practices.

The solicitation states, "The Government defines a project as a single contract or task/call order. The project will not be considered if more than one task/call order is referenced in the response." Can the Government confirm that if the offeror uses a single IDIQ/BPA contract as one of its five Corporate Experience projects, then the offeror may describe multiple task/call orders under that single contract?

Section E.8, Factor 4, Corporate Experience

The Government defines a single project as one (1) single contract or one (1) task order or one (1) call order. The reference on page 76 under Factor-4: Corporate Experience stating "The project will not be considered if more than one task/call order is referenced in the response." has been removed from the solicitation. Additional language has been inserted on page 68 and 76 under Factor-4: Corporate Experience stating: "Note: Do not submit multiple task / call orders from a single IDIQ / BPA as separate projects".

The minimum requirement is 12 years of recent experience overseeing systems design, development, maintenance and operations in Microsoft PowerPlatform or

PowerApps. Will FEMA consider fewer years of experience if the experience demonstrates a high degree of proficiency in each of these areas, and/or the proposed Project Lead holds professional certifications and/or advanced degrees offsetting the years of experience?

2.2.1_Attachment A_PWS, Project Lead shall have a minimum of 8 years recent experience.

Will CIIS and all systems-related work need to be performed on FEMA issued laptops/devices?

2.2.1_Attachment A_PWS, Task 6 Yes

Solicitation 70FA2025Q00000006

Can the government provide any insight or clarification into what is meant by

"advanced system design, development, operations and maintenance for data collection, analysis, reporting, visualization, and decision-making"? What qualifies as an advanced system? Are there specific examples?

2.2.1_Attachment A_PWS, An advanced system will require experience in solutions architecture, custom solutions, workflows, and integration with emphasis on the Microsoft Power Platform - Dynamics, Dataverse, Power Apps, and Power Automate. The contractor responsible for development should be capable of: -working directly with developers, SMEs, and project management to define and develop viable custom solutions to meet existing requirements and additional business needs, -working directly with developers, SMEs, and project management to define and develop viable custom solutions to meet existing requirements and additional business needs,-demonstrating functional and technical knowledge and experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform as well as other integration and cloud solutions that are commonly used to support the platform, -capability in synchronous workflows, client-side scripting, and plugin development, as well as external system integrations and data migration to the new platform, -training, leading, and mentoring analysts and developers with application and portal design focusing on user experience,-performing design, configuration, and development tasks and leading testing and go-live support activities.

Section B.8 Travel/Other Direct Costs states that no profit/fee, material handling, or any other indirect costs shall be charged for travel or ODCs. Facilitating travel, procuring ODCs, invoicing, etc. requires contractual and administrative support that is recovered through established indirect cost rates rather than direct project labor.

Would the government consider allowing reimbursement of the contractor's applicable indirect costs in accordance with their federally approved indirect cost rate agreement?

Solicitation Section B.8

Travel/Other Direct Costs, pg.

No

The solicitation states that: "Quotation submissions (both the technical and business volume) shall include the solicitation number, Offeror’s legal name, and its unique identification number. This same information shall be provided for all proposed teaming partners and subcontractors." Can the Government confirm that the requirement to include the Offeror's legal name and unique ID number applies to major subcontractors, but not 1099s who may not have a unique ID?

Solicitation Section E.1 (A)

General Quotation Preparation

Instructions

This requirement does not apply to 1099 contract employees.

The instructions for Factor-2: Two Sample Project Scenarios state that "Offerors shall demonstrate the sufficiency of the proposed Key Personnel…to satisfy the requirements of each scenario in an effective manner." The scenario response instructions (Attachment C) state "Please include a proposed staffing plan with specific names of Proposed Key Personnel and brief summaries of experience for specific people who would fill the roles." Can the Government confirm that in the scenario response, bidders can identify both BPA key personnel (if they would have a role in the notional call order represented by the scenario) and additional call order-level personnel the bidder would name as key?

Solicitation Section E.1 (B)

Factor-2: Two Sample Project

Scenarios, pg. 67

Yes, other staff can be added in project scenarios not just key staff.

The instructions under Corporate Experience note that "A 'project' is defined as a single contract or task order." The evaluation factor description for Corporate

Experience (E.8 Evaluation Factors, Factor-4: Corporate Experience) notes that

"The project will not be considered if more than one task/call order is referenced in the response." Can the Government clarify whether a BPA with multiple task/call orders would count as a single contract that could be referenced in this section?

Solicitation Section E.1 (B)

Factor 4: Corporate

Experience, pg. 68

The Government defines a single project as one (1) single contract or one (1) task order or one (1) call order. The reference on page 76 under Factor-4: Corporate Experience stating "The project will not be considered if more than one task/call order is referenced in the response." has been removed from the solicitation. Additional language has been inserted on page 68 and 76 under Factor-4: Corporate Experience stating: "Note: Do not submit multiple task / call orders from a single IDIQ / BPA as separate projects".

The Government states that the Offeror shall describe how its corporate experience

"will enhance its ability to support internal and external stakeholders based on the requirements of the BPA/PWS." However, this language is not included on pg. 76 in the evaluation factors for Corporate Experience (Section E.8, Factor-4). Can the

Government clarify that Offerors just need to follow the format described in the bullets listed on pg. 69 for each included corporate experience example?

Solicitation Section E.1 (B)

Factor 4: Corporate

Experience, pg. 68

The change for Corporate Experience has been updated within the solicitation and mirrors the quoation instructions.

The introduction paragraph to Task 1: Program Management Support states:

"Contractor responsibilities include providing effective and efficient project and program management for the delivery of CID’s mission requirements, including preparatory actions in advance of disaster-funded task orders, maintaining a roster of deployable personnel, administrative and logistical support, and evaluation of task order delivery effectiveness." Many or all of these items seem to better align to the bullets included under Task 7 (e.g., "maintain an operational capacity and readiness for staff to deploy...") rather than the administrative items listed under

Task 1. Can the Government review and update the introductory language in Task 1 to align to the listed responsibilities?

PWS (Attachment A), Task 1:

Program Management

Support, pg. 4

No, Task 1 lists overarching project management support. Task 7 is a drill down tactical example of the support needed for operations.

The PWS, under the heading for BPA Program Manager and Deputy Program

Manager, includes a series of requirements, including a "Minimum of ten years of recent experience managing a contract of similar size and scope" and a "Minimum of ten years of emergency management and/or homeland security experience to include work on a declared disaster, and experience with state and local emergency management agencies." Can the Government confirm that the requirements for the

PM and DPM are the same, despite the discrepancy in total years of experience reflected on the price schedule (where the minimum years experience for PM is listed at 12-15 years and the DPM at 10-12 years)?

PWS (Attachment A), Key

Personnel, BPA Program

Manager and Deputy Program

Manager, pg. 14

A minimum of 10 years of relevent experience for the BPA Deputy PM is required. A minimum of 12 years of relevent experience for the BPA PM is requirement.

Solicitation 70FA2025Q00000006

Under the "CIIS Project Lead" heading in the PWS, the Government refers to the

"CITAP Project Lead" and "Program Manager"; both should likely be "CIIS Project

Lead." Similarly, the "Disaster After Action Review Lead" position then refers to the role as the "Program Manager." Can the Government review and update?

PWS (Attachment A), Key

Personnel, CIIS Project Lead,

pg. 15; and Disaster-After

Action Review Lead, pg. 16

Yes, program manager can be updated to project lead in both locations.

The numbering/format of the scenario response instructions slightly vary or seem to be off between Scenario #1 and #2. It appears that respondents should organize their response in the following way: 1) Response Overview / Summary of Benefits;

2) Project Technical Approach / Methodology; 3) Technical and Specialized Skills per Role; 4) Staffing Plan and Staff Experience Summary. Can the Government fix the formatting to make this more clear for each scenario response?

Technical Project Scenarios

(Attachment C), pg. 2-6) Yes, we concur with this adjustment. Attachment "C" has been revised accordingly.

The requirements for the CIIS Project Lead include a "minimum of 12 years recent experience overseeing systems design, development, maintenance, and operations in Microsoft PowerPlatform or Power Apps, or similar canvas or model-driven application." Given that Microsoft PowerApps has only been out for 8 years and canvas/model-driven application is generally associated with Microsoft PowerApps, can the Government confirm that experience leading the development of complex apps beyond the PowerPlatform counts towards meeting this requirement?

PWS (Attachment A), Key

Personnel, CIIS Project Lead,

pg. 15

CIIS Project Lead shall have a minimum of 8 years recent experience.

The solicitation allows Offerors the ability to add up to four unique labor categories and if desired, to name some or all of these unique labor categories as key personnel. Can Offerors also designate any of the existing non-key labor categories

(e.g., HQ Assessment SME) as key personnel?

Solicitation Section E.1 (B)

Factor 3: Staffing Plan and

Key Personnel, pg. 67

Offerors may not change any of the pre-determined non-key personnel to key. Please note: Offerors may add additional key personnel under the four unique LCs.

Would the Government consider a 5 year past performance instead of 3 years?

Page 68 No

35 Will the Government require a small business subcontracting goal/plan? No

Will the Government accept Contractor Teaming Agreements for GSA MAS 541611 holders?

Yes, the Government will accept Contractor Teaming Agreements. Within the solicitation, there are numerous references to teaming agreements and what is required in the Offeror’s proposal. Please Note: Copies of CTAs shall be included in the business volume.

Could you confirm if submissions will be emailed, as opposed to being submitted via eBay?

In the solicitation, page 70, Section E.3 Quotation Due Date, it states the following. "The due date for quotation submission is

02/24/2025;12:00 PM ET of the issuing office. Quotations shall be submitted via email to gregory.crouse@fema.dhs.gov.".

38 What is the anticipated start date for this contract? On or before 19 May 2025.

Who is the incumbent? If there is an incumbent, what is the current contract number? If no current incumbent, is this work currently being performed? If so, by whom and what is the contract number? If no current incumbent, has this work ever been performed in the past? If so, by whom and what is the contract number?

The CNA Corporation

BPA # 70FA2020A00000001

Value was approximately $24,900,000.00 (inclusive of options)

Five Years (One Base Period and Four Option Periods)

What is the estimated ceiling budget for this BPA? In the solicitation, page 3, Section B.4 Estimated BPA Amount, states The estimated amount of this Blanket Purchase Agreement is $42,000,000.00 (inclusive of options). This amount is not guaranteed.

Would the government be open to allowing the bidders to propose alternate years of experience required for each labor category?

No, number of years listed for experience are not changeable.

In the solicitation, the government provides two due dates for this submission, which are February 15th 2025 at 12AM EST or February 24th 2025 at 12pm EST. Can the government clarify when this submission is due?

Page 1 box 6 and Page 70, E.3 QUOTATION DUE DATE

The due date for quotation submission is 02/24/2025;12:00 PM ET of the issuing office. Corrected the offer due date referenced on the Standard Form 1449 box 8 to 02/24/2025; 12:00 PM ET in eBuy and SAM.gov on 01/22/2025. The revised solicitation document

2.2.1_So~licitation 70FA2025Q00000006_CID GSA-BPA_Attachments_A-B-C_01-22-2024 has been uploaded to both locations.

Can DHS please confirm if the due date is 2/24/2025 as listed on page 70 of the solicitation, or 2/15/2025 as listed on page 1 of the solicitation?

The due date for quotation submission is 02/24/2025;12:00 PM ET of the issuing office. Corrected the offer due date referenced on the Standard Form 1449 box 8 to 02/24/2025; 12:00 PM ET in eBuy and SAM.gov on 01/22/2025. The revised solicitation document

2.2.1_So~licitation 70FA2025Q00000006_CID GSA-BPA_Attachments_A-B-C_01-22-2024 has been uploaded to both locations.

Can DHS please provide more detail about the travel costs for each year of the

BPA?

Attachment D, Pricing

Worksheet

Travel costs follow all rules and guidelines from GSA and defined by the Federal Travel Regulation. The Government plug-in value for travel is for pricing purposes only. Actual travel will vary.

Can FEMA provide additional guidance on specific areas of improvement, such as equity, resilience, or readiness, that will be prioritized during the initial performance period?

Attachment A - PWS, Section:

Background & Scope No, as call orders are issued specific to the asks and needs of the program or disaster event.

Are there specific data systems, platforms, or software (e.g., CIIS) that contractors must use for data collection, analysis, and reporting? If not, is the contractor free to propose its own tools?

Attachment C - Technical

Project Scenarios, Scenario

Two

The contractor is free to propose its own solution. However, additional information regarding the existing CIIS system will be added based on vendor questions to inform the proposal.

For the After-Action Reports (AARs), are there predefined templates or standards that FEMA expects to be used? If not, are contractors expected to propose their own templates?

Attachment A - PWS, Section:

After-Action Reviews There are predefined templates and standards that FEMA has for producing AARs as clarified in the QASP.

Can FEMA outline the anticipated frequency and scope of call orders during the base period? Are there any expected surge requirements beyond what is listed in the PWS?

Attachment A - PWS, Section:

Call Orders

No, The BPA provides call orders for real world disasters which ebb and flow. The frequency and scope of call orders is determined by those external factors and cannot be anticipated in the base period. Surge requirements can also not be predicted beyond overall generalizations included in the IGCE estimates.

For disaster-related tasks (Tasks 8-9), what are FEMA's expectations regarding response time and scale for deploying additional resources? Attachment A - PWS, Section:

Disaster Support

Contractors are expected to confirm receipt of the call order request within 24 hours. A kick off is usually conducted 72 hours after contract execution,. There is usually 1 to 2 weeks before most deployments, but a faster turn around is needed in times of urgent disaster response. On average, a standard call order requires 5-6 contractors, but during surge response from a catastrophe the demand can be 80 or more.

Solicitation 70FA2025Q00000006

Are there specific methodologies FEMA prefers for validating data collection and analysis efforts? For example, does FEMA have an internal quality assurance process for deliverables like reports?

Attachment B - QASP, Section: Performance

Standards

For program support services call orders, the standards will be provided in the QASP. For disaster-specific call orders (AARs), an addendum QA/QC checklist is added as an attachment to the QASP.

Are there any specific budget constraints or expectations for cost optimization in proposed solutions, given the $42M BPA ceiling?

Solicitation Document, Section: Estimated BPA

Amount

No, the $42,000,000.00 is an estimated amount and not guaranteed.

Can FEMA provide further detail on how performance will be measured for key tasks, such as training effectiveness, AARs, and analytical deliverables?

Attachment B - QASP, Section: Methods of Quality

Assurance Surveillance

For program support services call orders, the standards will be provided in the QASP. For disaster-specific call orders (AARs), an addendum QA/QC checklist is added as an attachment to the QASP.

Regarding CIIS development, are there existing integrations with other FEMA systems that the contractor should be aware of? Will FEMA provide access to these systems?

Attachment C - Technical

Project Scenarios, Scenario

Two

CIIS does not integrate directly with any other FEMA systems except indirectly through scheduled data imports.

How does FEMA envision contractors facilitating collaboration with external stakeholders such as state, tribal, or local agencies? Are there existing channels or protocols?

Attachment A - PWS, Section:

Stakeholder Engagement

Yes, there are internal protocols and channels by which contractors can facilitate and coordinate with external partners to complete the work, but there vary by task and call order scope.

Are there any government-furnished facilities, equipment, or software that FEMA will provide for call order execution?

Attachment A - PWS, Section:

Facilities & Equipment

Yes, contractors will be furnished with laptops, badges, network access, and licenses to allow access to applicable internal FEMA systems and FEMA facilities to complete the work.

For training tasks, does FEMA have specific content or platforms contractors are required to use? Are virtual training options sufficient?

Attachment A - PWS, Section:

Training & Technical

Assistance

Trainings are conducted via approved internal FEMA platforms based on applicable program content. Training is usually in person, but can be virtual based on program needs in responding to disasters.

What does FEMA anticipate as the primary focus for the first few call orders under this BPA? For example, will it prioritize AARs, equity initiatives, or CIIS development?

Attachment A - PWS, Section:

Task Prioritization

Generally, call orders prioritize disaster or program specific AAR creation or program review and assessment. Some call orders will be issued for program support services for steady state work such as contract management, CIIS development, CITAP, and NCAP analysis. Disaster call orders will be executed as needed and may be immediate or sporadic.

Are there any known constraints or flexibility in the 12-month timelines for the major tasks described in the project scenarios?

Attachment C - Technical

Project Scenarios, Scenario

Timelines

For Scenario 1, the work is expected to be completed in a 12 month timeframe. For Scenario 2, efforts may be multiyear or extended based on the initial tasks, level of effort required. and scope of work.