RFP_QA_57-79.pdf

# RFP Ref. Question/Comment Response Amend # 57 Atch 3 &

SORDAC

SOW

a. Please confirm that performance under Subtask 2 – for Labor Categories Acquisition Policy Analysts (O&M), Senior Acquisition Specialist (O&M), Mid-level Contracting Specialist, Contracting Specialist – PEO Maritime, and Principal Acquisition Specialist – is indeed anticipated to begin on 18 July 2015, approximately 5 months after the anticipated start date of the period of performance.

b. Please confirm this needs to be reflected in the total hours billed, which will be significantly less for these labor categories as the base year will only reflect about 7 months of performance.

c. Will this reduced performance period also apply to the option years? Should we assume a 18 July start date (or equivalent) for all of the option years, or will all subtasks for the option years have an equal period of performance?

a: Confirmed.

b: The pricing template will be revised to reflect a start date of 18 Jul 15 .

c: No. The staggered period of performance is for the base year only to allow transition from current contracts to SWMS.

N/A

58 Atch 3, Pricing Template, Instruction Tab, Row 4

Please confirm if subcontractor objects to providing indirect rates to the Offeror/Prime (as required on Tab 2 – Proposed Indirect Rates) but Offeror/Prime is able to perform a price analysis without insight to those rates, determines the subcontractors rates to be reasonable and submits the analysis in the Cost Volume that no sealed package is required from the subcontractor (s).

Subcontractor still needs to submit the sealed package.

Note: A requirement will be added for the offeror to identify the type of contract it intends to issue.

N/A

59 Atch 3 For the sake of consistency within price evaluations, does the Government consider an FTE to bill 1,920 hours annually? For example, should the “Total Proposed Hours” column D indicate a total of 1,920 hours per FTE indicated in column A “FTEs?”

The pricing template will be updated to clarify the governments manning requirement.

60 M1.6.2 Section M, paragraph M.1.6.2 states that the government will evaluate how well offeror’s “Basis of Estimate demonstrates an understanding of the requirement and the resources required” to manage and execute each task order. However, we did not find an associated paragraph in Section L that specifies the required content of the Basis of Estimate (BOE) for each Task Order Management Plan (TOMP).

a) Please clarify what elements the government expects to see in the BOE. For example, may we use the elements in clause H-4, paragraph (d)(1-3) as the basis for our BOE?

b) Also, to allow us to sufficiently demonstrate our Sample Task Order BOEs, we request that the government exclude the BOEs from the 10-page limit for each TOMP

a) M1.6.2 will be revised to remove the reference to the BOE.

b) A BOE is not required for the task orders.

61 L1.3.4 Page 35 of the RFP, Section L, para L.1.3.4, includes a “Cross reference matrix” in the list of items that do not count toward the page limit. Page 42 of the RFP, Section M, para M1.5, does not specify whether the cross-reference will have an impact on the evaluation of the proposal.

Please confirm that Volume 1, Technical, will be evaluated as one inclusive document. For example, are offerors permitted to cross-reference within the Volume (e.g., between a STO and the PM Plan) without any impact on evaluation?

The cross-reference matrix identifies where in the proposal evaluators can find responses to specific RFP requirements. The following paragraph will be added to Section L:

Cross-Reference. To the greatest extent possible, each volume shall be written on a stand-alone basis so that its contents may be evaluated with a minimum of cross referencing to other volumes of the proposal. Information required for proposal evaluation which is not found in its designated volume will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal.

62 M1.6.2 Would the Government confirm that the three task orders are of equal importance in scoring? As stated in M1.2, Technical is more important than past performance; past performance is more important than Price; when combined, non-cost factors are significantly more important than price. Technical sub-factors, Program Management and Task Order Management Plan, are listed in descending order of importance; task orders within sub-factor 2 Task Order Management Plan are of equal importance

N/A

63 RFP &

Pricing Template

Where is the maximum allowable fee proposed as there is no place to indicate it? In Attachment 3 we identify our fee for the three task orders.

The Pricing Template will be updated to add a place to input the offerors proposed max fee for future TO's.

64 Section L6.4 Current Adequate Accounting System (page 42 of 46), where the solicitation states: “An advanced copy of the Offeror's Modified SF 1408 Preaward Survey of Prospective Accounting System Checklist with supporting documentation shall be forwarded to the cognizance DCAA and to the Contracting Officer office no later than 18 August 2014.” We would like to ask how the Government wishes to receive our delivery of the form (e-mail, hard copy, CD, etc.).

Email is acceptable. N/A

65 H.4 Para (e)(2) states that if less than 100% of the estimated cost of the basic contract are expended, the government may…“effect a reduction in the fixed fee by the percentage by which the total expended man-hours is less than 100% of the original level of effort or the fee bearing portion of the last upward revision.”

This language creates a Cost Plus a Percentage of Cost contract. Offerors are dis-incentivized to keep costs under the 100% estimate because any cost under-run will trigger a reduction in fixed fee. This structure actually ties the contractor’s fee directly to the actual contract costs, creating a Cost Plus a Percentage of Cost contract. As the government is likely aware, this contract type is prohibited by 16.102(c), 10 U.S.C. 2306(a), and 41 U.S.C. 3905(a)).

The conditions to adjust the fixed fee under the CPFF-LOE arrangement (ref. H.4.(e)2.) is based on hours expended and not on costs incurred; thus avoiding the prohibited cost plus percentage of cost pricing arrangement.

66 General How many USSOCOM users will the SWMS C Program support? How any projected users are supported by task order

Ref Para 1.0 and Para. 3.1 N/A

67 General Has the Government conducted an Independent Government estimate (IGE)? If so, will the Government share with the industry?

Yes. No. N/A

H92222-14-R-0019 Final RFP Q&A's Batch 2 (Questions 57-79)

68 RFP

L.1.4

Will USSOCOM allow for our response to be emailed instead of CDR-R or DVD-R?

If no, can all Factors be included in a single CDR-R/DVD-R.

No proposals submissions cannot be emailed. Yes, proposals may be submitted on one CDR-R/DVD-R.

N/A

69 RFP

L3.4.1.1.

Resumes. Can the bidder submit blind resumes for all staff except the Project Manager (PM) and Task Order Lead for 5a (SORDAC)?

The only Key Personnel identified for the SORDAC TO is the Task Lead.

N/A

70 RFP

L3.4.2

Does USSOCOM expect a different Task Lead for each Task Order or will a single Task Lead be allowed to manage all Task.

Each TO is a separate requirement. The SOW identifies the requirement for a Task Lead, if applicable.

N/A

71 RFP

L3.4.2

If USSOCOM expects 3 different Task Leads, must the bidder submit all 3 resumes at time of submission. Task 6a and 7a have a start date of 2015/16.

Offerors must submit all requested information to be compliant with the RFP.

N/A

72 RFP

Section L-4 and M1.7

Please clarify the format of the Past Performance Factor. In reviewing the instructions Section L and Section M create a Circular requirement.

Section L identifies the requirements for providing Past Performance (Information Sheets and Questionnaires). Section M states how the government is going to evaluate past performance.

N/A

73 RFP

M1.6.2

Does USSOCOM have a specific format they want used for the TO (10 page) section? No, the Task Order Management Plan must address all of the requirements listed.

N/A

74 RFP

M1.6.1.d.

RFP

M1.6.1.d.

Please clarify the role of the contractor in SPOT, Theater Business Clearance, DOCPER and

TESA.

Is the contractor expecting to handling the administration of deploying all SOCOM employees (including SWMS A & B contractors) or just the bidders employees?

The prime is responsible for complying with all regulations for any support OCONUS as it relates to their employees.

N/A

75 Attachment 7a 4.0 Personnel

Please confirm that resumes as listed in the table are not required at the time of submission.

Since the task is more than 16 months out, it will be difficult to get commitments from potential candidates. With this understanding would USSOCOM consider removing the resume requirement for these task (6a and 7a)

No. N/A

76 Attachment 7a 4.0 Personnel

When identifying individuals for these labor categories, can the contract substitute comparable/similar skillsets and experience?

Offerors are required to meet the required skills/qualifications that are listed in 4.0.

77 L1.3.4 Is the offeror correct in assuming that 11pt font (the default font provided in the PPI template) is an acceptable font for the PPIs?

Yes. N/A

78 Question #33

Given the Government's indication in the first set of Q&A that Amendment 1 will include significant changes to the RFP, including a page count increase, will the Government consider a proposal due date extension to assist offerors in planning completion of their proposals?

The RFP Amendment will incorporate the changes as a result of the Q&A's. The amendment will reflect any changes in the due date and time.

79 H.4 Para (d) requires the winning contractor to submit 1) total man-hours of direct labor… 2) a breakdown of total man-hours for each direct labor classification, and 3) the contractor's estimate of total allowable costs incurred under the task order.

Please clarify whether, in order to be compliant with this RFP paragraph, offerors’ proposal must either:

a) show these three levels of detail in the Basis of Estimate on each of the three Task Order Management Plans (TOMPs), or:

b) only demonstrate our ability to provide this level of information after award as part of our cost accounting system.

This paragraph applies after award once performance has been completed.

N/A

12 Attachment 3, Pricing Template, Tab 4 Task Order 2 –

SORDAC

Row 28

Referenced Tab indicates an FTE of 4 for the Principal Acquisition Specialist labor category.

Attachment 5a Section 4 Personnel and Minimum Skill Requirements indicates a total of 5 FTEs for the Principal Acquisition Specialist labor category: 4 in Subtask 2 and 1 in Subtask 3.

Pricing Template Revision 1 will correct the discrepancies.

8/12: All of the PAS FTEs should be in Subtask 3. There is a total of 5.

44 5a Please clarify the number of FTEs for the SORDAC task order. SORDAC SOW Revision 1 updates the FTE's required in support of this task; the pricing template is revised accordingly. In addition, the cell totals will include the decimal to reflect the 0.5 FTE.

8/12: The number of FTEs under Subtask 2 is 7. The 4 PAS FTEs are moved to Subtask 3 and the number of Contracting Specialists under Subtask 2 is increased from 1 to 3 FTEs.

Clarifications to Questions & Answers posted on 11 August 2014

H92222-14-R-0019 Final RFP Q&A's Batch 2 (Questions 57-79)

RFP Q&A Batch 2