Attachment_5_Questions_ _Answers_from_Draft_RFP.pdf

RFP #H92237-16-R-8000 15 Oct 2015 Private Security Services Offeror Questions & Answers

1. QUESTION: Solicitation Made in Advance of Receipt of Funds: When does the Government expect to receive funding for this contract? What is the Contracting Agency’s degree of confidence that funding will be approved?

ANSWER: Funding for this requirement is sufficiently programmed for execution

2. QUESTION: PWS 1.3.7, Equipment, requires the contractor to provide protective equipment, but PWS 1.3.2.1 requires attendance at CRC at Ft. Bliss. Does the contractor have the option of drawing government furnished protective equipment from CRC?

ANSWER: The contractor must provide protective equipment and attend CRC in accordance with PWS 1.3.7

3. QUESTION: Does the base commander have a limit on number of vehicles contractor can use?

ANSWER: No.

4. QUESTION: Will the contractor have dedicated area for vehicle maintenance? If so, how large and are there any structures?

ANSWER: No.

5. QUESTION: Are contracted laundry services (by other support contracts) available for use by the security force?

ANSWER: See Clause 5152.225-5908, Government Furnished Contractor Support, in the

RFP.

6. QUESTION: If the Contractor must import US weapons for use on this contract, can the mobilization time be extended based on the time it will take to obtain the required DDTC license/approval to export arms?

ANSWER: No.

7. QUESTION: Will this contract be tax exempt under Afghan law?

ANSWER: Taxes will be implemented IAW 252.229-7999.

8. QUESTION: Will the US Government consider allowing non-cleared western expatriate security professionals to hold the management and guard positions currently identified in the PWS for Secret cleared US citizens? In other words, can British expatriates (or Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders) be used in place of Secret cleared US personnel? This would require the Facilities Security Clearance requirement to be removed from the RFP. All proposed personnel would have a recent and traceable criminal records check confirming their fit for employment.

ANSWER: No.

Attachment 5

9. QUESTION: PSC 1 - 2012 Compliance. Clause 252.225-7039 Defense Contractors

Performing Private Security Functions Outside the United States (Jan 2015) on Page 34 of the RFP requires Private security contractors to comply with the American National Standard, Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations.

To ensure that Special Forces Command (SOCOM) receives the highest quality security services, recommend that the final Request for Proposal require offerors to be members in good standing of the International Code of Conduct Association (ICoC) and have documentable PSC-1 certification.

ANSWER: No.

10. QUESTION: Mobilization. PWS Paragraph 1.3.2 - Mobilization, authorizes a 60-day mobilization period.

Because of the requirement for all armed U.S. personnel to attend the CONUS Replacement Center (CRC) at Fort Bliss, recommend that SOCOM release the final RFP with a 90-day mobilization. This additional time allows the successful offeror to work with CRC to schedule placement for all its candidates.

CRC usually requires 30- day notice to schedule contractor employees for a class, recommend that SOCOM reserve the spaces in CRC ahead of award to ensure the successful offeror has spots in the classes in order to meet the mobilization requirements.

ANSWER: No, the mobilization period will remain 60 days.

11. QUESTION: 1.3.2 Mobilization states the following: “…As part of the mobilization period, the contractor shall submit accurate and complete arming authorization packages on each person who will be armed in the performance of this requirement to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) within 10 calendar days of contract award.

2.6 Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) states the following: “…During this period, the contractor shall submit an accurate and complete arming authorization pkg on each employee to be armed with 45 calendar days of contract award to the COR.

Recommend SOCOM allow the awardee 45-days to provide the arming packages and that the language reflects that in both references in the PWS.

ANSWER: Verbiage Modified as: “…As part of the mobilization period, the contractor shall submit accurate and complete arming authorization packages on each person who will be armed in the performance of this requirement to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) within 45 calendar days of contract award (or another time specified by the Contracting Officer)…” in both references in the PWS.

12. QUESTION: Getting personnel with proper arming authorizations on time is critical and requires a security services provider with on-going experience deploying personnel into Afghanistan. The nuances of the requirements and the changes to Presidential Decrees on PSC operators in Afghanistan mean that an offeror new to the country may have more difficulty meeting the Full Operational Capability (FOC) date.

To mitigate this added risk, recommend that SOCOM requires offerors to have current on-going contracts providing security services in Afghanistan.

ANSWER: No, the RFP will remain as written.

13. QUESTION: Volume II – Factor 1: Qualifying Criteria

(f) Possess a Government approved accounting system and provide the agency which approved the system.

Many service contractors working under fixed price contracts do not have Government approved accounting systems. However, some of us do have accounting systems which have been deemed adequate by third party accounting firms. Recommend that the language in the final RFP be amended to say the following:

f) Possess a Government approved accounting system and provide the agency which approved the system. Or audit reports and an adequacy determination, by a qualified external independent accounting firm

This change will ensure you have adequate competition.

ANSWER: No, the RFP will remain as written.

14. QUESTION: In Section B the contract period of performance is three years. Section F

Deliveries or Performance indicates a three year period of performance, from 20 Nov 2015 through 19 Nov 2018. However, PWS Section 1.1 Period of Performance says that there are four 12 month periods. Is the reference to ‘four” years a typo?

ANSWER: Verbiage corrected. The period of performance has been updated to state there are two 12 month option year periods.

15. QUESTION: On page 14 of the RFP, it lists services that the Government will provide to

Local National Employees. Included is billeting, DFAC, Laundry, MWR, and intra theater MILAIR. Please clarify that the Government is indeed providing these services to LN employees.

ANSWER: LN employees will have access to DFAC and MWR.