QA_RFQ H92257-23-Q-0011 - Strategic Communications Course.pdf

Q&A

MARSOC Recruiting and Advertisement (R&A)

Request For Quote H92257-23-Q-0011 – Strategic Communications Course

2 December 2022

Question

Number:

RFI

Document Para./ Section Questions/Comments

(1)

Q: I am wondering if this is a completely new requirement or is a contractor is performing this work? If the latter, are you able to provide the incumbent information: contractor name and contract number?

Government Response: H9225720P0038; Sheffield Company LLC

(2)

Q: After reviewing the SOW, who is teaching this now? Where do you get the curriculum from currently? and what is the cost you are paying now?

Government Response: See answer above. The curriculum is provided by the vendor. The Government will not release cost/pricing information.

(3)

Q: In the SOW it's mentioned that the training could be In-person Live Online or

Hybrid. However in the CLIN 0001, 1001,2001 we can only give one price. Since our In person and Live online prices are different which price should we mention?

Government Response: Offerors may provide different pricing options for the different methods of instruction. A pricing matrix has been added. Offerors must complete the pricing matrix, along with a narrative explanation.

(4)

Q: In Page 3 where the minimum and Maximum quantity/amount is mentioned what price should we quote for?

Government Response: Offerors must complete the attached pricing matrix, along with a narrative explanation in their submission.

(5)

Q: For the requirement of contractor provided facility within 200 miles of Stone

Bay Camp, will you accept satellite offices, shared office space or similar facility set up specifically for this requirement or must this be a facility previously established prior to the requirement?

Government Response: The facility does not have to be previously established.

(6)

Q: Is it expected that project staff will also be located at this facility? Is work expected to be provided out of this facility?

Government Response: If instruction will take place at the contractors facility, at a minimum, the instructors must be physically present.

(7)

Q: Is this a new requirement or a recompete of an existing contract? If it is a recompete, what is the contract # and who is the incumbent?

(8) Q: Who is the audience for the Strategic Communications Course and what is the expected outcome following course completion?

Request For Quote H92257-23-Q-0011 – Strategic Communications Course

RFI

Document Para./ Section Questions/Comments

Government Response: Students are Marine Special Operations Officers (SOO), Critical Skills Operators

(CSO), and/or civilian employees of MARFORSOC.

(9)

Q: What formats is the course expected to be delivered in - on-site, instructor-led, virtual, computer-based or some combination?

Government Response: Per the SOW, vendor should be able to provide courses in person at vendor’s facility, online, or in person at the Government’s facility, location to be chosen by requesting unit.

(10)

Q: What is the length that the course is expected to be?

Government Response: 1-2 days (8-16 total hours of instruction)

(11)

Q: Will course material be separately priced or included?

Government Response: Course material will be included in the price.

(12)

Q: Is Technical Instructor and Technical Instructor/Course Developer - the 2 labor categories allowed?

Government Response: The contractor shall provide all equipment, labor, and services required to fulfill the

Statement of Work.

(13)

Q: SOW states “Requesting units will provide at least 30 days’ notice to

Contractor with the details for each requested course and coordinate with instructors 2 weeks in advance for the instructors to modify the course to focus on mission specific objectives.” PoP begins Jan 23.

Does the government intend to schedule the first course prior to 21 Feb 2023?

Government Response: The Government does not intend to schedule the first course prior to 21 Feb 2023.

(14)

Q: SOW states “Courses will be available for the customer to choose the method of delivery (in-person, online, or hybrid versions)”

May the government specify the online version, as there are multiple approaches(example; eLearning platforms, interactive, etc)?

Government Response: Vendor will specify online approach (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, other eLearning platforms, etc.) Government expects all courses to be interactive, including online.

(15)

Q: Is there an incumbent or is this new work?

Request For Quote H92257-23-Q-0011 – Strategic Communications Course

RFI

Document

(16)

Q: Request clarification on the briefing concept of verbally pitching an

Operational Plan with military and non-military audiences. Para 3.1 states training intent is to bring students to competency on informing, updating, and influencing key military and non-military audience at both home and abroad.

Para 3.2 specifies mission briefs and campaign pitches, among other communication scenarios.

Will this training include the concept of briefing, for example, a country team in an OCONUS location on a military action/operational plan?

Government Response: Intent of the course is to make the students better communicators within their military duties and requirements. This may include briefings and introductions to high-level military, government, or other civilian members of foreign countries.

(17)

Q: Request clarification and detail expansion on the intent and deliverables of the one year access to online e-learning cited in para 8.0.

Is this a separate topic to the contractor-provided online classroom concept, provided for the duration of the period of performance of a three-year ordering period from date of contract award?

Government Response: All students should have continued online access to course materials (briefings, slides, exercices, etc) for at least one year from completion of the course, for them to review at their leisure.

(18)

Q: Is it mandatory for the contractor to be within 200 miles of Camp Lejeune?

If so, why is that the case if the training can be conducted at Camp Lejeune or

Virtual vs. the contractor facility?

Government Response: Offerors are required to provide all three options including a contractor operated facility within 200 miles of Camp Lejeune.

(19)

Q: What virtual learning platforms do you require for this training? MS Teams, Adobe, Zoom?

Government Response: Vendor will specify online approach (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, other eLearning platforms, etc.)

(20)

Q: Who is the incumbent?

(21)

Q: What is the funding available for this solicitation?

Government Response: The Government will not release funding information.

(22) Q: Would online and in-person at Camp Lejeune be doable (and not at contractor facility)?

Request For Quote H92257-23-Q-0011 – Strategic Communications Course

RFI

Document

Government Response: Offerors are required to provide all three options including a contractor operated facility within 200 miles of Camp Lejeune.

(23)

Q: The RFQ states that travel will be reimbursable. Does that mean that those costs should be excluded from the bid?

Government Response: Travel costs must be included in total course price.

(24)

Q: The call specifies that the vendor must have a facility within 200 miles of

Camp Lejeune. Would a rented facility, for example, hotel conference room be acceptable.

Government Response: Yes, that is acceptable.

(26)

Q: Is there an incumbent? If so please provide the name and previous contract #.

(27)

Q: Reference SOW Page 2 - 6.0. Personnel Requirements. “Contractor provides instructors with expertise in strategic, concise communication to include business/industry experience in marketing, as well as previous experience instructing military Special Operators.” Our personnel have previous experience instructing DON, USACE, & corporate sector however not Special Ops.

Command – Would this automatically rate us lower on Past Performance rating?

Government Response: The Government will evaluate the offerors approach to performing contract requirements and its capability to successfully perform the contract in accordance with Statement of Work.

(28)

Q: Are there any key personnel qualifications or any specific certifications requirements?

Government Response: Per SOW Para 6.0: Contractor provides instructors with expertise in strategic, concise communication to include business/industry experience in marketing. Previous experience instructing military

Special Operators is preferred.

(29)

Q: Reference SOW 3.1 - Please clarify should the online method of instruction be instructor-led or self-paced with no-instructor?

Government Response: All courses shall be instructor-led and interactive.

(30)

Q: Reference SOW – 1.0 & 3.1 – To cover training on communication skills, critical thinking, decision-making, instruction on briefing and writing fundamentals would make a minimum of 2 days of instructions for Strategic

Communication Course. Whereas 3.1 mentions "8-16 hours of instructions."

Request For Quote H92257-23-Q-0011 – Strategic Communications Course

RFI

Document Para./ Section Questions/Comments

Would it be acceptable to offer a 2-day course & not 1 day (8 hr) instructions/course?

Government Response: Per the SOW, government will accept 1-2 day courses (8-16 hours of instruction)

(31)

Q: Reference SOW 1.0 - “…contractor shall provide capability to conduct briefing and writing courses on Camp Lejeune, at a vendor run facility, and online for up to 20 MARSOC members at a time.” And Reference RFQ:

H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 13 Volume I - “Contractor provided facility within 200 miles Stone Bay Camp Lejeune, NC.” We can facilitate courses on Camp

Lejeune and online but want to know if not having a vendor run/owed facility within 200 miles of Camp Lejeune would fail us for Volume I evaluation? Would a rented facility at a hotel, library etc. be suffice to host the class for the course if at all needed?

Government Response: Offeror’s must provide a contractor operated facility within 200 miles of Stone Bay

Camp Lejeune, NC. Rented facilities are acceptable.

(32)

Q: Reference RFQ: H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 13 Volume I - “- Fill-In Clauses”

Would including companies FARS and DFARS report be suffice or should the

Fill-In Clauses still be completed ?

Government Response: Yes, FARS and DFARS reports are acceptable.

(33)

Q: Reference SOW 1.0 - “…contractor shall provide capability to conduct briefing and writing courses on Camp Lejeune, at a vendor run facility, and online for up to 20 MARSOC members at a time.” Is it mission essential for the performance of this requirement to have a vendor run facility within 200 miles of

Camp Lejeune? If not, can this language be removed from the SOW and RFQ as this will restrict all vendors who are not in the 200 miles radius?

Government Response: Yes, this is a mission essential requirement, and the language will not be removed.

(34)

Q: Reference RFQ: H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 1 - “Award will be made on the basis of the lowest evaluated price of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for non-cost factors” and Page 13 Quote Format and

Content states – “The Government reserves the right for efficiency purposes to only include the most highly rated proposals in the competitive range” Please clarify will the lowest price offer be evaluated first ? and if it meets or exceeds all the acceptability standards for non-cost factors would the next offer not be evaluated ?

Government Response: This sentence has been updated to: “The Government intends to award a Firm Fixed

Price type contract to the responsible vendor whose overall quote represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the factors in the solicitation.” This is not a Lowest-Priced Technically Acceptable acquisition.

(35) Q: Reference RFQ: H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 12 ADDENDUM 52.212-1 (2) “

Offeror agrees to hold the prices in its quote firm for 90 calendar days from the

Request For Quote H92257-23-Q-0011 – Strategic Communications Course

RFI

Document Para./ Section Questions/Comments date specified for receipt of quotes. And page 13 Qualifying Criteria Page 13 states “Specific Quote validity period (required minimum is 60-days).” Please confirm if the quote firm should be 90 days or 60 days?

Government Response: Quote firm should be 90 days.

(36)

Q: Reference RFQ: H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 14 Volume II – For Volume II since two versions are requested – Could they simply be named Volume II_with company name and Volume II_Redacted ?

Government Response: Yes, that is acceptable.

(37)

Q: Reference RFQ: H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 14 Volume III Past Performance –

Would the previously completed NAVFAC/USACE Past Performance

Questionnaire (Form PPQ-0) be counted towards the 10 page limit?

Government Response: Yes, that would count toward the 10-page limit.

(38)

Q: Reference RFQ: H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 14 Volume III Past Performance -

To keep everything within the 10 page limit, would it be ok to remove page 2 of the NAVFAC/USACE PPQ form “Adjective Ratings And Definitions To Be

Used To Best Reflect Your Evaluation Of The Contractor’s Performance” ? This would save 3 pages which we could use to describe each Past performance.

Government Response: Yes, that is acceptable. Any information outside of the page limits will not be evaluated.

(39)

Q: Reference RFQ: H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 14 Volume II - Are resumes evaluated? If so, would the Government prefer to see a back-up facilitator resume as well?

Government Response: Resumes are not required, however if included within the page limits stated in the solicitation, they will be evaluated.

(40)

Q: Reference RFQ: H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 2 Section B: Supplies or Services

- Would the Government like to see cost breakdown for prices provided in

Section B ?

Government Response: A pricing matrix has been added. A price narrative shall accompany the pricing worksheet to explain the prices.

(41)

Q: Reference SOW Page 3 10.0 Travel states - “Government will pay for contractor travel requirements on a reimbursable basis”. And also “Contractor will provide travel costs as part of the vendor estimate for each task order. “and

Reference RFQ: H92257-23-Q-0011 Page 1 Type Of Contract states “The

Government intends to award a single Firm Fixed Price (FFP) type contract as a result of this solicitation.” Should travel not be included and submitted

Request For Quote H92257-23-Q-0011 – Strategic Communications Course

RFI

Document Para./ Section Questions/Comments separately to be reimbursed or should it be included in the quote as an FFP type contract?

Government Response: Travel costs shall be included in the price.

(42)

Q: What’s the tentative award timeline since performance begins January 1st

2023?

Government Response: Period of Performance is subject to change based on date of contract award.

(43)

Q: Is there a budget ceiling that Offerors should be mindful of for this requirement?

Government Response: The Government will not release budget information.

(44)

Q: Page 2 Section B – Supplies or Services

Ordering Period is 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2026

- `Please clarify that it should read 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025

Also, can you please clarify the following ordering periods?

- Ordering Period 1: 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2024 (should read 2023)

- Ordering Period 2: 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2025 (should read 2024)

- Ordering Period 3: 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2026 (should read 2025)

Government Response: That is correct:

Period of Performance: 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025

- Ordering Period 1: 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023

- Ordering Period 2: 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024

- Ordering Period 3: 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2025