IndustryDay1-Q A-FINAL2.pdf

No. Question Answer

1 Associate Contractor Agreements: Can you provide a Context

Diagram that includes crews, associations and alike as they relate to the MICS contract?

The Government will take this into consideration. JNIC Research &

Development Contract (JRDC), Missile Defense Agency Engineering and Support Services (MiDAESS) and the Visual Information

Production Center (VIPC) are the only Associate Contracts of concern for the MICS effort. Offerors should review the PWS Responsibility

Matrix Tab A to better understand the role of JRDC.

2 Associate Contractor Agreements: In the PWS, joint responsibilities for IA are mentioned for both the MICS and AC.

How will the IA responsibilities be split between the Contractors?

Information Assurance Documentation is a requirement for all projects that are approved through the Portfolio Management

Integration Board (PMIB) process. The MICS Contractor will be required to collaborate with Associate Contractors and provide the necessary documentation that might pertain to VTC, software or other collaboration systems in conjunction with other Associate

Contracts. Refer to the PWS Responsibility Matrix Tab A.

3 CLIN: In the X600 CLIN - what is the opportunity available to

Offerors? Can the Government provide scope of what some prior projects entailed?

Routine and Special Emphasis Item projects and discrete tasks may include VTC systems, application development, or anything that is within the basic scope of the contract but not proposed to under

CLIN X100. These efforts may be uniquely funded by the requiring

MDA organization or customer. (Ref. Contract Section H, Changes --

Customer Support, Projects and Discrete Tasks).

4 CLIN: Is the $65M ceiling amount broken down in the CLIN structure?

There is no cost ceiling, only cost constraints for the Offeror's proposal. MICS is a Cost type contract, not an Indefinite Delivery -

Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ). Tables L-07-1, 4 and 5 identify cost the applicable cost constraints.

5 CLIN: Is the Training under 100 CLINs, and Customer Support under 500 CLIN?

Yes, but primarily under X100. However, the Government is not dictating how Offerors should propose to the training requirement.

Missile Defense Agency Information Technology Collaboration Systems (MICS)

Industry Days 1 (Redstone Aresenal, AL) - Questions & Answers

6 Cloud Computing: On Industry Days 1 (Day 2), Briefing Slide 64 referencing cloud computing approach, Should teams address collaboration technologies in the cloud specifically or generalize

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and

Software as a Service (SaaS) capabilities in accordance with

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)?

Reference Section L-05.5: The Offeror shall describe their technical approach in terms of a methodology to achieve/execute the potential transition, delivery, and management of the Unclassified

MDA Knowledge Online (UMKO) (MS SharePoint based) services to a

Cloud Computing environment. Contractor’s technical approach should follow accepted technical or professional standards.

7 Cloud Computing: On Industry Days 1 (Day 2), Briefing Slide 64 –

Why are Offerors being asked to submit on “cloud” when stated that this won’t be done on MICS? This appears to be free market research.

Through this scenario based proposal requirement, the Government desires to ensure that the contract awardee understands the complexities involved and how to migrate a service to a cloud computing environment as the Contractor may be required to execute a requirement of this nature under MICS.

8 Combining Rqmts: How is VTC services tied to the other requirements for this contract (SharePoint, application development, etc.)? What is the glue for this framework?

The Government sees the two technologies are merging and wishes to leverage future capabilities of the two merged technologies through the MICS contract.

9 Combining Rqmts: It appears that MDA is combining two existing contracts. What efficiencies are the Government looking to gain?

Offerors should look at the Government’s requirements and associated documentation to provide the best approach.

10 Combining Rqmts: What is the justification for bundling these requirements?

These requirements are not bundled; rather they are being consolidated due to the need to leverage merging technologies for gaining efficiencies for the Agency. Reference the PWS Responsibility

Matrix Tab A and DFAR 207.170

11 Configuration Mgmt: Are there copies of configuration files for all equipment where they currently exist?

Reference Section L, Attachment 9 - Configuration and Maintenance

List

12 CPO: Regarding Critical Performance Objectives, how do you ensure feedback is submitted – is it optional input from the person requesting the action or can the feedback request be ignored? Are requestors incentivized to fill out report? What is the ratio of requests to survey?

Customers are provided a link via an automated email for their voluntary feedback of applicable Critical Performance Objectives.

Customers have the ability to impact the level of service received through the survey feedback. The response rate varies; however, the

Government generally receives less than a 10% response rate.

13 DRCOOP: Can the Government provide documentation for the current DR/COOP plans?

Reference PWS 3.1.1.1 Directives & Guidance Column

14 DRCOOP: Does MDA desire an automated COOP failover UC-VTC system in the future?

Yes, automated failover would be preferable.

15 DRCOOP: Was the Trotti Data Center affected by the tornados of

2011?

Yes, the transfer switches did not switch over automatically so systems were forced to shut down. Upon manual switchover, systems were brought back up. Current transfer switch and generator upgrades are underway to address the failure.

16 DRCOOP: What are the recovery point objectives of unclass and class in the event of a failed COOP?

The Government is currently evaluating these objectives. Offerors should reference the DRCOOP information located in the Offeror's

Library for current guidance.

17 EAB: Are 2011 Metrics for Engineering & Architecture Board (EAB) projects including major/minor, Unified

Communications/Information Management available?

No, Offerors can reference the Workload Data.

18 EAB: Does the Government have a staff that reviews projects or someone who makes the call individually?

The Government reviews projects through advisory board processes such as the Engineering & Architecture Board (EAB) and Portfolio

Management Integration Board (PMIB) where the appropriate

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are assigned to projects approved by the Chief Information Officer (CIO).

19 EAB: Will new technology introductions go through the PMIB or

EAB process? How long does the process take? How does this affect getting a new technology into the process?

Yes, new technology introductions will go through the proper identification and approval processes. The process time varies based upon the urgency, complexity, and criticality of the requirement.

20 E-Scheduler: Does eScheduler use AMX RMS API and control scripting? What version of RMS is used if integrated into eScheduler?

No, e-scheduler and AMX/RMS are not integrated.

21 E-Scheduler: Does the e-Scheduler tool integrate with Outlook and

Outlook calendars?

No, not at this time.

22 E-Scheduler: What version of eScheduler is currently used and is it customer funded?

EMS Enterprise 5.0, funded by the CIO office.

23 E-Scheduler: If TMS is used with eScheduler, was the TMS v13 API used?

E-Scheduler and TMS are not integrated.

24 E-Scheduler: Please explain the relationship/differences between

TMS & eScheduler uses. Are they related, overlapping processes, or integrated?

Both are still stand alone systems, not integrated. E-Scheduler is an

End User tool that allows for reserving a room that matches their requirements and captures their technical requirements for the event. It may or may not involve an actual VTC session (e.g.

Classified VTC w/ Smart board and a Teleconference for 30 people).

TMS is a tool for the VTC technicians to build and schedule VTC bridged calls.

25 EVMS - What is a Service Delivery Package as referenced in Day 2 of Industry Days 1?

The "Service Delivery Package" is not an official term, but is considered the timely delivery (monthly) of services at the required service quality levels. The Service Delivery package may be tied to the Contractors Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). It is not the

Government's intent to dictate what the Offeror's WBS format should look like.

26 EVMS: Did MDA request a waiver to the EVMS requirement? The Government is not aware of an EVMS waiver process. MDA policy and DFARS 234.2 requires EVM for cost type contracts.

27 EVMS: If an Offeror does not currently have an EVMS system, what is a reasonable amount of time for attaining a compliant

EVMS?

The timeframe will depend. If an Offeror has a reasonable plan with realistic dates for attaining an EVMS, the Government will take that into consideration.

28 EVMS: Is the EVMS requirement reasonable for a SDVOSB with a

NAICS code for a $25M size standard?

The EVMS requirement is not related to the business category or size. MDA policy and DFARS 234.2 requires EVM for cost type contracts. EVM will used to track cost, schedule and performance on projects and discrete tasks, as well as baseline services. EVM is a good program management tool, even for services contracts. Even if

EVM was not required, the Contractor would still be required to report cost, schedule and performance data, only in another format.

29 EVMS: Would not having an EVMS be outside the norm? Yes, MDA policy and DFARS 234.2 requires EVM for cost type contracts.

30 FTE: How many current FTE’s for both incumbents are provided at each location? Do they all require Common Access Cards?

The Government does not intend to disclose the FTE counts of the incumbent Contractors. This is a performance based effort and the

Government doesn't want to skew the proposals by providing that type of information. Offerors should reference Section L, Attachment

9 - Configuration and Maintenance List and Section L, Attachment 6 -

Workload Data for assistance in preparing staffing estimates.

Additionally, Offerors may refer to the provided cost constraints in

Section L as guideline for developing a staffing plan. There is a personnel constraint of no more than 6 MICS personnel within the

HQ office based upon the amount of available space and Base

Realignment and Closure (BRAC) requirements. There can be less than six, but no more than that amount. All personnel are required to have Common Access Cards.

31 FTE: Can the Government provide information on office space by

VTC room?

Reference Section L, Attachment 9 - Configuration and Maintenance

List and Section L, Attachment 6 - Workload Data Additionally, Offerors may refer to the provided cost constraints in Section L.

32 FTE: Has the Government considered that the incumbents have the FTE information?

The current FTE count is of minimal value for this effort due to the significant change in requirements and in the Government's view provides no unfair competitive advantage to incumbents. The cost constraints identified in Section L and Section L, Attachment 6 -

Workload Data may be more helpful to Offerors.

33 FTE: How many of the MDA locations mentioned in the presentations and the PWS will require onsite MICS staff?

Reference the Form DD254 for the regions where MICS personnel are required; the Offeror should use their proposed Staffing Plan to indicate how they will staff the various locations within each region.

In addition, reference work load data in Offeror's Library that currently restricts MICS personnel to 6 positions in Head Quarters.

34 FTE: In reference to the eight FTEs listed under customer support;

do they provide the training?

The Government isn't dictating how the Offeror should handle customer support requirements, but it can be handled in multiple ways.

35 FTE: What is the work hours/schedule of the technicians? Reference the PWS section 2.1 for more information on the core hours and flexible scheduling of required staff.

36 General: Is there any baseline funds for Smartphone technology? MDA doesn't have Smartphone technology yet. As solutions are developed in the future, and funding becomes available, the MICS contract scope will allow the Government to leverage that technology as it becomes available.

37 General: Are Offerors required to bid the cost of the supporting agreements?

No, that is included in the ODC estimate cost (Section L, Table L-07-

5). Technology refresh (equipment recapitalization) is not included in the estimated ODC amounts and will be discretely funded as funds are available.

38 General: Are Offerors required to have the audit of their accounting system completed prior to award?

Yes (Reference FAR 16.301-3 and 9.104-1). The Government would prefer that the process be started for a "Go" or "No Go" determination prior to contract award. The provision in Section L-

07.8 explains how to get the process started.

39 General: Are there any milestones that may hinder the Source

Selection process?

The Source Selection process is dependent upon the number of proposals received, if any protests arise, etc.

40 General: Are users happy with SharePoint? The Government hasn't collected this type of data; however, SharePoint is a critical method of communication which is growing in popularity and is used extensively by the Agency on a daily basis.

41 General: Are you looking for a rollup of what is in the tab at the volume level in the Table of Contents?

No, it doesn’t need to have a lot of details, but the electronic version should have links to the appropriate sections.(Reference Section L-

01.11)

42 General: Can Offerors use the Workload Data as a basis of estimate?

The Workload Data is not intended to be a Basis of Estimate (BOE).

Offerors should reference Section L, Attachment 9 - Configuration and Maintenance List and Section L, Attachment 6 - Workload Data for assistance in preparing their own BOE. Additionally, Offerors should refer to the provided cost constraints in Section L as a guideline for developing their staffing plan.

43 General: Can the Government clarify the Business application and development requirement?

There are currently no baseline (CLIN X100) business application development requirements. This is scope for any future identified software development projects. For customer support or projects and discrete tasks, reference the 13 series tasks of the PWS.

44 General: Can you provide an electronic and editable format of the

Day 1 & 2 briefings?

The Government will post the briefings in PowerPoint format.

45 General: Section M Page 6 – The statement “However, the cost/price factor will contribute substantially to the selection decision.” We believe the paragraph should have ended with the sentence before the one cited. FAR 15.304 What is the definition of “substantially”?

The Final RFP will be amended to clarify the language in Section M to read "However, the cost/price factor will contribute to the Best

Value Source Selection decision". The solicitation shall also state, at a minimum , whether all evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are -- (1) Significantly more important than cost or price; (2) Approximately equal to cost or price; or (3) Significantly less important than cost or price (10 U.S.C. 2305(a)(3)(A)(iii) and 41

U.S.C. 253a(c)(1)(C)). Table1[[#This Row],[Answer]]

46 General: Do the prime and subs all require DCAA approved accounting systems and proof of recent audit?

The prime Contractor must have an adequate accounting system for determining costs applicable to the contract.(Reference FAR 16.301-

3)

47 General: Does the Government anticipate any more moves or reductions? Is BRAC over or are moves still going on?

While moves are ongoing, BRAC is complete. The workforce foot print has been stabilized. The only constraint on personnel is in HQ due to limited space and BRAC requirements.

48 General: Does the Government have a preference as to the technical capabilities of the prime? VTC as prime or UC/Portal as prime?

Government hasn't established a preference. The team must have all requisite expertise.

49 General: Does the Government want some level of listings of who is on the proposed team?

Yes, this information will be contained in several of the proposal volumes. Offerors should follow all instructions provided in Section L to ensure the proper information is provided.

50 General: How can the Offeror bring innovation into an environment that drives efficiencies? Can the Government offer ideas on how this might be approached in the proposal - maybe the Offeror would address this in the risk management section?

The Offeror is not required to propose new innovative solutions as part of this proposal. After contract award, the Contractor may propose technical innovations through the proper PMIB and EAB processes.

51 General: How does the incentive program work when staff reductions are used to save costs?

The Government doesn't currently have a specific incentive for this scenario. The Contractor would receive positive marks in CPARs for gaining efficiencies and cost savings. It would be better for both parties if staffing reductions were made as efficiencies were realized rather than to incur reductions due to future budget cuts.

52 General: How does the overlay of Quality Assurance in management apply?

Refer to Performance Incentive Fee (PIF) for expectations of quality management. Also, refer to "Contributing Factors" in Critical

Performance Objective briefing for potential areas to focus quality plans on.

53 General: How much of this Acquisition does the Government expect to be for sustainment versus innovation? Are you looking for other technologies to drive down costs?

Most of the innovative efforts will be handled through discrete projects until they reach O&M where they will likely roll into baseline. The Government doesn't know what new technologies will be leveraged or when, which is why they were not included in the

PWS.

54 General: How will the Government structure their staff for contract management? Will it be centralized or will Contractor report to multiple Government managers?

There will be a single Contracting Officers Representative (COR) from either the IC or DAC functional groups, and there will be Contracting

Officers Technical Representatives (COTR) from IC as well; however, this has not been finalized at this time.

55 General: Is a Man year 1880 hrs? The Man Year is determined by the Offeror's company depending on how many holidays and vacation days etc. the company provides.

56 General: Is a resume required for key personnel? The Government is s not asking for resumes and names but would like for the Offeror to identify key positions (Reference L-06.2). This is a performance based contract and Offerors are expected to staff the contract with personnel with the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully execute contract requirements.

57 General: Is the Government looking for a difference in the way VIP and Executive services are provided?

The Government's requirement hasn't changed, but how the Offeror chooses to deliver that service is what needs to be considered by the

Offeror. The addition of the Top Secret requirement is the only change that will be made for the Executive Services requirement.

58 General: Is the Government looking to move towards a self-service model or an on-demand model where everything is automated?

The Government is interested in gaining efficiencies where appropriate by moving towards a self-service model.

59 General: Is the MDA looking to consolidate systems and assets under one common IT umbrella for increased efficiencies as seen in other Government agencies?

Please refer to the Scope of the MICS Acquisition which is detailed in the PWS. Also, reference the Responsibility Matrix also located in the

PWS.

60 General: Is the vision what is really driving the MIC contract with the follow on being anticipated to help with new processes and technologies for the future?

Yes

61 General: Is there a division of skill sets that the Government would prefer?

This is a Performance Based Acquisition. The Offeror will determine an appropriate labor mix to meet contract requirements, which will be reflected in their proposal.

62 General: Is there money available for the cutting edge technology needs? Who determines what technologies to pursue?

Funding availability is determined on a case by case basis. The CIO makes recommendations to the Director. Government and

Contractor staff are responsible for performing research and providing technology recommendations through the EAB and SLM processes.

63 General: It appears that the Government is satisfied with the portal as is; is that correct?

The Government is interested in leveraging advancing technology as appropriate and when feasible.

64 General: Industry Days 1 Briefing - Slide 124 (PWS 3.1.2.2) under the first sub-bullet after attributes, where is the rest of the text?

Formatting error has been corrected and the corrected briefing will be posted to FedBizOpps.

65 General: Section M Page 4, Section M-02.2 – If exceptions are granted, will all bidders be given an opportunity to incorporate it into their bid?

Reference Section L-03.2 regarding inclusion of exceptions to the

Terms, Conditions, or Provisions of the Solicitation into the proposal.

66 General: Please elaborate on the 13-series tasks at the next

Industry Day. The 13-series is over half the PWS.

The Government will provide further information on these tasks in

Industry Day 2 as requested. The combined scope of the 13-series tasks are significantly less than half the scope of the PWS.

67 General: PWS 3.7 - What is the definition of data mining? Data extraction, transformation, and load into data visualization tools that enable executive business decisions.

68 General: The Proposal Matrix shows a Technical Volume and

Management Volume. However, there are sections of the PWS that map to other documents such as the Training Approach and

Cloud Computing. Can Offerors refer to these documents within the Proposal Matrix? Ref. 3.1.2.3

Section L, Attachment 8 - Proposal Matrix will be revised to accommodate for other than PWS references for the final RFP.

69 General: This proposal effort seems huge; Considering the Primes will be SDVOSB under $25M, will the Government consider reducing the volume size to better focus on key evaluation criteria?

The Government has reduced the proposal delivery requirements from its original version to reduce the burden on both the Offerors and the Government. More emphasis was placed on Past

Performance in order to reduce the Technical and Management proposal requirements. The proposal size reflects the complexity and criticality of the MICS requirement.

70 General: Were there any Collective Bargaining Agreements? There are no CBAs under the current contracts.

71 General: What are the current issues impacting the incumbent and their ability to perform?

Refer to Section L-06.4 – Risk Management Plan and Section L, Attachment 7 - Risk Analysis Slides. The Government has identified 4 risks that the Offerors must analyze and provide mitigation strategies for. In addition, Offerors are required to identify an additional 2 risks that they must analyze and provide mitigation strategies for. (Reference Section L-06.4). This proposal requirement has no reflection on the incumbent Contractors performance.

72 General: What are the greatest concerns faced by the

Government?

Reference the MDA Director's Goals and the CIO Goals provided during the Industry Days briefings.

73 General: What TQM or other methodology does the Government use for process improvement?

The MDA has adopted Lean Six Sigma methodology for Continuous

Process Improvement.

74 General: What’s the purpose of identifying the “Congressional district”?

As part of the Government contract award announcement process, MDA is required to notify congressional members of contract awards for companies headquartered in their states.

75 General: Who is responsible for network services - MDA or local

DOIMs/NECs? What's the relationship?

It depends, but overall MDA is responsible for network services. The

NECs provide last mile integration in connection with the DREN.

76 General: Who is responsible for telephony services? Reference the Responsibility Matrix contained in the PWS. The current Associate Contractor is Northrop Grumman Space and

Mission Systems under the Joint National Integration Center (JNIC)

Research and Development Contract (JRDC).

77 General: Why not Firm-Fixed price contract? MICS contains a combination of Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF), Cost

Reimbursement (CR) and Firm Fixed Price (FFP) CLINs. The

Government determined during the Acquisition Strategy process that an incentive fee based contract would provide greater cost and performance incentives than a FFP contract.

78 General: Will the “Target Cost” include ODC? No, just labor associated with Program and Collaboration Services on

CLINs X100; ODC is priced under CLINs X300. Also reference Section L

Table L-07-5.

79 General: Will the awardees be responsible for the maintenance and operation of A/V rooms, mobile systems, and portable equipment that do not have VTC capability?

Yes, refer to Section L Attachment 9 - Configuration and

Maintenance List.

80 General: Will the Government allow for cross-teaming? i.e., will a prime on one bid be allowed to sub on another team? Will subs be allowed to sub on multiple teams?

The Government has no exclusive restrictions on cross-teaming.

81 General: Will the MICS Contractor be responsible for managing existing service and maintenance agreements to include Tandberg gear, etc.?

Yes to include all applicable VTC, A/V, and Collaboration HW/SW maintenance/licensing agreements. Refer to Section L Attachment 9

– Configuration and Maintenance List for specific responsibilities.

82 General: Would MDA consider a centralized help desk concept with only Tier 2 support at other sites? Or is a 3-tier support approach at each location preferred?

The Offeror should provide their recommendation for how to align their staff in the appropriate sections of the proposal.

83 General: Would surge labor be considered baseline or a discrete task?

It will depend on the complexity and actual effort of what is required.

84 General: Would the Government be willing to have some consultative discussions with other Government agencies and intelligence?

Yes.

85 General: Would the winning team of the MICS effort be excluded from bidding on future MiDAESS efforts?

It would depend on the nature of the MiDAESS work and whether or not there are any OCI issues present.

86 General: What are the Government estimated costs shown on

Industry Days 1 - Briefing Slide 25?

This is the Governments estimate of ODC which is to be used by

Offerors in preparing their proposals. (Reference Section L table L-07-

5) This is a cost reimbursement (CR) CLIN – no fee/profit is associated with ODC.

87 General: What does JRDC stand for? Joint National Integration Center (JNIC) Research and Development

Contract. Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems is the prime Contractor for the JRDC.

88 General: What is VIPC? Is that JRDC? Visual Information Production Center and no, it is not under JRDC.

The VIPC Contractor (Harlan Lee & Associates)provides support to the VBIII Auditorium and will be an Associate Contractor to MICS in this area.

89 General: Where do you want to see the program management office for MICS located? Do you see this as a Huntsville activity or a Colorado Springs PMO, perhaps?

The Government is not dictating where the MICS program management office is located. This will be a part of the Offerors technical and management approach.

90 GFP: Are there any GFP in this contract? Reference Section J Attachment 7 - Government Furnished Property, Section L Attachment 9 - Configuration and Maintenance List and

Section H - Property and Configuration Management of Government

Property.

91 ITIL Rqmt: Is a Contractor required to be ITIL certified, or have a certain number of ITIL certified personnel?

Reference PWS 2.1.1 and 2.8.

92 ITIL: Is it up to the Offeror to demonstrate how they will integrate into the existing ITIL and RBA structures?

No, this is not required in the Offeror’s proposal. The Awardee will be required to integrate with MDA Enterprise RBA and ITIL constructs per PWS 2.1.1 (Reference Industry Days 1 – Briefing Slides 46 – 47).

The Responsibility Matrix is a good tool for Offerors to understand the roles and responsibilities between MICS and the Associate

Contractor.

93 OCI: Are JRDC subs allowed to bid on this proposal? Generally yes, pending avoidance or mitigation of any Organizational

Conflicts of Interest.

94 OCI: Are the incumbents able to prime? The incumbents are not eligible to compete as prime Offerors under this RFP.

95 OCI: Can the Government provide an example of a typical OCI issue?

An example would be the MICS prime or Teammate/Subcontractor providing Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance

(SETA)/Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) support in the IT task areas in support of IC. Other MiDAESS tasks that Offerors are a part of should not be an issue as far as the Government can assess at this time. Offerors are encouraged to submit letters to the

Contracting Officer identifying any potential OCI issues as soon as possible (Reference SectionL-09). Depending on the level of difficulty associated with assessing the Offeror's concerns, it may be necessary for the Government and Offeror to further review and discuss in more detail. By providing details up front, the Offeror will help the

Government's review process to be more efficient.

96 OCI: If a Subcontractor has no known OCI issues, does that

Subcontractor need to submit an OCI disclosure form?

The instructions are provided in Section L, Attachment 5 - OCI

Disclosure Form.

97 OCI: If an Offeror is currently on the JRDC, MicroTech or Phacil team, is this considered an OCI for MICS?

The Government does not have any adverse assumptions or determinations at this point. Collaboration between associate

Contractors is required for recommending solutions. The

Government has final approval authority of any designs. The prime

JRDC Contractor (Northrop Grumman) is not eligible to bid as a prime on this RFP and the Government has not made an adverse determination regarding Northrop Grumman's participation as a

Subcontractor on MICS . Offerors are encouraged to address OCI concerns early as specified in Section L-09.2 so that the Government has the appropriate time to review and respond.

98 OCI: Is there some type of OCI certificate required if any of the three incumbents are on the team?

Yes, most likely Non-disclosure Agreements and /or Proprietary

Information Agreements will be needed between associate

Contractors. The MICS Contractors will be required to sign the MDA

Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) Data non-disclosure agreement.

99 OCI: What is the process for OCI forms? If you wish to engage in the OCI review process prior to proposal submission, reference Section L-09. Offerors are encouraged to engage in this process as early as possible.

100 Past Performance: Are all subs required to have Past Performance even if they have good ideas but no Past Performance records?

The Prime Offeror and proposed Teammates/Subcontractors are required to submit Past Performance information IAW Section L-04.

If no Past Performance record is available, an explanation must be provided as required by Section L-04. In the case of a

Teammate/Subcontractor without a record of relevant past performance, the past performance evaluation may take into account past performance information regarding key personnel when such information is relevant to this acquisition. In this case, the

Government may request additional information through the

Evaluation Notice (EN) process.

101 Past Performance: Can a CPAR be submitted in lieu of a PPI/PPQ?

Why are CPARs not an acceptable past performance record as compared to PPQ?

In addition to the PPI/PPQ (Section L Attachments 2 and 3), the

Government will evaluate CPAR information for every prime Offeror and Teammate/Subcontractor. The Offerors are not required to submit the CPAR information as the Government will access this information through the Past Performance Information Retrieval

System (PPIRS) database.

102 Past Performance: Can the Government provide current values for

Key Performance Indicators (or the equivalent metrics for the

Performance Based Objectives) that are being tracked within the environment?

The Government does not intend to release the current performance metrics; however, the current performance levels fall within the required CPO Quality Levels identified within the PWS.

103 Past Performance: How did the Government come to the conclusion that Past Performance was the number one factor?

By emphasizing Past Performance, the Government will be able to identify companies with a good solid track record which encompasses critical technical and management requirements.

104 Past Performance: How will past performance be determined? If past-performance qualifications reference commercial or state/local projects will those qualifications be judged as less relevant than direct DoD past performance?

The Government will not predetermine if a non-DoD Past

Performance reference will be more or less relevant than a DoD reference. The Government is interested in recent and relevant Past

Performance regardless of whether it is DoD, commercial or otherwise; all recent Past Performance will be assessed and a

Relevancy rating will be provided on a case by case basis. (Reference

Section M-04.3)

105 Past Performance: If a company has little Past Performance, should they even bother to prime for MICS or just be a sub?

The Government will be looking at the Past Performance of the team as a whole to determine the confidence rating. How the Offerors choose to align their team is their decision.

106 Past Performance: In an instance where PPE would come from a previous sub that will now be competing with their Prime for

MICS and the Prime will not provide PPI/Reference for the company; how will this be addressed?

Recommend finding one of the Government (or customer) personnel that might have past Performance information.

107 Past performance: Is a DoD contract considered equal to an Army contract?

This will be looked at on a case-by-case basis. There are several determining factors the Government will review to determine relevancy. The Past Performance Confidence rating is at an aggregate level. (Reference Table M-04-2) The Government will not predetermine if a non-DoD Past Performance reference will more or less relevant than a DoD reference. The Government is interested in recent and relevant Past Performance regardless of whether it is

DoD, commercial or otherwise; all recent Past Performance will be assessed and a Relevancy rating will be provided on a case by case basis. (Reference Section M-04.3)

108 Past Performance: Is dollar value and scope a factor in Past

Performance?

Yes, reference Section M-04.

109 Past Performance: Is the Past Performance volume requirement for hand delivery the same as the rest of the proposal?

Yes – 24 hour advance notice is required for all hand delivered volumes.

110 Past Performance: Is there a difference in the way corporate experience is evaluated in terms of Past Performance?

The Government is interested in Past Performance geared towards technical and management execution more so than the corporate level. However, that doesn't mean that corporate experience is not relevant; the Offeror must demonstrate the relevancy of the experience.

111 Past performance: POCs may be another Contractor performing as a Subcontractor. Often the Government or customer may not know the sub. Will the Government accept input from the prime

Contractor?

POCs do not have to be Government ; non-Government Contract

Administrators, Program Managers etc. are acceptable. (Reference

Section L-04) The Past Performance forms accommodate non-

Government POCs.

112 Past Performance: Industry Days 1 – Briefing Slide 57 - this could be very slanted to any team that is teamed with the incumbents.

There are no SDVOSBs with the size and complexity of the MDA

VTC & MKO.

The Past Performance Confidence Assessment is an aggregate rating of the entire team.

113 Past Performance: What was the Government's purpose/strategy of having Past Performance requirements delivered separately from the remaining portions of the Proposal?

Past Performance is the highest rated factor and typically takes more time to evaluate. It doesn’t take as long for the Offeror to prepare this volume in comparison with other proposal volumes.

114 Past Performance: Will the Government consider PPI for projects recently underway?

The Government will have to consider this on a case by case basis.

The Offeror may not have adequate performance, and it may affect relevancy.

115 Past Performance: Will the Government consider substitution of

PPQ with most recent CPARS?

No. In addition to the PPI/PPQ (Section L Attachments 2 and 3), the

Government will evaluate CPAR information for every prime Offeror and Teammate/Subcontractor. The Offerors are not required to submit the CPAR information as the Government will access this information through the Past Performance Information Retrieval

System (PPIRS) database. (Refer to Industry Day Briefing Slide 57)

116 Past Performance: Page 4 – Refers to unknown confidence for past performance. Shouldn’t it be neutral?

An Unknown Confidence rating is the same as a Neutral. (Reference

Section M Table M-04-1)

117 PMIB: Is the PMIB schedule budget driven? No, the PMIB is conducted monthly or as required.

118 PMIB: Will the Government be releasing more information on the

PMIB process?

Reference the Offeror's Library for more information on the PMIB.

119 Procurement: Will the Contractor procure new/replacement A/V and communication equipment? Would that funding be in addition to the ODC funding profile described in the RFP?

Yes, the ODC CLINs X300 are for procurement of new and replacement equipment (break/fix). Other equipment may be procured outside of the CLIN X300 estimates for Projects and

Discrete Tasks, and Equipment Refresh/Recapitalization.

120 Procurement: Does the JRDC (Northrop Grumman) buy all of the new VTC equipment?

No, MICS will purchase any new VTC equipment within the scope of the contract (reference PWS Section 3.4). The Associate Contractor is responsible for Property Management of the VTC equipment

(reference Section H - Property and Configuration of Government

Property).

121 Procurement: What's the expected procurement ceiling? Refer to Government ODC estimates (Section L Table L-07-5), but note that this amount doesn't include procurement for Projects and

Discrete Tasks, and Equipment Refresh/Recapitalization.

122 Procurement: Will the MICS Contractor buy and maintain spare parts? Are there metrics about spare part usage?

Yes, the Contractor will buy and maintain spare parts. The

Government has not provided metrics on spare part usage, but has provided an estimated cost for ODC which includes spare parts

(Section L Table L-07-5). The Contractor will be required to submit a

Life Cycle Management Plan (CDRL A028) after contract award.

123 Procurement: Will the MICS Contractor have to maintain an equipment stock?

Yes, the Contractor will buy and maintain spare parts. The

Contractor will be required to submit a Life Cycle Management Plan

(CDRL A028) after contract award.

124 RAM-T: The RAM-T (13-001) task support seems to be a

“specialized one-off” type situation – not VTC, not SharePoint site management services and not Federal/DoD tools support scenario. Can the Government provide more insight on this requirement?

This is an example of data mining under a discretely funded task. The

Government will provide a more detailed explanation of the RAM-T requirement at industry day 2.

125 RBA: Can the Government provide documentation describing the

MDA RBA construct?

Reference the Offeror's Library for more information on the RBA construct.

126 RFI Responses: Are copies of the RFI responses and submissions available? If not, will they be made available?

No. Those are proprietary.

127 Risk Mgmt: What are the Government's cornerstones for identifying risks pertaining to integrating new staff?

The Government provided four risks for the Offeror to evaluate and has asked for two additional Offeror-identified risks to be included in the Risk Management Plan.

128 SCA: What is the current MDA staffing for Service Contract Act

(SCA) application?

The question is focused on Executive Order 13495 of January 30, 2009, "Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service

Contracts". The implementation of this order under the Federal

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is still listed by the FAR Council (FARC) as an "Open Issue" as of 9 Jan 2012.When and if a new FAR rule is issued, the solicitation may be amended or updated to reflect applicability (if required) to this Executive order.

129 SDVOSB: Are verification letters from the VA needed for all

Teammates considered as SDVOSB if they contribute to the 51% requirement?

No, for Teammates/Subcontractors contributing to the SDVOSB participation requirement, VA verification letters will be requested, as well as a current copy of their ORCA. The Final RFP will be revised to reflect this change.

130 SDVOSB: Can the Government verify that lack of a letter from VA will not, in itself, disqualify a bidder’s proposal?

The letter is not required and the lack of a letter will not constitute disqualification. If an Offeror has a letter from the VA verifying their

SDVOSB status, they will be requested to submit it with their proposal to help speed up the review process; however, this is not a requirement. ORCA will be used to verify the Offerors certification as a SDVOSB.

131 SDVOSB: Does the Government want all SDVOSB team members to submit validation letters or just the prime?

Yes, for the prime Offeror and Teammates/Subcontractors contributing to the SDVOSB participation requirement, VA verification letters will be requested, as well as a current copy of their ORCA. The final RFP will be revised to reflect this change.

132 SDVOSB: Does the Small Business Size Standard ($25.0M) apply to all companies contributing to the 50% SDVOSB requirement?

Yes, all SDOVSB companies contributing toward the 50% SDVOSB requirement must meet the applicable size standard for NAICS

541513.

133 SDVOSB: Has the Government considered putting this work out through VETS GWAC?

The VETS GWAC was considered, but that option was not in the best interest of the Agency.

134 SDVOSB: How will the Government verify SDVOSB status? The Government will primarily use ORCA for verification of SDVOSB status; however, if there are further questions the VA will also be consulted. Also, the SBA will be consulted for any concerns related to size standards. The Offeror may submit letters received from the VA verifying their SDVOSB status to speed up the process; however, this is not a requirement.

135 SDVOSB: If two SDVOSB partner with one as the prime, does that cover the 50% requirement?

Yes, as long as the requirements of FAR 52.219-27 are met.

136 SDVOSB: What is the expected procurement ceiling the SDVOSB teams will be expected to carry?

Reference the Government estimated ODC costs in Section L Table L-

07-5 for annual estimated procurement amounts; divide by 12 for estimated monthly procurements. Additional procurement will be required for equipment refresh/recapitalization and Projects and

Discrete Tasks.

137 SDVOSB: What VA letter are you referencing? The VA provides an annual letter of SDVOSB verification to qualifying companies through the Vendor Information Page (VIP) database on vetbiz.gov.

138 Technical: Is ad hoc usage of VTC in scope? E.g., If a point to point

VTC elevates to a 5 person VTC and moves to a conference room.

Is this in scope? This question includes usage of Lync.

MDA users are trained and should follow all scheduling guidance and policies. However, there are occasions when ad hoc conferencing events happen. Currently users call the MDA conferencing Desk for assistance. Lync is currently not integrated.

139 Technical: Are Applications integrated with SharePoint? Every attempt is made to ensure applications are accessible from or integrated with SharePoint data structures and program interfaces where possible. Integration requirements will be defined per each application requirements.

140 Technical: Are there dedicated SQL servers for SharePoint? Yes there is a dedicated SQL server instance which resides on a MDA

SQL server cluster.

141 Technical: Are you looking to leverage some of MS Lync capabilities?

The Government expects the Offeror to perform some evaluations and make recommendations. It is recommended that the Offeror makes no assumptions on what the Government is tied to.

142 Technical: Are you predisposed to a single mobile platform technology? Can Offerors propose new mobile platforms?

No. The Government is interested in understanding the Offeror's technical approach for how they will lead us into the future.

143 Technical: Does everything go through DIACAP? Yes.

144 Technical: Does MDA have copies of the AMX/Creston software files for each of the AMX/Creston control system in use?

The Government currently uses AMX and has the software files for each AMX control system in use.

145 Technical: Does software have to be developed on site? The Government hasn't dictated that response. The Government is prepared to house MICS Contractors within MDA space.

146 Technical: Does the Government own the source code for VTC systems?

Reference AMX panels, the Gov. owns the custom developed source code for AMX GUIs.

147 Technical: Does the MDA have any preferred tools for software requirements tracking, e.g. MS Team Foundation Server?

No. The CMDB is currently used for requirements tracking.

148 Technical: Does the MICS contract call for maintaining/operating/upgrading VTC infrastructure products such as: MCU, TMS, VCS Cable keeper, ISDN Gateway?

Yes

149 Technical: For the prime or subs to integrate devices such as Cloud

Computing, tablets, and smart phones, is it a requirement to go through the DISA application process?

The product Vendor is primarily responsible for initiating the approval process of their unapproved products with DISA. The

Government and Contractor may coordinate with the Vendor to initiate this process.

150 Technical: How does MDA protect against classified leakage? MDA networks are encrypted and monitored.

151 Technical: How long does the DIACAP process normally take? The DIACAP process length varies, and is tightly dependent upon the complexity of the system being accredited but generally takes 90 –

180 days.

152 Technical: How many classifications of VTC? Unclassified, Secret, TS/SCI.

153 Technical: Is all hardware JTIC approved? All hardware has been purchased through the JTIC approved hardware list.

154 Technical: Is the Government open to pursue other technologies to achieve goals other than what are in place today?

Yes. The Government is open to technical solutions that meet mission requirements in a more effective and/or efficient manner.

155 Technical: Is the Government open to recommendations for architecture changes?

Yes

156 Technical: Is the Government willing to look at or meet with other

Government agencies to see how they are using MS Lync and their lessons learned?

Yes

157 Technical: Is there a plan to upgrade to SharePoint 2010?

Timeframe?

Currently there are no activities in this direction; however, the

Offeror should reference PWS 3.1.1.3 for further guidance on future technologies.

158 Technical: Is there a VTC SME POC that can answer questions for all Offerors?

All questions should be submitted IAW directions provided on

FedBizOpps

159 Technical: Is there currently offsite storage of data to maintain backups?

No

160 Technical: Is video mail being used currently? No

161 Technical: Industry Days 1 – Briefing Slide 155/page 78 VTC systems list doesn’t include a Codian gateway. Are there any ISDN connected VTC endpoints? Is there an H.320 to H.323 gateway in the VSOC?

Reference Section L Attachment 9 – Configuration and Maintenance

List. There are some sites that connect via ISDN and some key rooms have ISDN back up. There is a Gateway in both HSV and COS.

162 Technical: Part of the DIACAP process involves C&A. What is the expectation of Contractors with respect to C&A specifically

ATO/ATC?

The MICS Contractor will be required to provide technical assistance, prepare documentation and coordinate the flow of information throughout the DIACAP/ATO/ATC C&A process.

163 Technical: Please explain delineation between application and server management as it relates to the SharePoint Portal?

Refer to the Software, Servers and Infrastructure Technical Services of the Responsibility Matrix, Tab A of the PWS, for identification of the roles and responsibilities of the MICS Contractor and that of the

Associate Contractor.

164 Technical: What measures are taken to protect data in the DREN? DREN networks are encrypted and monitored.

165 Technical: What’s the process for custom .NET code for things like

SharePoint web parts, etc.?

Custom code is developed by the MICS Contractor IAW IA controls with the standards reviewed through an IA code scan and implemented via the EAB process.

166 Technical: Where does the Government want to be in five years with mobile computing technology?

MDA does not currently have a definitive plan regarding mobile computing technology; however, the MICS Contractor is required to maintain current knowledge of emerging technologies to aid the

Government in planning for future technology insertion.

167 Technical: Will drawings be provided for all systems requiring support? What format will they be in?

Necessary drawings and details will be provided to the MICS

Contractor after award.

168 Technical: Will network infrastructure designs be provided for proposal information?

Based upon Operations Security, detailed network infrastructure designs will not be made available until…