Amendment 0002 - Q and A.pdf

Amendment 0002 - H9821025RE014 Questions and Answers

Question RFP Reference RFP Page Government Response Reference Amendment 0001

Section 4.4. of the PWS, Standards of Service: Table 4.4.2 states that calls, chats, and callbacks should be “answered” within a 3-minute timeframe. Will the Government designate “answered” as answered by the phone system, chat bot, and/or other automated method?

Attachment 1 -

PWS

Answered call" refers to a live agent who immediately begins working to resolve the caller's request.

Simply answering the call and placing the caller on hold, or using an automated system to answer, does not meet this requirement. (Reference PWS Section 4.4.2)

Deliverables Table in PWS 6.0 identified several documents (CONOPS, COOP, Software Release Verification Plan, Personnel Training Plan, Quality Management Plan, and Quality Control Plan) that are stated to be delivered a number of “days after contract award.” Should the requirement be the same number of “days after contract start” instead? Development of these documents occur during the transition-in phase, and those costs are included in CLIN 0005.

Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 6.0 Deliverables

PWS Section 6.0 correctly outlines the deliverable timeline. The requirement is for documents to be delivered a certain number of days after the contract award, as detailed within that section. (Reference PWS Section 6.0)

The deliverables table in PWS 6.0 lists 4.7.1.2 and 4.7.1.3 for Phase-In Transition Plan and Phase-Out Transition Plan, but there is no 4.7.1.2 or 4.7.1.3 in the PWS. What are the correct paragraph references?

Attachment 1 -

PWS

Phase in transition plan is listed in PWS Section 4.7.2 and phase-out is listed in PWS Section 4.7.3. PWS Section 6.0 has been updated to reflect this.

52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (Aug 2018) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67) and subsequent clauses are invoked in the solicitation. Due to the Firm Fixed Price (FFP) nature of the Labor CLINs, would the Government consider removing SCLS requirements from the solicitation? If not, would the Government provide the applicable Wage Determination Schedule to utilize?

Contract Terms and Conditions

Offerors develop their technical approach to meeting the requirements of the solicitation. This includes determining the quantity of personnel and labor categories necessary to fulfill the requirements. As such, it is unknown whether Offeror labor categories will be subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS). Offerors must determine if SCLS applies, and if so, provide additional information in the proposal submission as outlined in the Instructions to Offerors and Evaluation Criteria. Please reference updates to the Price Volume Instructions to Offeror and Evaluation Criteria.

If the proposal does not include any labor categories subject to SCLS, the Offeror shall ensure this is stated in the Price Volume.

To facilitate evaluation, will the Government permit “landscape” orientation as needed for larger format items like organizational charts and graphics, schedules, and staffing tables?

RFP #3

Proposal Preparation and Submission Requirements

52 Yes, landscape may be utilized.

Should Volume I be titled, “Business Volume” per the table on page 53, or “Business Information” per page 55?

RFP Proposal Organization Table and Volume I

53 and

This has been updated.

Should Volume IV be titled, “Factor 3: Small Business Participation” per the table on page 53/54, or “Factor 3: Small Business Participation Plan” per page 58?

RFP Proposal Organization Table and Volume I

53, 54, and 58

This has been updated.

Would the Government please confirm that items i. and ii. under 7.a should read “1st Line of Header” and “2nd Line of Header”

vs. referencing “Footer”?

RFP Item 7.a.i & ii

54 Yes, this has been updated.

Per DoD guidelines, the “CUI” designation needs to be placed at the bottom line in any footer. Will the Government permit offerors to make the change to provide the “CUI” marking beneath the line that reads, “Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104” rather than above it per RFP page 54, 7.c.i & ii?

RFP Item 7.c.i & ii

DODI 5200.48 and 5230.24 specify that CUI markings shall be at the top and bottom of each page, meaning in a header and footer, and they must be consistent. The instructions are specific that CUI must be the first identification in the header portion but it is not specific for the footer aside from needing to be consistent with the header. Thus, Offerors may include the Source Selection marking either above or below the CUI marking in the footer as long as both designations are included.

Is there any limit to the email size for submission? RFP Item 9 55

Yes, the total email shall not exceed 8 MB. Offerors are responsible for ensuring that proposals are received timely and are encouraged to review FAR 15.208(b)(1)(i) regarding transmission through an electronic commerce method. Offerors are welcome to request confirmation of submission.

The requirement for submission is via email. However, per the RFP, Proposals must have the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Source Selection Sensitive markings. CUI data cannot be transmitted via regular email.

Will the Government please provide further instructions on the method of transmission for CUI Proposals; for example, via a portal upload such as Department of Defense (DoD) Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE)?

RFP Item 9 55

Offerors may utilize email or DoD SAFE. If DoD SAFE is utilized, the email notification, password, and all documents uploaded to DOD SAFE must be timely.

As noted in Question #14, Offerors are encouraged to review FAR 15.208(b)(1)(i) regarding electronic commerce submissions. In addition, Offerors are cautioned to do a "test" submission to the Government POC(s) prior to proposal submission to ensure it is established, DOD SAFE emails can be received, and proposal submission can occur.

For the Volume III relevant Past Performance references, will the Government allow Offerors to provide Contractor Performance Assessment Reports (CPARs) in lieu of Past Performance Questionnaires (Attachment 3)?

RFP Volume III, Past Performance and Attachment 3 Past Performance Questionnaire

CPARS may be provided; however, for performance since the last CPARS period of performance, a PPQ is needed if the contract had continued performance. In addition, the CPARS contractor must match the Offeror or the subcontractor whose past performance is being evaluated under this solicitation. If the Offeror or the subcontractor is a subcontractor to the contractor listed in the CPARS, a PPQ is required for the Offeror or subcontractor whose past performance is being evaluated under this solicitation.

CLIN X003 refers to the ACD, specifically mentioning system names, licenses, etc. What is not mentioned is toll-free (call volume-based) costs. Will the Government allow phone carrier charges (minutes) be charged to CLIN X003?

RFP Volume V, Factor 4, CLIN X003

61 Yes. All costs associated with the phone system should be charged to CLIN X003.

The RFP states: “The Offeror's price proposal shall include a detail of all proposed labor categories, the fully burdened labor rates, hours proposed per labor category, and any discounts offered for all personnel and processes necessary to meet all PWS requirements” and “Material and other non-labor costs (aside from the Automated Call Distribution System and Ticket Management System) shall be included in these CLINs, where applicable. Offerors shall identify these costs individually and separately from the labor information to include identification of the material/item, unit cost, quantity, etc.”

These requirements are not typically required under Firm Fixed Price (FFP) proposals within a competitive procurement. As such, would the Government consider removing these requirements from the FFP CLINs X001, CLIN X003, CLIN X004, and CLIN 0005?

RFP Volume V: Factor 4, Price

The Government has determined this requirement is firm-fixed price for all aspects except travel. Offerors must identify and price material(s) and/or associated other direct costs aside from the ACD and TMS as part of CLIN X001 as identified in the solicitation.

The Government identifies Factors 1–4 as being evaluated in “descending order of importance” and “Technical Capability is more important than Past Performance. Past Performance is more important than Small Business Participation. Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Small Business Participation, when combined, are significantly more important than Price.”

How are the Elements A–D evaluated within Factor 1? Equally, in descending order of importance, or other? Please explain.

RFP Basis for Contract Award

65 Elements A through D are equally important and will not be separately rated.

Requirement: "If an Offeror or its major subcontractor(s) determines they have no relevant past performance data, they shall provide the following statement in lieu of the information request below: "(Insert Offeror or major subcontractor's name) has determined that they possess no relevant past performance information IAW the RFP".

Question: Will the lack of relevant past performance data impact the offeror's score?

RFP 57

The Basis for Contract Award states that "The award of a contract as a result of this solicitation will be based on a Best Value/Tradeoff assessment using the evaluation factors and their importance as indicated below. The integrated assessment shall include consideration of the strengths, weaknesses, significant weaknesses, and/or deficiencies of the proposals and a consideration of tradeoffs between the technical evaluation, past performance evaluation, small business participation plan, and cost/price. Ultimately, the Contracting Officer will take into account the offeror's capability to meet the requirements of this solicitation in a timely and cost-effective manner. The Government reserves such right of flexibility in conducting evaluations as is necessary to award a contract that is in the Government's best interest.

Accordingly, the Government may award the contract to other than the offeror with the lowest price, or other than the offeror with the highest evaluation ratings." Also in the Basis for Contract Award, under Factor 2 - Past Performance, states: "In addition, a strong record of relevant past performance may be considered more advantageous to the Government than a "Neutral Confidence" rating." It also states:

"Offerors without a Past Performance Record, for whom a Past Performance Record is not available, or whose relevant performance record is so sparse that no meaningful confidence assessment rating can be reasonably assigned, shall receive a "Neutral Confidence" Performance Confidence Assessment rating."

The Government does not utilize scoring but instead will evaluate the factor ratings, the factor overall order of importance, and pricing submitted by offeror(s) in determining contract award. It is unknown if lack of relevant past performance information would be an impact to the procurement as proposal submissions and ratings are unknown.

Requirement: The Offeror shall identify no more than five (5), of its most relevant contracts or efforts performed within five (5) years of the solicitation issuance date Question: Is there a minimum number of relevant contracts or efforts the offeror should provide?

RFP 56

There is no minimum required; however, the Instructions, Conditions, & Notices to Offerors or Quoters states in Volume III: Factor 2, Past Performance, that "The references will be evaluated in the aggregate in order to allow Offerors who may not have the entire scope, magnitude, and complexity of the requirement under one individual contract to still be considered relevant if experience with the full scope, magnitude, and complexity of the requirement can be demonstrated within the allotted number of references..."

What is the expected/historical volume? RFP

The Government has provided historical call volume in Appendix C to Attachment 1 - Performance Work Statement. The Government has updated the call volume information to reflect the most current information available. Please see the changes in this section.

What is your expected headcount? RFP Headcount requirements are not pre-defined. The contractor is responsible for determining the necessary headcount based on the provided call volumes, ticket volumes, required Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and its technical approach.

Can the work be done by Call Center Agents working remotely? RFP Call center agents can work remotely within CONUS, OCONUS and potentially US territories, with approval. (Reference PWS Sections 12.0 - Place of Performance and 9.9.3 for Citizenship status.)

Are there specific tools, such as CRM, that are required/preferred?

RFP

Specific tools are not required. The Ticket Management System must integrate with the DTMO Passport. (Reference PWS Section 2.0)

What are the KPIs, such as Average Handle Time, Service Level Agreements, CSAT, etc?

RFP Key performance indicators (KPI's) are oulined in the PWS Section 4.4.2.

Can a COR type their name at the bottom of the PPQ in place of a signature?

Attachment 3 -

PPQ

4 Yes.

What does "1st page, bottom right corner" represent? The cover page? The first page of content?

RFP, Section 7B

54 The 1st page of the file or document which is typically the volume or cover page.

The document states "header on all pages shall include the following" followed by "1st line of Footer: CUI", are the header and footer supposed to be the same? Or is there other information that should be included in the header?

RFP, Section 7A

Yes, the header and footer should be the same. Both the header and footer should state: "CUI" and "Source Selection Information - See FAR 2.101 and 3.104."

What does "Define all reporting procedures within the CONOPS" entail? Does the CONOPS already exist with the incumbent's reporting procedure, and the winning contractor would update to their issue reporting procedures?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 4.3.1

The CONOPS currently exist, as is outlined in PWS 4.3.1 and the requirement is that it contains the agreed upon procedures detailed in section -and sub sections- 4.3.1 -

4.3.1.5. (PWS 4.3.1 & 4.5.2.3) AND the Government will provide internal controlled CONOPS related to software release testing procedures. As part of 4.3.1, the contractor will specify to the Government how they intend to report enterprise-wide abnormalities, trends, and significant system issues to DTS PMO and DTMO government representatives if they occur (via phone, email, SMS, etc).

Can it be clarified what Section 4.3.6.3 is requiring?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 4.3.6.2

PWS Section 4.3.6.3 is the Verification Plan for Software Release Processes. Within the initial 90-day transition period following contract award, the Contractor shall develop and execute a verification plan. This plan must ensure that all necessary processes required before and after a software release are fully documented.The verification plan should detail the methods used to confirm the existence and completeness of documentation for key release processes. Examples of these processes include:

Pre-Release: Testing procedures, approval workflows, security vulnerability scanning, and deployment checklists.

Post-Release: System performance monitoring, functionality validation, bug tracking and resolution, and user feedback collection.

The plan must clearly outline the steps for verifying documentation and the actions to be taken based on the verification results.

Are the certifications under 4.5.9.1 a requirement?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 4.5.1.9

The contractor must have same or newer certifications as listed, or an equivalent certification if using certifications other than ISO/IEC.

(Reference PWS Section 4.5.9.1 - The contractor shall possess and maintain current, and any equivalent updates/replacements, for International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for ISO 9001:2015, ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certifications.)

If the incumbent technologies (Oracle RightNow and NICE CXOne) are used, can the government clarify whether the solutions will be considered GFE or if the vendor must acquire and fund licenses, manage the environments and boundaries, etc.?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Sections

4.1.7 and 4.1.8

The offeror is responsible for procuring and paying for the necessary licenses, phone minutes, and associated material/costs for technologies under the appropriate CLINs (X003 and X004). If the the offeror decides to utilize existing technologies, coordination with the incumbent contractor would need to occur early in the phase-in period.

Is the government planning on procuring a replacement technology stack for CRM and Contact Center to include communications? If yes, will the government procure this themselves or are they considering a managed service?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Sections

4.1.7 and 4.1.8

While the government is not currently planning to procure or replace existing technology, it remains open to adopting emerging technologies that improve efficiency and service delivery for warfighters. (Reference PWS Sections 4.1.7 and 4.1.8.)

What are the baseline security requirements for cloud services support contact center as a service and ticketing platform?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 4.1.7

The baseline security requirements are found in ISO/IEC 27001-2022 certification details Information Security Management Systems. (Reference PWS Section 4.5.9.1)

Are ACD and TMS stand-alone systems or must they integrate with existing systems – DTS/TraX?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Sections

4.1.7 and 4.1.8

Although ACD integration with existing systems is not a requirement, the ACD solution must still meet the specifications in PWS section 4.1.8. Nice CXOne and Oracle RightNow currently function as standalone systems.

The Ticket Management System, however, must integrate with the DTMO Passport system. (Reference PWS Sections 2.0 and 4.1.8)

What specific interfaces and/or integrations are required between TMS and TraX, and are there any anticipated changes to these interfaces during the contract period?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 4.1.7

There are no anticipated changes to any interfaces unless the contractor provides a new TMS solution.

DMDC is also the hosting organization of record. As such, they can mandate technology changes to occur. If this were to occur, DMDC, DTMO, and the TAC contractor would work together to determine a new solution and the TAC contract would be modified accordingly.

Does the government require direct integration for inbound DSN or will they provide an external forward to DID or phone number?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 4.1.1

The government does not require integretaion for DSN. The requirement is that the TAC is accessible from DSN network for phones. (Reference PWS Section 4.1.1, DSN phones only) Under the current CONOPS, the TAC does not have a DSN number.

The Section B Pricing Template (Attachment 4) provides only 6 months for CLIN 001, while the other CLINs appear to cover 9-month periods. Please clarify whether CLIN 001 should be priced for 6 months or if this is a typographical error. If this is an error, please provide updated instructions or a revised pricing template.

Attachment 4 - Pricing Table and RFP Section B

Attach ment 4 -and

RFP

The base period of performance is 9 months. CLIN 0001 is for 6 months as full performance is 6 months. CLIN 0005 is for 3 months which is the transition period.

CLINs 0002, 0003, and 0004 are for 9 months as they may be required during transition and full performance.

The RFP states, “It is the intention of the Government to award without discussions, however, if it is determined that discussions are necessary, then the determination of the competitive range will include all proposals which are considered to be the most highly rated and may include those that are considered to have a reasonable chance of being selected for award, unless the competitive range is further limited in accordance with FAR 15.306(c)(2).” If discussions are held, can the Government confirm that Offerors will be permitted to revise any aspect of their proposals, including price, consistent with FAR 15.307?

RFP Section M

65-67 Yes. This procurement is pursuant to FAR Parts 12 and 15 and as such, this would apply if discussions were entered into with an offeror.

Will the Government disclose the relative weighting or order of importance of the evaluation factors (Technical Capability, Past Performance, Small Business Participation, Price), beyond the qualitative descriptors provided in Section M?

RFP Section M

65-67

There are no additional weightings or order of importance beyond what is identified in the Basis for Contract award which outlines each of the factors and states:

"Technical Capability is more important than Past Performance. Past Performance is more important than Small Business Participation. Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Small Business Participation, when combined, are significantly more important than Price."

The Pricing Table identifies Travel CLINs as “Not-to-Exceed” $25,000. Can the Government clarify whether this ceiling applies per contract year, per CLIN, or as a total across the period of performance; and whether this amount is intended to cover all types of travel (e.g., QR meetings, GovTravels travel)?

Attachment 4 - Pricing Table and RFP Section B

Attach ment 4 -and

RFP

Pages 3 and 60

The 'Not-to-Exceed' travel CLIN is planned as a yearly execution CLIN. Each period of performance would be funded for $25,000. The DTMO COR approves ALL travel prior to contractor booking travel. Travel would be in support of TAC activities and DTMO conferences and activities such as GOVTravels. While QRs could be conducted within the National Capital Region (Mark Center), they may be virtual as well. DTMO reserves the right to specify which, if any, QR meetings will be in person, and whom be be travelling (Gov't or Contractor).

Are there designated labor categories, Service Contract Labor Standards wage determinations, or prevailing wage references that Offerors must use in pricing labor for CLIN X001 and CLIN 0005; or are Offerors permitted to propose their own labor categories?

Attachment 4 - Pricing Table and RFP Sections B and L

Attach ment 4 -and

RFP

Reference Question #8.

The RFP states that indirect costs are not reimbursable under Time & Materials CLINs. Can the Government clarify whether this applies to all types of indirects (e.g., G&A, overhead, fringe) or only certain categories?

RFP Section B, Terms for T&M CLINs and Section L.7

59 This applies to all indirect costs for the travel CLINs X002.

Is use of Oracle RightNow as the Ticket Management System mandatory, or will the Government consider alternative COTS ticketing systems that meet or exceed the requirements?

Additionally, please clarify the specific technical/interface requirements for integration with TraX.

Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 4.3

Attach ment 1

The use of Oracle RightNow is not mandatory. The Ticket Management System (TMS) must interface with DTMO Passport. Any TMS that is cloud based and is accessible via URL should be able to interface with DTMO Passport | TRAX.

(Reference PWS Sections 2.0 and 4.1.9)

If using another TMS other than Oracle RightNow, the contracor would be expected to provide support for Government IT Security personnel with any Network related activities to allow data transfer through DoD firewalls, routers, etc.

Is NICE CXOne specified as a mandatory Automated Call Distribution (ACD) platform for the TAC, or may Offerors propose equivalent or superior platforms? Are there any licensing, cyber, or interface constraints Offerors should be aware of for ACD system proposals?

Attachment 1 - PWS, Section

4.1 and 4.3

Attach ment 1 and

RFP

Nice CXOne is not a requirement for the ACD platform. Offerrors may procure and utilize an ACD system that meets requirements outlined in PWS section 4.1.8 (Reference Sections 2.0 and 4.1.8 - 4.1.8.8.)

The PWS states that the Contractor will “cite references and Local Business Rules” when providing information on travel-related processes and regulations. Can the Government please provide an example of what is meant by “Local Business Rules” in this context, or clarify the types of rules the Government considers that fall under this category?

RFP 4

Local Business Rules would be any requirements, processes, procedures, set-up in DTS, etc., that are applicable only to the agency, activity, etc. These are more specific requirements for personnel of that entity. An example of this is stating to callers if the TAC Analyst could detach them from their unit based on their service (i.e. some services' local business rules do not permit detachment.)

The RFP and PWS reference DFARS 252.204-7012 and NIST SP 800-171, which are CMMC L2 core requirements. Is CMMC Level 2 certification currently required for the prime contractor at the time of proposal submission, at contract award, or prior to performance? If so, will the Government require a copy of the certificate with the proposal?

RFP 55

Per DFARS provision 252.204-7019, in order to be considered for award, the Offeror shall have a current assessment for each covered contractor information system that is relevant to the offer, contract, task order, or delivery order. Please reference solicitation updates to the Instructions to Offerors and Basis for Award for additional information regarding NIST requirements.

I am registered on SAM.gov and looking for contracting or subcontracting opportunities. Our firm specializes in systems engineering, systems architecture, project management, Model- Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), IT, telecom, integration, and process engineering services.

RFP N/A

If a firm is not interested in proposing as a prime offeror for this requirement, firms can also sign up as an interested vendor for the opportunity. To do this, firms must be logged into SAM, have the requirement posting open, and add their firm's information to the interested vendor listing. The interested vendor listing can be viewed by firms logged into SAM.