25QE056_ATTCH10_Q_A_060525.pdf

Question # Page Solicitation Section Question Answer

1 Can you please tell me if there is an incumbent? Yes, the Incumbent is LINNFLUX, INC.

Could you please tell me if there will be a Pre-solicitation Teams (or other) meeting to submit any questions?

No, this is an official RFQ.

Is there another method to submit questions and when will they be due? Will there be a termination date for questions See, Solicitation instructions Page 74 Section 3.5.

Lastly, how should our proposal be submitted? Electronically or hard copy, or both?

See, Solicitation instructions Page 73 Section 3.3.

5 1. 1. Submission Size Limitations (RFQ Instructions): The RFQ states a 10MB limit for email submissions. What is the process for submitting proposals that exceed this size? Is there an alternate portal or file transfer protocol available?

Quote submissions can be spilt up in different parts/ volumes to meet the size limitation.

6 14. 2. Demonstrating Cybersecurity Compliance (PWS & Tech Exh 1): Besides responses in the Cloud Questionnaire, what level of detail is expected in the Technical Approach regarding compliance with DoD RMF, STIGs, and other DoDEA security policies?

DoD RMF, STIG compliance, DoD Cloud Computing SRG, Data protection and encryption (especially for student data), Incident response and reporting procedures

15. 3. Section 508 Conformance – Supporting Documentation (Attachment 3): What specific types of detail (e.g., documentation of accessibility testing, screenshots, VPAT data tables) are expected to support conformance claims, particularly for Chapters 4–6 and Functional Performance Criteria?

Use the VPAT 2.4 or later format tailored to the Revised 508 Standards. Include tables for:

Chapter 3: Functional Performance Criteria

Chapter 4: Hardware Chapter 5: Software

Chapter 6: Support Documentation and Services Each criterion should be marked with:

Supports Partially Supports Does Not Support

Not Applicable Provide narrative explanations for each rating, including how accessibility is achieved or where gaps exist.

16. 4. Third-Party Tools Compliance Documentation (PWS): For proposed third-party tools or platforms, what specific forms of proof (e.g., ATO letters, documentation, certifications) are expected to demonstrate compliance with the same technical standards as the prime?

To demonstrate that third-party tools meet the same technical and cybersecurity standards as the prime contractor, the following proof is typically required:

1. **Authorization to Operate (ATO):** Approval documentation from a DoD Authorizing Official.

2. **System Security Plan (SSP):** Outlines compliance with NIST SP 800-53 or NIST SP 800- 171.

3. **STIG Compliance Evidence:** Documentation or scans verifying alignment with DISA STIGs.

4. **CMMC Certification:** Required for tools handling Controlled Unclassified Information, typically at Level 2 or higher.

5. **FedRAMP/DoD SRG Compliance:** For cloud tools, evidence of FedRAMP authorization or DoD Impact Levels (e.g., IL4, IL5) is needed.

6. **Additional Artifacts:** May include penetration test reports and incident response plans.

9 5. Mandatory Attachment Requirements (Privacy Checklist, DD2930a, FAR/DFARS Fill-ins): Are there any formatting or content expectations beyond those already stated in the solicitation regarding justifications in the Privacy Checklist, DD2930a responses, or FAR/DFARS fill-ins?

No, further instructions than what's provided in the solicitation.

10 18. 6. Content Accuracy Maintenance Responsibilities (PRS Section 7): Once content has been posted or updated using DoDEA-provided materials, what is the ongoing division of responsibility between the Contractor and DoDEA for ensuring accuracy remains within the required AQL?

Vendors propose solution shall meet the AQL standard are listed in the PWS

Page 73, Section 2.1.3

Are Vendors to complete Attachment #8 "Present and Past Performance Questionnaire" entirely themselves as stated in the instructions? Or is the intent for Vendors to send the attachment to each of their quoted/offered references?

Send attachments to each of their quoted offered references

Page 73, Section 2.1.3

Is the POC for each of their quoted/offered references to send complete Attachment #8 "Present and Past Performance Questionnaire" to the DoDEA's POC? Or is the intent for Vendors to include the attachments in their submissions?

Yes

Page 73, Section 2.1.3 If CPARS ratings are available, can the offeror submit CPARS rating evidence in lieu of PPQs?

Yes

Page 73, Section 2.1.1

Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet is listed to be included within Volume 1 - Administrative. Can the Government please confirm if this is correct or if Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet is to be included only as Volume 4 - Price?

You can submit in both volumes.

Page 75, Section 4.0

Can the Government please clarify what is meant by ,"When submitting Attachments 1 - 7, please make sure that the attachments are provided as separate documents as part of Volume 1."? How should vendors include attachments separately, but also as part of Volume 1?

You can list the offered references in volume 3 and have the offered references send in a completed Attach 8

Page 73, Section 2.1.3

What would the Government like to be included in Volume 3 - Past Performance if the POC for each of their quoted/offered references to send complete Attachment 8 "Present and Past

Performance Questionnaire" to the DoDEA's POC?

You can list the offered references in volume 3 and have the offered references send in a completed Attach 8

Page 73, Section 2.1.3 Is Volume 3 - Past Performance only to include the completed PPQ forms? (if PPQs are intended to be submitted by Vendors and not the POC for each of their quoted/offered references)

You can list the offered references in volume 3 and have the offered references send in a completed Attach 8

Page 74, Section 3.4.4 Can the Government please confirm if no Company logos are to be included in each page

(headers/footers)?

There's no restriction on the insertion of company logos.

PWS 2.1.1 & 2.10

Please confirm that the 60 day transition-in period begins on contract award and that all website functions may remain on the incumbent’s environment until final cut over on Day 60.

Yes, transition period begins upon contract award. Ideally, the new vendor should begin the transition to their server as soon as possible within the 60 days.

PWS 2.2.6

What volume of 'new' international school data (e.g., number of schools or duty stations) should the contractor plan to research and add each year?

Currently, there are 1984 schools that will need researching on base year. This number may significantly decrease after an internal audit of active schools and schools with NDSP enrollment within 7 years. Anticipating 50 new schools each year.

PWS 2.3 vs Table 2.11 Task 2.3 states fact sheets are 'updated at least bi yearly,' while the task table shows one annual revision. Which update frequency governs?

Bi-yearly

PWS 7

How will the Government measure '95 percent accuracy' for content—by sampling, full review, or other method?

IAW with the standard identified in the PWS

PWS 2.12.2; Technical Exhibit

#1 §1.1.5

Because the Community Profiles site is a public facing '.com' that displays publicly releasable information, please confirm whether FedRAMP Level 2 (or equivalent) authorization is mandatory. If it is, please describe the data types or risk factors that necessitate this control level.

Vendors propose solution shall meet the requirement stated in PWS 1.2

Technical Exhibit #1 §1.1.5

If a cloud hosting provider already possesses an active FaedRAMP Moderate (Level 2) Authorization to Operate (ATO), will this satisfy the requirement in Technical Exhibit #1 § 1.1.5 so that no additional DoDEA waiver or contractor specific authorization will be required?

yes

PWS 2.9

Will additional 'digital products' outside the quantities in Table 2.11 be ordered via separate CLINs or treated as within the base fixed price?

Outside the quantity would require a modification.

RFP Section L If offerors have a prototype, can we provide a URL link for the prototype within the proposal?

yes

Page 3, Supplies or Services & Prices or Costs

There are numerous instances where the Item number, Supplies/Services requested, and deliverable Quantity provided in the Supplies or Services & Prices or Costs starting on page 3 of the solicitation do not reconcile with the Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet. Please revise the Attachment 1 - Pricing Sheet as needed to reflect the services the government is requesting.

See updated solicitation amendment 3.

28 1) Has the scope or size of the contract changed in any nontrivial way between the incumbent contract and the present solicitation? Is the scope and estimated workload for the present solicitation approximately the same as for the incumbent contract?

Additional and detailed requirements were added.

3) PWS 1.4: Please clarify the expected peak number of concurrent users on the interactive website to determine hosting infrastructure requirements.

Concurrent users is not a statistic that we log long term. In the past month, 43 users in one hour was the maximum.

4) PWS 2.1.1: Does the Government require any specific domain registration/ownership approach beyond transferring or redirecting from ndspmap.com?

See updated PWS for more information

5) PWS 2.2.6: Approximately how many new international schools does NDSP expect to add each year for the Contractor to research and populate in the database?

Approximately 50 schools

6) PWS 2.2.1 and 2.2.8: Is there a desired load time or performance standard (e.g., maximum page load in under 2 seconds) for both the worldwide and US-based interactive maps?

Performance standard for load time

33 7) PWS 2.7.1: For the NDSP Educational Screening Guide to be created in Option Year 1 or 2, are there any known length or format requirements that differ significantly from the existing ~200-page guides?

No

34 8) PWS 2.7.2: For the required one-hour interactive training modules, does the Government have a preferred learning management system (LMS) or hosting platform for SCORM®-compliant content?

No

10) PWS 3.2.3: Are there any existing Government-furnished training platforms or systems that

Contractor personnel must use for completing and documenting Privacy Act/PII training?

Articulate program, but open

11) PWS 3.4: Please clarify whether the Contractor’s liaison must be available during Federal holidays for emergency technical support, or if coverage can resume on the next business day.

Next business day

12) PWS 3.7.2: Does DoDEA have any standard test tools or processes (e.g., JAWS, NVDA) for validating Section 508 compliance that the Contractor should plan to accommodate?

See updated PWS for more information

13) PWS 2.12.2: Is it enough that the hosting provider/solution is FedRAMP authorized, or must the new contractor obtain an Authority-to-Operate (ATO) for the entire new NDSP website? If the incoming Contractor is responsible for obtaining an ATO for the new NDSP website, should the price/cost be included in CLIN 0011?

Potential quoters shall meet the requirement stated in PWS

39 14) PWS 2.12.3.2: Which specific tasks/deliverables require physical production and shipping, or are they primarily digital? If physical copies are required, how many copies of each resource should we plan to produce and ship annually, and to which regions?

Primarily digital. Products should be printable by end user.

40 15) Section I(a) Factor 1 - Technical Approach: Can the Government provide any examples or thresholds that define how a proposal “exceeds” the requirements versus simply being

“acceptable” under the three subfactors?

Any proposed solutions that exceeds the stated PWS requirements.

16) Section II - Past Performance: If we have CPARS for a given contract, is it still required to provide Attachment #8 Past Performance Questionnaires?

Yes.

42 17) Section III - Price: Will the Government conduct any cost realism analysis (e.g., labor hours, labor mix) in addition to standard price reasonableness checks, or is the price factor purely evaluated under FAR Part 13 price reasonableness?

No cost realism analysist will be performed. However, vendors price quote will be reviewed for compliance with limitation on subcontracting

43 18) Attachment 1 Pricing Sheet: CLIN 0003 vs. 0003AA/AB: Are these subCLINs (for five fact sheets and two overviews) strictly base-year deliverables, or should the Contractor be prepared to handle mid-year partial deliveries if award occurs mid-year?

October and March deliverables for Fact Sheets

19) Attachment 1 Pricing Sheet: CLIN 0008 vs. 0008AA/AB (“Templates”): Under sub CLIN 0008AA

(three new templates) and 0008AB (one revision), does the Government intend for only three new templates and one revision in total for the base year, or can additional new templates be ordered within the same year?

Yes

20) Attachment 1 Pricing Sheet: CLIN 1008AB vs. 2007AB vs. 3007AB vs. 4007AB (Desk Guides, “Revising”): The quantity changes from two in Option Year 1 to three in Option Year 2 (and remains three thereafter). Are these figures cumulative from year to year, or is that the quantity required in each respective year only?

OY2 is 3 that includes the ones in OY1. The revision will be on these 3 each subsequent years.

46 21) Attachment 1 Pricing Sheet: Many of the CLINs in the option years have zero quantity (e.g., 1005 AA Creating, 1006 AA Creating, 1007 AA Creating, etc.). Should offers not price such CLINs at all or price them as if they had a non-zero quantity?

Not creating new contact cards each year after base year. Just revision.

22) Attachment 1 Pricing Sheet: CLIN 0011 Transition - Transferring of Data from Current Vendor to New Vendor: The incumbent contractor will naturally have a CLIN 0011 price/cost of $0.00 since they will not need to transition, while non-incumbent offerors would typically have such a price/cost. This tilts the competition in favor of the incumbent contractor. Will the Government

"level the playing field" by not including the price/cost of "CLIN 0011 Transition" to be included in the Total Evaluated Price (or adjusted out of it) when conducting the best value tradeoff between different offerors?

Unsure of what this really means

23) Attachment 1 Pricing Sheet: Does the Government have the ability to order greater quantities than are listed in the Quantity column, for example, say greater than 5 of CLIN 0003 AA Fact Sheets in the base year, or are the values given in column E of the spreadsheet represent maximum quantities that may be ordered by the Government of any CLIN?

Maximum quantity. Modification to the contract would be issued if changes are needed.

24) Does the Government which the current NDSP website to be "lifted-and-shifted" to the new contractor's hosting solution? Or does the Government what the new contractor to provide a completely new and redesigned website fulfilling the requirements of the Government? Or is this choice up to the offeror?

Transferred to the new contractor's hosting solution with updates/redesigned to fulfill requirements.

25) PWS 2.1: How many total unique pages and/or features (e.g., user authentication, forms, dynamic content) does NDSP anticipate for the redesigned website?

No user authentication needed. Unknown.

51 26) PWS 2.12.4: Beyond the post-award conference, does the Government have any specific timeline (in weeks or months) for the completion and go-live of the website, or should the

Contractor propose the schedule?

Ideally as soon as possible; before the 60 days transition period

27) PWS 2.1.1 & 2.10: Regarding domain transfer of ndspmap.com (if applicable), are there any special registrar constraints or can a straightforward DNS transfer be performed?

The requirement is as stated in the PWS

28) PWS 2.2.6: Approximately how many new schools per year does NDSP expect to add for the

Contractor to research and populate in the map/database?

Approximately 50 schools

29) PWS 2.2.3: Does NDSP require role-based access (e.g., multiple NDSP staff) to edit school data in the password-protected database, or only a single admin user?

No more than 2-3 NDSP staff members

30) PWS 2.2.1 & 2.2.5: Are there any performance/load-time requirements (e.g., maximum page-load seconds) for rendering the interactive map and pins?

The requirement is as stated in the PWS

31) PWS 2.2.6: Should the Contractor contact schools to confirm accreditation/boarding data, or use only publicly accessible information?

Publicly accessible information

32) PWS 2.3: How many formal revision cycles (draft → Government feedback → revision → final) should the Contractor plan for each fact sheet?

Content is provided. Feedback and revisions are based on layout and presentation of the Fact Sheets.

58 33) PWS 2.3 & 2.12.3.2: Will any of these 5 Fact Sheets require physical printing? If so, how many copies per region (Americas, Europe, Pacific)? And must they be shipped to one address or multiple addresses in each region?

Digital deliverable products but printable by end user. No shipping.

34) PWS 2.3: Approximately how many pages or sections do these Overviews typically contain?

Are they shorter than the Fact Sheets, or longer text-based documents?

Program Overview slide deck should be approximately 35-45 slides. See updated PWS ###

35) PWS 2.3 & 2.12.3.2: Do these 2 Overviews require print copies? If yes, how many and to which shipping address(es)?

No

36) PWS 2.4: Besides regional phone numbers and emails, does NDSP require any additional data fields (physical addresses, hours of operation, website links)?

No, but emails are hyperlinked

37) PWS 2.4 & 2.12.3.2: Is this contact card web-only or also a printable PDF for distribution? If physical, how many copies and to what addresses?

See PWS update

38) PWS 2.5: Does NDSP expect the Contractor to verify each of the ~1,000 school listings

(addresses, websites, phone numbers) or simply import the data as provided?

Import, verify active links, and research additional requirements to list on website

39) PWS 2.5: Should the booklet include images, logos, or maps, or is it primarily a text listing by country/city?

Yes, but primarily text with links

40) PWS 2.12.3.2: Will the Digital Booklet be printed and shipped? If yes, how many copies per region, and to one or multiple addresses?

No

41) PWS 2.6: Approximately how many pages or sections of orientation content is expected for the initial flipbook (e.g., 20, 50, 100)?

Approximately 20-25 pages

42) PWS 2.6: Does NDSP want embedded videos, audio narration, or interactive quizzes in the flipbook, or is it a static, page-flip layout with text and images?

Navigation, text, images, tables, charts, links, etc.

43) PWS 2.12.3.2: If a printed version of the flipbook is required, how many copies should we plan to produce, and are they shipped to one consolidated address or multiple?

No printing, no shipping

44) PWS 2.7.1: For each ~200-page existing desk guide, approximately what percentage of content requires major rewriting (vs. minor edits)?

Dependent on which desk guide. Between 15-50%

70 45) PWS 2.7.2: The PWS references a 1-hour virtual training module for each desk guide. Does NDSP have an existing LMS to host these SCORM® modules, or should the Contractor propose a hosting solution?

No. Articulate program was previously used.

46) PWS 2.7.1 & 2.12.3.2: Will the revised desk guides need printed copies? If so, how many do we print, and do they ship to one address or multiple addresses?

No printing, no shipping

47) PWS 2.8: Does NDSP have an existing brand manual (fonts, color palette, style guidelines) the

Contractor must follow, or should we propose a new style system?

Yes, but open to new style system.

48) PWS 2.8: For these new templates (newsletter, brochure, slide deck, etc.), does NDSP want a fully populated sample (with placeholder text) or just the template framework?

Yes, placeholder text/textbox framework.

49) PWS 2.8: How extensive is the revision to the existing template: minor color/logo updates, or major structural changes?

Dependent on which desk guide. Between 15-50%

50) PWS 2.8: Does NDSP anticipate more than one feedback cycle for the revised template, or is a single pass typical?

As many feedback and critical eye it takes of each to get to the desired end product.

51) PWS 2.7.2: Does NDSP already have an LMS that accepts SCORM® packages, or should the

Contractor host the asynchronous training modules on its own platform?

Yes

52) PWS 2.7.2: Does NDSP want audio narration, interactive knowledge checks, or purely text-based modules with quiz questions?

Refer to PWS 2.7.2

53) PWS 2.9: Can NDSP provide examples or categories of these “digital products” (e.g., infographics, mini-brochures, supplemental guides) to gauge complexity?

Yes, if allowed.

54) PWS 2.9: For each resource, how many revision cycles (drafts, feedback, final) should the

Contractor plan for?

Content is provided. Feedback and revisions are based on layout and presentation of the digital resources.

55) PWS 2.12.3.2: Of the 10 resources, which (if any) require physical shipping? How many copies, and do they ship to one address or multiple addresses per region?

No printing, no shipping

56) CLIN 0011 – Transition: Transferring Data from Current Vendor (1 Lot)

(Ref. PWS 2.10, “Transitions”)

Vendor shall meet the requirements stated in PWS 2.10

57) PWS 2.10.1.3 & 2.10.2: Approximately how large (MB/GB) is the current school database, and how many tables/records exist?

See PWS 1.2.3 for more information

58) PWS 2.10: Apart from ndspmap.com, are there any subdomains, SSL certificates, or DNS configurations to be transferred?

See PWS 2.10.1

59) PWS 2.10.1: How much cooperation with the incumbent will be provided (e.g., do they supply data export scripts, or is it manual)?

As required

60) PWS 2.12.1: On average, how many tickets or support requests does NDSP anticipate per month? Does NDSP track severity levels (e.g., minor, major)?

1-10, not tracked

61) PWS 2.12.1: Does NDSP expect any after-hours or weekend/holiday coverage for critical issues, or is next-business-day resolution acceptable?

Next business day resolution

62) PWS 3.4: Must the Contractor’s liaison be on-call for emergencies on Federal holidays, or is coverage suspended until the next business day?

No

25) PWS 2.1: How many total unique pages and/or features (e.g., user authentication, forms, dynamic content) does NDSP anticipate for the redesigned website?

Based on your perspective proposed solution to meet the PWS requirement

Section 2.2, Two Interactive Maps, Subsection 2.2.1, World

Map Is the existing interactive map built on a specific GIS or JavaScript framework (e.g., ArcGIS, Leaflet, Mapbox)?

Based on your perspective proposed solution to meet the PWS requirement

Section 2.2, Two Interactive Maps, Subsection 2.2.6, School

Data Verification Can we use automation tools or scripts to verify and update school information, such as URLs and enrollment data?

Based on your perspective proposed solution to meet the PWS requirement

Section 3.7, Section 508

Compliance Are there preferred accessibility testing tools or checklists that DoDEA requires for validating 508 compliance?

Refer to Attachment 25QE056_ATTCH_3_ACR_042325

Technical Exhibit #1, Section 1.1, Software and Cloud Security Requirements, Subsection 1.1.5, FedRAMP Compliance

Will a FedRAMP Level 2 waiver be considered if a secure commercial hosting environment meets equivalent DoD cybersecurity standards?

Refer to PWS 2.12.2

NA N/A You mention and incumbent. Can you inform who that is and how long they held the contract?

Yes, the Incumbent is LINNFLUX, INC. 5 years

N/A N/A What is the format of the current data? Can you provide the size of the database and/or other data files?

Vendors propose solution shall meet the requirement stated in PWS 1.2

N/A N/A Can you tell us what is the structure and technology stack of the existing site?

The technology requirements are as stated in the PWS

6 3.8 Optical Character Resolution (OCR): The Contractor shall provide, upon request, two digital OCR copies of print materials.” What print materials are you referring to?

All proposed deliverables shall meet the requirement stated in PWS 3.8

Would this be built into the site, or is this referring to documents we create as part of the contract?

The requirement is as stated in the PWS

12 1.6.2 It indicates to Support industry-standard data rostering standards via Class-Link and standard data formats such as OneRoster.” Can you tell us the source of OneRoster standards?

The requirements are as listed in the PWS

N/A N/A Are there any specific tools, platforms, or technologies DoDEA prefers or prohibits for web development, hosting, or LMS integration?

Vendor shall meet the requirements stated

N/A N/A Can you tell us what your ROM in budget is envisioned?

No. This is source selection sensitive information.

N/A N/A For proposers that do not prevail will they be given an out briefing on request and who would that point of contact be?

Yes, post award debriefing will be provide by the POC in the solicitation.

N/A N/A Will the DoDEA provide design requirements /constraints for interactive maps, or do we have creative flexibility within ADA and SEO bounds?

Yes, but open to creative innovations.

N/A N/A Training modules. Can you provide an example of current training module standards?

Interactive, self-paced lessons, tutorials with checkpoints

What are the training module topics?

Policy and procedural guidance for Education Specialist, HQ Special Education Support, and NDSP Educational Screening information.

What is the anticipated number of training modules?

3 training modules based on the 3 desk guides. See PWS 2.7.2

1 1-Feb It states the contractor shall design and host a web site. Do you want pricing to develop a new web site as well as hosting or be prepared to do so at additional cost?

Yes.

2 2.2.1 It says that the contractor shall provide an interactive map of the world. Do you want pricing to develop a new web site as well or be prepared to do so at additional cost?

An interactive map currently exist. Transferred from the incumbent vendor. Updated and upgraded with new requirements.

2 & 3 2.5, 2.6, 2.7.1 These mention various guides, booklets, Flip Booklet, and interactive video. Can an exemplary sample (or samples) be provided to include a link to the video currently used?

Yes, if allowed.

3 10-Feb What do you expect from the proposer in Section 2-10 in that much will not be realized until after award?

Your proposed solution shall meet the requirements as stated in PWS 2.10

Table for Tasks 1-10, 2.9

Resource Products The number under the Base Year indicates 10 but we cannot find 10.

2.11 Table--listed next to Resources/Products 2.9

7 Contract Deliverable Table It assumed that delivery can be either EXCEL or Word as applicable unless defined?

Not assumed. As defined to meet requirements.

N/A N/A Will there be any conference call for additional clarity?

No, nothing outside of the questions vendors are allowed.

2.2.1 Provide an interactive

map Is the office looking for redo the map or they want to keep the same map and maintain it?

Update one, create the other

2.10.1 Data Migration:

Is the office looking to keep the same site in WordPress? If not, would they be interested in a new website will all these additional digital assets on the website with links?

Hosting is for contractor to propose. Updating and upgrading with requirements.

2.3 Task 3, Digital Fact

Sheets/Overview:

As far as these assets, where will these other assets sit? Do they have their own URLs? if yes.

where are the ones now?

Please refer to the "7 Performance Requirement Summary "in the PWS

2.2.1 Provide an interactive

map Are they looking for create new ones, or revise the existing ones? If so, can we get examples of the ones available to look at? If none exist, what are they looking for? infographics mean a lot of things. Are there ways to be more specific?

Update one, create the other

Attachment 10 Q &A