Attachment 9 - Responses to Questions-Comments from Industry - Final Solicitation.pdf

Attachment 9 – Responses to Questions-Comments from Industry Final Solicitation

1) Reference: Attachment 7, Questions and Answers in Response to 2nd Draft Solicitation for

HE1280-11-R-0001 Mediterranean School Maintenance Program (MSMP)

Questions 18, 19, and 20

The tentatively revised page limits for Volume I, Technical Proposal are still significantly too low for offerors to provide a proper offer – especially since the work requirements for each school are not provided in the solicitation. We suggest that the limits be revised as stated below:

Subfactor 1: Technical Approach

• Technical Approach to the Requirements – 100 pages o Seed Project – no page limit o Sample Preventive Maintenance Schedule – no page limit

• Staffing Management Plan – 50 pages

• Quality Control Plan – 40 pages

• Transition Plan – 20 pages

Since the offeror must provide staffing charts for all regions / schools for the base year and the option year as well as discuss the rationale for proposed routine and non-routine staffing, a separate page limit for the Staffing / Management Plan should be established. The 100 page limitation for the Technical Approach should not include the Staffing / Management Plan, the QC Plan (which for most companies exceeds 50 pages) and the Transition Plan (which is significantly more complicated for a non-incumbent).

RESPONSE: The total overall page limit has been increased to 150 pages. See FAR 52.212- 1(p)(A)(1).

Subfactor 2: Corporate Experience

• Relevant Contracts – no page limit

• Repair Projects – no page limit

For Subfactor 2 – Corporate Experience there should be no page limits for Relevant Contracts or Projects. If offerors have Contract Performance Appraisal Reports (CPARs) or Letters of Commendation or Appreciations, this information cannot be provided in two pages per contract.

RESPONSE: Corporate Experience in the form of Contract Performance Appraisal Reports and/or Letters of Commendation or Appreciation can be submitted under the Past Performance Proposal. We have amended Corporate Experience as follows:

Corporate Experience: Offerors shall provide information on relevant contracts of a similar size and complexity, active within the last three (3) years, which demonstrate the offeror’s ability to perform the proposed effort. “Similar size and complexity” means: similar in dollar amount, type of work and number of offeror employees working on the contract…

See Solicitation, FAR 52.212-1(p)(B)(1)(b).

2) Reference: Attachment 7, Government’s Response to GENERAL 3, General Comment (See Item 4)

Discussion: The Government’s answer to Item 4 that “It is the contractor’s responsibility to comply with local laws” is not a proper response to the question asked. The contractor (offeror) cannot provide a proper offer that is in compliance with local laws unless the Acquired Rights information discussed in Question 4, Attachment 7 and Question 5, Attachment 7 is provided to the contractor sufficiently in advance of the time that an offer is due. Since only the incumbent(s) has (have) this information and thus is (are) able to comply, the solicitation is potentially biased unless all possible offerors are provided the information or the solicitation provides for an equitable adjustment for additional labor costs that may result after award if the successful offeror must hire incumbent personnel with salary and benefits above those calculated in the successful offeror’s price proposal.

Question: Please provide the required Acquired Rights information for all incumbent personnel who may be required to be taken over by a successor contractor. If the answer is none, please so state in the solicitation.

RESPONSE: To be answered in a separate amendment.

3) Reference: Attachment 7, Revised Exhibit R

Discussion: The revised Exhibit R does not contain an estimated quantity for the items Non-Duty Hours in all Labor Categories, HAZMAT / Asbestos –Duty Hour and Non-Duty Hour and Speciality Services – Duty Hours and Non-Duty Hours.

Question: Please provide the missing information or advise offerors how the Loaded Composite Rates will be evaluated when the “quantity” is not provided.

RESPONSE: Please see Exhibit R which provides the estimated hours for these labor categories.

4) The revised and final Solicitation, HE1280-11-R-001 for the Mediterranean Schools Maintenance Program visualizes a 60 day Transition Phase-in period, starting September 1, 2011, that runs simultaneously with the contract start on September 1, 2011. In PWS Paragraph

5.8.1 the Transition Period is defined as

5.8.1 Transition-In: During the transition-in, the Contractor shall become familiar with performance requirements in order to commence full performance of services after sixty

(60) days. The contractor’s management personnel will be permitted to observe any on-going operations as approved by the COR.

From the above reading of PWS Paragraph 5.8.1, it does not appear that the successful contractor is required to perform either routine or non-routine work during the Transition / Phase-in period.

Nevertheless, in CLINs 0001AA to 0001AE the offerors are required to insert a price for Routine Services in Italy for a 12 month period. Further, in CLIN 0001AF, Italy Transition, the offerors are also required to insert a lump sum price for Transition. This does not seem to be correct. How can a contractor be paid for Transition work and also for routine services for the same period of time, i.e. for September 1 to October 31, 2011.

The same situation holds true for Spain, CLIN 0003AA to CLIN 0003AE, and Transition CLIN 0003AF and Portugal CLIN 0005AA to CLIN 0005AE and Transition CLIN

0005AF,

Question: Is the successful contractor expected to start actually working on September 1, 2011. We believe that September 1, 2011 should be the contract start date since this is the projected start for the new school year. If a contract award is made between July 15 to July 30, 2011, or earlier, it is possible to begin contract work on or about September 1, 2011.

Transition would occur in the 30 plus day period after contract award.

Please clarify what PWS work is required to be performed on September 1, 2011.

RESPONSE: See Amendment 0001. The awardee will have 60 days of transition (estimated from September 1 – October 31) and shall be fully operational after the 60 day transition. The current contractor will continue to perform during the awardee’s 60 day transition.

Question: Also please confirm what “ESTIMATED AMOUNT” is to be inserted in CLIN 0001. Is this the sum of CLINs 0001AA to 0001AE, or the sum of CLINs 0001AA to 0001AF, or should this CLIN be left blank.

RESPONSE: The Offeror should “roll up” the costs of each SubCLIN into the total CLIN, i.e. CLIN 0001 should be a total of CLINs 0001AA – 0001AF, CLIN 1001 should be a total of CLINs 0001AA – 0001AE.

5) Due the quite substantial Tech Proposal outline and/or description in terms of Technical

Approach, Staffing Management Plan, Quality Control Plan, & Transition Plan following to request the Page limitations be increased to at least 150 pages.

RESPONSE: We have made the increase to 150 pages. See FAR 52.212-1(p)(A)(1).

6) Reference: Attachment 6, Q&A #9 and Attachment 7, Q&A #7, #36

In the responses to Questions #9 (Att. 6) and #7 (Att. 7) the Government states that no material costs for any routine services shall be included in the Routine CLINs. This was confirmed specifically for custodial services.

On the contrary, in the response to question #36 (Att. 7), the Government states that “All material shall be provided by the Contractor for the Fixed Price Routine CLINs”. As a consequence, we have the following questions:

a) Which of the two statements is correct?

RESPONSE: The Offeror should build the cost of materials into the Routine CLINs.

DoDDS-E is paying a fixed monthly price for routine services that shall include all labor, materials, overhead, etc. Please see pages 3 and 4 of the solicitation.

b) If statement 1 is correct, how will the contractor be reimbursed for materials required to perform routine services (e.g. cleaning supplies for custodial services)

RESPONSE: The Contractor will not be reimbursed for materials required for routine services.

c) Will all maintenance activities that involve the use of any material be handled as a Work

Order?

RESPONSE: No. All offeror proposed routine maintenance and service activities will be included in the monthly fixed price (to include materials, labor, etc.). Any non-routine maintenance or service activity will be part of the time and material CLINs – see pages 3 and 4 of the solicitation, CLIN structure and PWS for more details.

d) And, as a consequence, all routine services are limited to inspections and the determination of the need of a Work Order?

RESPONSE: Routine services should be priced to include all costs. Anything outside the realm of routine services will be considered non-routine. Non-routine services will be completed by the Contractor without authorization up to €2,000. Those Work Orders estimated to be over €2,000 become a Project Work Request.

e) If statement 2 is correct and all materials required for routine services shall be accounted for in the Routine CLINs, a certain limit for the value of these materials should be established. Or, as an alternative, a Material CLIN for Routine Services with a ceiling price should be added to the schedule.

RESPONSE: The Contractor will not be reimbursed for materials required for routine services nor will a limit for the value of these materials be established.

7) The solicitation asks offerors to “provide information on relevant contracts of a similar size and complexity, active within the last 5 (five) years which demonstrate the offeror’s ability to perform the proposed effort”. The solicitation section then goes on and states “similar in dollar amount”.

Later in the same section there is a reference to projects raging for $3,000 to $100,000 and a project at a value of $100,000 and more.

a) Please provide more detail on the size of relevant contracts “similar in dollar amount”.

We assume that means a contract value in excess of $6 million per year, at a minimum since that is the estimated value of the proposed effort under contract H1280-11-R-0001.

RESPONSE: “Similar in dollar amount” would mean similar to contracts in which your proposal price is similar in price for other contracts held by the company. The Offeror can propose as much corporate experience for the last three (3) years (changed in Amendment 0003 from five (5) years).

b) Is the offeror required to provide a listing of six completed projects for each of the similar size contracts listed under the corporate experience or a total of only six completed projects in each region offered.

RESPONSE: The Offeror is not required to provide a listing of projects for each of the similar size contract under corporate experience. The Offeror is only required to provide detailed information on a maximum listing of six completed projects within the last three

(3) years for both Prime and Subcontractor that meet the requirements in the solicitation and would naturally fall under corporate experience.

Please note that the language in this section has been amended to read, “This information shall detail a maximum of six (6) completed general construction/maintenance/repair projects that occurred within the last three (3) years within the countries proposed,...“

Of the projects submitted by the Offeror at least two projects should range between $3,000 and $100,000 and at least one project should be at a value of $100,000 or more.

Therefore, we are requiring a minimum of three (3) projects be provided that have been completed within the countries proposed with a maximum of six projects submitted with the proposal.

c) Is the Past Performance information in Volume II for the same contracts (?) and / or projects (?) listed in the Corporate Experience part of the offer?

RESPONSE: That will be the decision of the Offeror.

8) Section Price Break down

I have noticed that the final solicitation includes the Excel document “Exhibit R - Non-Routine Pricing Spreadsheets Final” but do not include the excel documents included in the draft and second draft solicitation for the routine maintenance…. Has this document been removed?

In order to avoid any mistake in the price breakdown can you please explain exactly the content of the following clins and what we need to put in it?

Clin 0001

Clin 0002 Clin 0002AA Clin 0002AB Clin 0002AC Clin 0002AD Clin 0002AE Clin 0002AF Clin 0002AG Clin 0002AH

RESPONSE: See pages 3 and 4 of the solicitation which provides detailed information on pricing the CLINs.

9) GENERAL QUESTION:

Completion of Attachment 2 for the Past Performance Questionnaire

Your letter (DODDS) in the attachment 2 directs that the preferred submission for the completed past performance questionnaire is e-mail PDF.

*Many of our clients/contract POCs are unable to e-mail to gina.romano@eu.dodea.edu and Bernadette.honish@eu.dodea.edu as they receive a NOT RECOGNIZABLE e-mail address?

Your letter further states if they want to fax the completed questionnaire to e-mail first (they are unable to do this also) or advise by phone (no phone number given to call in your letter). We provided the phone number on the solicitation cover page, however; after over an hour of trying to call, our client advised there was no answer. Trying to connect with the fax # resulted in the same.

Question: Is it acceptable for the client to forward the e-mail to us and we re-send to your e-mails?

Please advise if other companies are having this same problem and if the solution to re-forward the e-mail is acceptable.

RESPONSE: It is not acceptable to have the client forward the e-mail to you and than have you forward it to us.

This has not been a problem with other companies that we know of. Please use the following alternate fax numbers:

Outside of Germany but within Europe: +49 6134604906 or +49 6134604431 Within Germany: 06134604906 or 06134604431 From USA: 011 49 6134604906 or 011 49 6134604431 mailto:gina.romano@eu.dodea.edu mailto:Bernadette.honish@eu.dodea.edu

10. Question: Does the DoDDS-E want a separate proposal for each country if we are bidding on all three countries?

RESPONSE: The Offeror can provide one proposal for all three countries.

11. Question: Does the DoDDS-E prefer the pricing to be in USD or Euros, or have no preference?

RESPONSE: Offers in Euros are preferred but either may be submitted.

12. Question: If our proposal is delivered by FedEx, will the driver be permitted to easily and quickly enter the area if it is on the base?

RESPONSE: Please see FAR 52.212-1(m)(4).

13. Question: Who is currently performing this work at all the different schools?

RESPONSE:

Aviano, Vicenza and Livorno, Italy Incumbent Contractor: SKE SRL, Via Zamenhof 829, 36100 Vicenza

Custodial, pest control and lunch room services:

Aviano: Civil Engineer Squadron Contracting Livorno: Directorate of Public Works

Sigonella, Italy Incumbent Contractor: TEAM BOS SIGONELLA - Joint Venture - Gemmo SpA/Del-Jen Inc./LA.RA.Srl, Viale dell'Industria 2, 36057 Arcugnano (VI)

Rota, Spain Incumbent Contractor: NEWIMAR, S.A., Avenida de la Libertad, 24 11520 Rota (Cadiz) Spain

Sevilla, Spain No current contracts are in place. All services provided by in-house Civil Engineer Squadron personnel.

Lajes, Portugal Incumbent Contractor: Maiato, Sr. Mario, Vicente da Costa Rua da Escola No. 25, Lajes 9760 Praia da Vitoria

14. Question: Can we use a past performance contract for more than one country?

RESPONSE: Yes.

15. Question: Do all our Corporate Experience and Past Performance have to be specific for each country? Example, if we are bidding in Spain, does our Corporate Experience and Past

Performance all have to be in Spain? Can U.S Contracts be used under Corporate Experience and Past Performance?

RESPONSE: No, it is up to the Offeror to determine what to provide the Government for both Corporate Experience and Past Performance. Only the projects required under Corporate Experience have to be within the countries proposed.

16. Corporate Experience: At least two (2) projects should range from $3,000 to $100,000 and at least one (1) project should be at a value of $100,000 or more. Failure to provide at least three

(3) projects (of either dollar-value range) will be considered a weakness.

Question: Can all of our projects used for this requirement be in excess of $100,000?

RESPONSE: It is up to the Offeror as to what project information to provide; please note that it states that: Failure to provide at least three (3) projects as stated will be considered a weakness.

17. Question: Volume III- Past Performance: Is the offeror to assume that Contract Description is considered “Section 1” of the Volume?

RESPONSE: Yes, see Amendment 0003 which makes the correction.

18. Question: Does a “Past Performance Certification” need to be provided for sub-contractors?

RESPONSE: No.

19. Question: Does the month reduction in the pricing schedule for the base period mean that the project start date will be postponed to December. Will the due date be extended as well.

RESPONSE: No, due to the 60 day (2 month) transition period, the fully operational CLINs will only be needed for 10 months with the exception of Lunchroom Services which will be needed for 8 months in the Base Year (12 months).

20. Solicitation, Performance Work Statement – Instructions to Offerors, Section (p) - B. Proposal Volumes - Volume I – Technical, Subfactor two (2) – Corporate Experience (Page 175 of 206)

Statement: «[…] This information shall provide a maximum of six (6) completed general construction/maintenance/repair projects that occurred within the last five (5) years for each country proposed, which demonstrate […] »

Question: According to para. 3 of subfactor 2 the offeror is requested to provide information about completed projects. Please confirm that the information should regard completed contracts and not task orders or delivery orders part of a larger contract.

RESPONSE: Projects can be completed task orders as long as they meet the requirements specified in the solicitation.

21. Solicitation, Performance Work Statement – Instructions to Offerors, Section (p) - B. Prop Volumes – Volume IV – Point c. Evidence of Responsibility (page 179 of 206) osal

Question: Which kind of evidence of responsibility should be provided by the offeror with respect to the subject paragraph, sub-paragraphs i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii. Please specify.

RESPONSE: It is the Offeror’s responsibility to provide adequate information to support this requirement.

22. Solicitation, Performance Work Statement – Instructions to Offerors, Attachment 2 – Past Performance Questionnaire

Question: Kindly confirm that past performance questionnaires sent in the previous months are still valid and shall not be sent again or filled in again by the clients.

RESPONSE: Any past performance questionnaires received by DoDDS-E are still valid.

23. GENERAL

Currency

Question: Is the currency to be used $ or €? It is currently not stated in the RFP or in Exhibit R – Non-Routine Pricing Spreadsheets_Final.

RESPONSE: Offers in Euros are preferred but either may be submitted.

24. Schedule of Supplies/Services

Question: Will an electronic spreadsheet be provided for the Schedule of Supplies/Services found on pgs 5-91?

RESPONSE: No, offerors should enter the pricing directly in The Schedule of Supplies/Services. See pages 3 and 4 of the solicitation. This should be included with the Offeror’s pricing proposal.

25. Performance Work Statement (PWS)

Page 140, Section 5.1.4.4- Assets. This section needs clarification. Does it mean that any assets added during the contract become contractor responsibility to maintain at no additional cost or does it mean that when assets are added, a price will be negotiated and funds added to the contract to maintain them? If the former, then it does not make sense to require a contractor to maintain assets added to the contract unless he is paid for it.

RESPONSE: Maintenance cost for equipment installed and no longer under warranty after contract award will be negotiated once per year prior to exercise of option.

26. Performance Work Statement (PWS)

Page 152, Section 6.3.1- Remedies. “All corrective actions must be completed within 48 Hours.” This may not be possible due to complexity and or location. Recommend changing “within 48 hours” to “as soon as possible.”

RESPONSE: This language will not be changed.

27. SOLICITATION

Clause 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

Page 171 lists them as: Volume I – Technical Proposal, Volume II – Past Performance Information, Volume III – Price Proposal, and Volume IV – Solicitation, Proposal and Award Documents, and Certifications/Representations

Page 172 lists it as Volume I – Technical, page 176 as Volume II – Past Performance, page 178 as Volume III – Price, and page 179 as Volume IV – Solicitation, Proposal and Award Documents and Certifications/Representations, Evidence of Responsibility.

Question: What is the correct name for the four (4) Volumes?

RESPONSE: The correct title is: Volume IV – Solicitation, Proposal and Award Documents and Certifications/Representations, Evidence of Responsibility. Correction made in Amendment 0003 - see FAR 52.212-1(p)(A)(1).

28. Clause 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

Page 176-178, Volume II – Past Performance. Section 4 – Performance Risk Assessment Questionnaire (Attachment 2).

Question: Will DoDDS-E accept final DD Forms 2626 in lieu of Attachment 2?

The offerors are already submitting the evaluations with their proposal (pg 177, 2(a)(xi). It has been our experience that Government POCs are reluctant to fill out additional paperwork when they have already submitted a DD Form 2626 detailing the project.

RESPONSE: Yes.

29. Question: In all services the common question is about TUPE costs. As we have no information about that, should we assume there is not TUPE to be transferred? If awarded the contract we would need to increase our proposal by the value of actual TUPE costs?

RESPONSE: To be answered in a separate amendment.

30. LANDSCAPING

a) Question: The Irrigation System is Site-Pro or you use another type of program?

RESPONSE: It is uncertain as to what information you are requesting. Site-Pro is not a system DoDDS-E uses and DoDDS-E does not utilize an irrigation system at every location.

b) Question: Is the soccer field in Rota included in landscaping tasks?

RESPONSE: Yes, once completed – estimated to be Spring of 2012.

c) Question: Any other special requirements about landscaping services?

RESPONSE: See PWS.

d) Question: Who is the garden equipment belonging to? It is yours or from the company who delivers the service at this moment?

RESPONSE: No Government Furnished Equipment is provided.

31. MAINTENANCE

a) List/inventory of:

o Fire protection: installations, parts (fire extinguishers, detector, central…) o UPS (References, Powers…) o High voltage. (References, Powers…)

RESPONSE: It is uncertain as to what information you are requesting. Exhibits have been provided to assist the Offerors, i.e. floor plans.

b) Question: Have you got any specific sot contacted which we must contract?

RESPONSE: It is uncertain as to what information you are requesting.

c) Question: I suppose that reactive maintenance of machines which our technical life have been finished, is above base price. Could you confirm it?

RESPONSE: It is uncertain as to what information you are requesting below. Anything outside of routine services is considered non-routine and a work order required.

d) Question: I suppose that you have a remove plan (carpets…), so it isn’t included in base price. Could you confirm it?

RESPONSE: It is uncertain as to what information you are requesting below. Anything outside of routine services is considered non-routine and a work order required.

e) Question: Reactive maintenance of machines which our technical life have been finished, is above base price. Could you confirm it?

RESPONSE: Anything outside of routine services is considered non-routine and a work order required.

f) Question: Is the removement of devices like projectors, microwaves, laboratory equipments, included in base price?

RESPONSE: Specific requests for removal of installed equipment would be considered non-routine. Anything outside of routine services is considered non-routine and a work order required.

g) Question: Could the suppliers of material go into the military base? Or must we pick up this material out side?

RESPONSE: Yes, if suppliers gain proper base access they may provide material on the base.