amendment_one_Instructions_to_Offerors.pdf

Amendment one

A. ADDENDA to FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (Feb 2012)

1. PROCUREMENT TIMELINE:

Request for Proposal (RFP) Released: 08/01/2016 Questions Due: 08/08/2016 Technical & Business Proposals due: 08/17/2016

2. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

SOLICITATION TECHNICAL INQUIRIES AND QUESTIONS

All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing via email to Tyrone Scott at Tyrone.Scott@cms.hhs.gov and cc to Lyandra Emmanuel at Lyandra.Emmanuel@cms.hhs.gov, no later than August 8, 2016 at 10:00am Eastern Standard Time.

The Government’s responses to the questions will be posted to FBO.gov. Please be advised that the Government reserves the right to transmit those questions and answers of a common interest to all prospective Offerors.

SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE

Only proposals submitted by small businesses (certified as a small businesses under NAICS 541511 at the time of proposal submission) will be accepted by the Government. Any proposal that is submitted by a contractor that is not a certified small business will not be considered for award. The Contracting Officer will rely on the Small Business status contained in the System for Award Management (SAM) for size status under NAICS 541511.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Proposals must be submitted electronically via email to Tyrone Scott at Tyrone.Scott@cms.hhs.gov and cc to Lyandra Emmanuel at Lyandra.Emmanuel@cms.hhs.gov, on or before the RFP closing date of August 17, 2016 at 10:00am Eastern Standard Time. Offeror’s proposal MUST state the CMS solicitation number in the proposal submission.

FORMATTING

Page size 8.5 by 11 inches with 1 inch margins. Paragraphs single spaced. Minimum font size/style 10 point Times New Roman font for Text, 9 point font in the Arial family for Tables, and 8 point font in the Arial family for Graphics. Tables and graphics may be landscape; all other text must be portrait.

If the offeror uses a different format (font size, margin, etc.), the government reserves the right to adjust the proposal to fit the parameters of the format as stated in the RFP, and if this results in the proposal exceeding the page limitations in any one area, the government will not consider those excess pages.

The submission will consist of two (2) parts: Technical and Cost/Price proposal

SECTION I - TECHNICAL SUBMISSION

The Technical submission shall include the following, each factor with equal weight in significance and shall not exceed the corresponding page limitations for each Factor:

Factor 1 – Performance Work Statement (PWS); five (5) page limit

Factor 2 – Product Development Roadmap; five (5) page limit Factor 3 – Notional Quality Control Plan Technical Assumptions, Conditions or Exceptions; five (5) mailto:Tyrone.Scott@cms.hhs.gov mailto:Lyandra.Emmanuel@cms.hhs.gov mailto:Tyrone.Scott@cms.hhs.gov mailto:Lyandra.Emmanuel@cms.hhs.gov page limit Factor 4 – Past Performance; no page limit Factor 5 – Conflict of Interest; no page limit Factor 6 – Section 508; no page limit

FACTOR 1 – Performance Work Statement Offerors shall provide a Performance Work Statement (PWS) in response the Statement of Objectives and this RFP The proposed solution shall include an explanation of how project and contract management, communication/collaboration with the Government, security requirements, documentation, and reporting will function in conjunction with the proposed Agile methodology.

FACTOR 2 – Product Development Roadmap Offerors shall propose an agile product development roadmap which correlates how the stated objective aligns with the timeframe for implementation and the Offeror’s proposed agile methodology. The product development roadmap shall demonstrate where testing, training, security, and cut over planning, will be included. The product roadmap should highlight minimum viable product goals, early drafts of proposed service boundaries and how those align with the work done by teams or sub-teams, and similar goals.

FACTOR 3 – Notional Quality Control Plan (QCP) Offerors shall describe the QC and Performance Measurement approach, including how proposed performance standards will be monitored, evaluated, and reported. The Notional Quality Control Plan (QCP) which includes the performance standards, QASP, and performance measurement methodology, shall be proposed by the contractor and upon Government approval, the plan will be used incorporated into the contract award.

The purpose of the notional QCP is to provide evaluators with an understanding of how measures and metrics will be applied based on the proposed technical solution.

FACTOR 4 – Past Performance Past Performance: Definitions:

Relevant – Relevant past performance information is described in FAR 42.1501, General. For the purposes of this solicitation, ‘relevant’ is also past performance information which is similar in size, scope and complexity to this contract.

Significant Subcontractor – A subcontractor performing major or critical aspects of the requirements relevant to the prospective contract.

Instructions:

The Offeror- and all its significant subcontractor(s) identified in the - are required to provide a summary to disclose all of the following for the past performance information with a period of performance end date within the last 3 years of the date of this solicitation:

1. All relevant CMS contracts/task orders greater than the simplified acquisition threshold

2. All relevant contracts/orders entered into with:

• Other Federal Government Agencies,

• State Agencies,

• Local Governments, and

• Commercial Customers

The Offeror s and proposed significant subcontractor(s) summary shall provide the following information.

1. Customer or Agency

2. Contract number (if applicable);

3. Point of Contact (Contracting Officer or other for Commercial Contract);

4. Approximate total contract value;

5. Contract period of performance, by base and option year(s);

6. Description of contracted services/supplies; and,

7. Relevant

• Discuss how the contract’s past performance information is relevant to the subject solicitation.

8. Additional Info: If performance was documented as less than satisfactory, the Offeror shall provide a summary of the identified issues, steps taken to resolve the problem and processes in place to improve future performance.

The below table should be used when providing a summary of the past performance information:

Customer Contract # POC Total Period of Description Additional Info (Agency) Contract Performance of Services/

Value Supplies

Offeror and proposed significant subcontractors without relevant Federal government past performance experience may ask customers to submit no more than three (3) Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) for the same or similar work directly to the Contracting Officer (See Attachment ). It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure timely return of any/all PPQs to the Contracting Officer in accordance with the proposal due date and time established within this solicitation. Contracts may include those entered into with the State/Local Governments and/or commercial customers.

FACTOR 5 – Conflict of Interest To the extent that the Offeror (including proposed subcontractors) identify any pre-award organizational or personal business, investment or other interest that could give rise to an Organizational/Personal Conflict of Interest (hereinafter collectively or individually referred to as COI) on the contract resulting from this solicitation, the Offeror (including proposed subcontractors) shall explain the actions it intends to use to address such COIs, e.g., by submitting a mitigation plan and/or accepting a limitation on future contracting.

Discretion rests with the Contracting Officer to determine whether a COI exists and whether it has been adequately addressed.

If the Offeror believes that a COI must be disclosed, it shall refer to Attachments 2 and 3, for guidance

FACTOR 6 – Section 508 Product Accessibility Template (PAT) HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template will be evaluated to determine whether the Offeror is capable of meeting the section 508 compliance requirements. The Offeror must demonstrate their compliance with the applicable Section 508 standards. This includes submitting the completed HHS Section 508 Evaluation Template; Information about

Section 508 is available at http://www.section508.gov/

SECTION II – COST and PRICE PROPOSAL The Government anticipates a hybrid type contract will result from this solicitation. The base period for services at Time and Materials for Iterations, incidental travel and products with an optional Firm Fixed Price CLIN for addition capacity. An Option Period for services at a Firm Fixed Price with a separate Time and Material CLIN for incidental travel and products.

Provide the following details information each CLIN:

Time and Material CLIN

• Labor - Provide all labor categories, hours, rates and supporting documentation and rational for labor categories, rates and hours

• Travel – Provide the number of trips, destination and total cost

• ODC – Provide a detail list of all ODCs and rational for the items

Firm Fixed Price CLINs

• Pricing assumptions for Iteration period of performance

• Pricing assumptions for price per Iteration

• Pricing assumptions for number of Iteration

• Pricing assumptions for the number of teams

Base Period: CLIN 0001 - (6 months) Agile services in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

Incidental Products (all hardware, software, materials, products, licenses, etc.) and travel.

Description Total Price Iteration Period of Performance 2 weeks (offeror may propose an alternative) Price Per Iteration Number of Iterations Twelve (12) Offeror should propose Number of Teams Offeror should propose Total Labor $ Travel Other Direct Costs Total Time and Material (not-to exceed) $

Base Period: CLIN 0002 - (6 months) The Contractor shall provide additional agile services capacity in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS)

Iteration Period of Performance 2 weeks (offeror may propose an alternative)

Price Per Iteration $ Number of Iterations Three (3) Offeror should propose Number of Teams Offeror will provide Total Firm Fixed Price $ http://www.section508.gov/

Option Period One: CLIN 1001 - (6 months) Agile Services in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS)

Iteration Period of Performance 2 weeks (offeror may propose an alternative)

Price Per Iteration $ Number of Iterations Six (6) Offeror should propose Number of Teams Offeror will provide Total Firm Fixed Price: $

Option Period One: CLIN 1002 - (6 months) Incidental Products (all hardware, software, materials, products, licenses, etc.) and travel. in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS)

Description Total Price Travel Other Direct Costs Total Time and Material (not-to exceed)

Supporting Documentation: The price proposal shall provide supporting documentation to back up the cost/price proposal. This shall demonstrate the correlation between the proposed technical solution in the PWS and the cost and price submitted.

Price Assumptions, Conditions, or Exceptions Submit all (if any) assumptions, conditions, or exceptions with any of the terms and conditions of this statement of objectives. If not noted in this section of your proposal, it will be assumed that the Offeror proposes no assumptions for award, and agrees to comply with all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein. It is not the responsibility of the Government to seek out and identify assumptions, conditions, or exceptions buried within the Offeror’s proposal.

B. EVALUATION

The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, cost, price and technical factors considered. The technical factors are more important than price.

The following factors are in descending order of importance:

TECHNICAL

FACTOR 1 – Performance Work Statement The Government will evaluate the feasibility of the proposed PWS to meet the Objectives of the Agency.

FACTOR 2 – Product Development Roadmap The Government will assess the proposed Agile roadmap to determine if it demonstrates an understanding of the complexity of the effort and how the stated objective aligns with the objectives and timeframe for implementation and the Offeror’s proposed Agile methodology.

FACTOR 3 – Notional Quality Control Plan (QCP)

The Government will use the proposed QCP to evaluate the Offeror’s rational for the proposed performance standards, quality assurance surveillance plan and performance measurement methodology and assess whether the total solution will ensure that the performance standards are met.

FACTOR 4 – Past Performance CMS will evaluate the Offeror’s and proposed significant subcontractor(s) past performance information (See submission for definitions of relevant and significant subcontractor), which is expected to demonstrate the likelihood that the prospective contract will be performed successfully.

The CO reserves the right to limit its review of past performance information to what he/she has been determined to be relevant. The Offeror is advised that the Contracting Officer, using sound business judgment, may consider Federal contract past performance to be more relevant than State Agencies, Local Government or Commercial Customer performance assessments.

In the case of an Offeror without a record of relevant past performance, or for which information on past performance is not available, the Offeror’s Past Performance may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably.

The following factors will be evaluated for acceptability and compliance.

FACTOR 5 – Business Ethics, Conflicts of Interest and Compliance

1. In the event that Business Ethics, Organizational and Personal Conflicts of Interest (hereinafter collectively or individually referred to as COI) and/or Compliance information is required and/or submitted, it will be reviewed for the apparent successful Offeror, but not receive a score/rating.

Business Ethics, Conflict of Interest and Compliance Submission by Offeror/Contractor, Attachment J.3 (and J.4. as applicable), and the information contained therein, will be reviewed by the Contracting Officer, in accordance with contract and this solicitation, in order to make a determination whether the Offeror meets the COI requirements. Additionally, the Contracting Officer may use other information, besides that disclosed by the Offeror, in the Contracting Officer’s evaluation of conflicts of interest.

2. In accordance with FAR 9.504(e), “The contracting officer shall award the contract to the apparent successful Offeror unless a conflict of interest is determined to exist that cannot be avoided, neutralized or mitigated. Before determining to withhold award based on conflict of interest considerations, the contracting officer shall notify the contractor, provide the reasons therefor, and allow the contractor a reasonable opportunity to respond.”

3. CMS will not enter into a contract with an entity that CMS determines has, or has the potential for, an unresolved COI unless CMS determines that it is in the Government’s best interest to do

so. If the Contracting Officer finds that it is in the best interest of the United States to award the contract, notwithstanding an unresolved conflict of interest, a request for waiver shall be submitted by the Contracting Officer in accordance with FAR 9.503.

4. In cases where conflicts of interest cannot be avoided, neutralized, or mitigated satisfactorily, or waived when it is in the Government’s best interest to do so, the Contracting Officer shall preclude the Offeror from consideration for contract award

FACTOR 6 – Section 508 In accordance with the terms of the Provision entitled "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility (January 2010)" HHSAR Provision No. 339.201-70(a), the Government is seeking to determine that EIT products and services proposed support applicable Section 508 accessibility standards http://www.section508.gov/

Offerors will be evaluated on the following factors:

1. The submission of the Product Accessibility Template (PAT)

2. Ability to demonstrate compliance with the established EIT accessibility standards

Technical Assumptions, Conditions, or Exceptions All assumptions shall be evaluated as part of the individual factor to which they apply. The Government reserves the right to reject any proposal that includes any assumption(s) that impact satisfying the Government’s requirements.

COST and PRICE Cost and Price will be evaluated to determine whether the proposed is reasonable. This determination will be based on the review of the technical solution in comparison to the total proposed price and the backup documentation submitted. The Government will use price and cost realism, cost and price risk to assess whether the Offeror’s proposal is realistic.

Cost, Price Assumptions, Conditions, or Exceptions Submit all (if any) assumptions, conditions, or exceptions with any of the terms and conditions of this statement of work. If not noted in this section of your quote, it will be assumed that the Offeror proposes no assumptions for award, and agrees to comply with all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein. It is not the responsibility of the Government to seek out and identify assumptions, conditions, or exceptions buried within the Offeror’s proposal.

The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total cost and price for all options to the total cost and price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option costs and prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

http://www.section508.gov/