Government_Responses_NSC.2172.pdf

Government Responses to Questions for Clarification

1.) Section 508 would generally dictate that a room with over 50 occupants have an assisted listening system. This was not addressed in the requirements. Would you like all vendors to address this? Can you please confirm the maximum capacity for the space as this impacts how many receivers would need to be provided.

Vendors’ proposals should be based on the requirements detailed in the Statement of Work.

Any additional suggestions should be suggested and priced in a separate section of the proposal where the costs are offered on an individual basis (each suggestion offered should be priced separately. The posted capacity of the room is 55. It will be left up to the vendor(s) to decide if they will incorporate additional options in their proposed solution(s).

2.) Do we need to address wheelchair accessibility at the lectern? There are a few ways to do this including a lectern with a left mechanism for wheelchair height and standing height or with looking at a lower work surface that can be setup to accommodate. Please advise on a preferred approach if you want to address this.

Vendors’ proposals should be based on the requirements detailed in the Statement of Work.

Any additional suggestions should be suggested and priced in a separate section of the proposal where the costs are offered on an individual basis (each suggestion offered should be priced separately). It will be left up to the vendor(s) to decide if they will incorporate additional options in their proposed solution(s).

3.) Please confirm whether each seated table participant requires their own individual microphone or if a sharing 1 microphone per 2 people would meet the requirements.

Per the requirements, every seating position should have its own gooseneck microphone.

Cable management should be handled under the table so there is as little wiring visible on the conference room table surface. If there is rationale for why a different option would be better suited to meet the Government’s stated need(s) this should be offered in a separate section of the proposal and each suggestion should be individually priced.

4.) Please confirm whether a wired or wireless microphone solution is preferred for the table microphones.

Wired.

5.) Would NIDA like a wireless presenter microphone and if so should this be a bodypack style, handheld, or one of each?

NINDS would prefer a wired stationary mic at the podium location. To meet the requirements for the lavaliere(s), a body pack style solution would be adequate.

6.) At the site survey there were two areas identified that the audience may be seated at that are away from the table (to the rear and to the side of the table). Do these participants need to be picked up on microphone for audio/video conferencing? Do they need local sound reinforcement to amplify their speech inside the room?

Vendors’ proposals should be based on the requirements detailed in the Statement of Work and this is not a requirement therein. Any additional suggestions should be suggested and priced in a separate section of the proposal where the costs are offered on an individual basis (each suggestion offered should be priced separately). It will be left up to the vendor(s) to decide if they will incorporate additional options in their proposed solution(s).

7.) To confirm a statement at the site visit, the existing Smartboard should be removed and returned for surplus. Will no new annotation or electronic whiteboard solution be required?

Yes, the existing Smartboard should be removed and no new solution for that functionality is required.

8.) Can you confirm that two camera positions are desired and that the current locations are acceptable?

Yes two camera positions are desired and the current locations are acceptable.

9.) Can you confirm which video conferencing standards the new VTC system needs to support? For example, does it need to support, H.264, H.265, H.323? Can you also confirm that H.320 (ISDN) does not need to be supported?

H.323, H.264, H.265 should be supported in the proposed solution. There is not a requirement to meet an ISDN solution for VTC calls.

10.) Please confirm what amount of expansion capacity is required (if any) for the switching and audio mixing system.

Per the SOW, there is no required amount of expansion capacity. The proposed solution should meet the requirements set forth in the SOW. It will be left up to the vendor(s) to decide if they will incorporate additional separately priced option(s) in their proposed solution(s).

11.) Please confirm that a single wireless user interface device (i.e. touch panel) with a wall dock is the requirement for system control.

A touch panel with wall dock is what is currently in the conference room. The current solution has the option of the touch panel being undocked when desired. The current solution works and conference room users are familiar with the set up. With that being said, it will be left up to the vendor(s) to decide on the best solution to meet the requirements detailed in the SOW.

12.) Please confirm that both audio and video need to be encoded to a USB format for use with a Government Furnished PC for Web conferencing (i.e. MS Lync, Cisco WebEx)? Please confirm what is the minimally acceptable resolution for the camera video.

This is correct. Both audio and video needs to be encoded to a USB format for use with conference room computers. As for the resolution question, the SOW states that the system is to be upgraded to HD quality video. It will be left up to the vendor(s) to decide what resolution they determine meets the requirements of the SOW in their proposed solution(s).

13.) Please confirm if there are any requirements for recording and what needs to be recorded

(audio, video, PC presentation content).

There is no requirement for recording in the Statement of Work. It will be left up to the vendor(s) to decide if they will incorporate this option in their proposed solution(s) in a separate section of the proposal that individually prices each option additional to the requirements in the SOW.

14.) Can you please confirm the impact of proposed project schedule upon the evaluation of proposals? For example, is a plan showing completion 90 days After Contract Award preferable to a plan showing completion after 120 days?

The evaluation criteria have been slightly reworded to clarify that the timeline is being evaluated as part of the proposed project plan. Please see the evaluation criteria for more details.

15.) Is NIH specific past performance deemed to be more valuable than past performance from other Government agencies or Commercial clients?

No

16.) Is there a desired timeline for past performance in order for it to be considered relevant? For instance, should the work have occurred within the last 1, 3, or 5 years?

As noted in the evaluation criteria references from 3 past contracts completed in the last 18 months should be included

17.) Please confirm the required service level agreement for the customer care plan in terms of phone response time, onsite response time, and desired hours of support (for example, Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM with a next business day onsite response time vs. 24/7/365 coverage with a 4 hour onsite response time). Please also indicate the frequency of preventative maintenance visits that are required (if any).

The customer care plan scope covers the entire system functionality. Phone response time should be a 1 – 4 hour window. If issue(s) can’t be resolved by phone within the allotted phone response time window, next day onsite response time is required. Depending on the issue(s) encountered, at NINDS’ discretion, the next day onsite response time can be adjusted to accommodate an alternate/temporary resolution of the issue(s). Desired hours of support would be Monday – Friday, 8:30AM – 4:30PM but, 9:00AM – 5:00PM would be acceptable. At least bi-annual preventative maintenance is required but, quarterly preventative maintenance would be optimal. It is acceptable for both quarterly and bi-annual options to be proposed so the Government can evaluate and potentially choose the option that is the best value.

18.) Please confirm whether the customer care plan needs to cover all hardware repair costs or if the plan only needs to cover services.

A base year hardware repair/replacement costs and services plan should be included in the proposal with 2 option years. All vendor furnished hardware should be covered by the vendor’s proposed repair/replacement plan. Any NINDS furnished hardware will be covered by NINDS.

19.) Please confirm whether the customer care plan needs to cover Manufacturer maintenance plans such as those offered by Cisco or Polycom for extended support and software updates. Please indicate which hardware pieces this is required for.

Yes, manufacturer maintenance plans are required. Equipment such as, but not limited to, the VTC codec, the digital video switcher, the digital signal processor(s), the projector and any other major part to the A/V system infrastructure should have manufacturer maintenance plans in place. For any additional parts you suggest to be included should be listed and priced separately.

20.) Please confirm whether or not the new lectern should support a monitor, keyboard and mouse for the GFE PC and whether these are provided by the Government or the AV contractor.

The new lectern should support a PC, monitor, keyboard and mouse. All listed hardware will be provided by NINDS.

21.) “The current A/V system consists of an equipment control system (AMX ), room speakers, room microphones (wired: Revolabs, wireless: Revolabs ), room computer, projector (NEC MT1065), video conferencing codec (Tandberg 3000MXP), room cameras (Sony PSC-C300), room audio conferencing system (Polycom Vortex) and conference table cable cubbies (Extron Cable Cubby 600).”

Question: Does NIH have a list of specific equipment they want to 1) reuse in this upgrade or 2) retain for other use by NIH or 3) have the contractor dispose of?

As stated at the site visit the decision about which equipment to reuse is part of the vendor’s specific project plan and will not be dictated by the Government. The efficient use of such equipment is however part of the evaluation criteria in the project plan section and therefore vendors should use their technical expertise in deciding which equipment to reuse, if any. As stated at the site visit the contractor will not dispose of any existing equipment as there are rules regarding its use and/or disposal.

22.) “Fixed Price Purchase Order - Open Market, not expected to exceed $150,000 (inclusive of options)” Question: Is the $150,000 a firm budget limit?

No but cost is weighted as part of the evaluation criteria.

23.)“Where upgrading from SD video to HD video is not possible, run appropriate wiring to remedy the issue when SD equipment is replaced with HD equipment during phase 2 of this project.”

Question: Please define Phase 2 of this project, including any detail on scope, schedule and budget available.

The original proposal was going to be done in two phases. It has since been determined to do the project in one phase and to have the solution designed and installed to meet all NINDS requirements during the initial phase.

24.) “NINDS/IRMB requires the designer(s) and installer(s) proposed for this project to be

InfoComm certified for the past 5 years.”

Question: Will a firm be disqualified if one of the certificates is less than 5 years since issuance?

If the contractor cannot meet the certification qualifications it will be considered as part of the technical evaluation. Technical requirements, which include certifications, represent a large number of points in the technical evaluation criteria and the absence of certifications will be evaluated accordingly.

25.) “Please provide CV(s) with references and a cover letter that indicates:

a. Proposed consulting activities, including an estimate of the number of hours per quarter that could be dedicated over the base year, for equipment firmware upgrades, system maintenance, etc... plus two (2) one-year optional periods of the contract;

b. 2. Proposed IP arrangement;

c. 3. Proposed project plan and equipment list;

d. 4. Proposed breakdown of project cost;

e. 5. Change of any of the described requirements must be detailed as to why the change of equipment configuration is made, the benefits of the change, and the implications on cost.”

Question: Can the above information be included in the body of the Proposal, and its location cited in the cover letter? Otherwise, the cover letter becomes very lengthy and will present difficulties for the evaluators.

The information can be included in the body of the Proposal and its location cited in the cover letter as long as it is clearly labeled and all requisite information is included.

26.) “Proposed breakdown of project cost;”

Question: Are costs to be included in the Proposal as one volume, or are Costs to be presented in a separate volume?

It is up to the vendor how to present costs provided they correspond to the requirements in the Statement of Work and the guidelines above regarding pricing of options not required by the SOW. Please review the SOW and evaluation criteria for details regarding costs.

27.) “Proposed project plan and equipment list” and “Thoroughness of project plan meeting requirements” Question: Does NIH require a complete Project Plan to be provided with the Proposal? Is so, what are the contents of the Plan NIH requires?

The Government is not dictating the parameters or contents of the project plan. The Government has defined the objectives it is seeking and the plans will be evaluated on the ability of the vendor to achieve those objectives as represented by the respective project plan.

28.) “Knowledge of NIH A\V protocols”

Question: Please explain what level of detail should be presented re this ‘knowledge.’

The Government is not dictating the level of detail. The vendor should use its technical expertise to decide how to best express its knowledge of A\V protocols. Please note the change in the Technical Evaluation Criteria to remove NIH as a general knowledge of A\V protocols is acceptable.

29.) Removing the existing microphones and replacing them with gooseneck microphones will leave visible damage (existing holes) on the table.

Question: Is that acceptable and will the government handle the repairs?

The existing holes could be covered by grommet hole covers or a different solution. If the vendor’s project plan leaves visible damage on the table the vendor should utilize their expertise to offer an appropriate solution.

30.) Please clarify the discussion of utilizing the in room cameras for web conferencing. During the walkthrough it was stated that there should be a connection to use any of the room cameras for web conferencing from any of the table locations plus the podium location for visiting laptops. Are you looking for a USB connection point for this function? Will the stationary government PC also need to be utilized for web conferencing?

Yes, a USB solution, for accessing the room cameras for desktop video conferencing software, at the cable cubby and podium PC locations is preferable. The vendor should utilize its technical expertise to provide the best solution to meet this requirement.

31.) Please confirm the SMARTboard will not be a part of the new system integration.

The SMARTboard is to be removed and its functionality will not be a part of the new system.

32.) Can we modify/cut the table?

Modifying the table is acceptable but only modifications that are reasonable and necessary to fulfill the Government’s objectives will be allowed. Any modifications should be thoroughly detailed in the proposal.

33.) Will ceiling microphones for the gallery be needed?

proposal where the costs are offered on an individual basis (each suggestion offered should

34.) If ceiling microphones are needed for the gallery, will they need to be used as voice reinforcement within the room or just for capture for VTC/ATC calls?

They will need to be used for both purposes.

35.) Should be utilizing analog POTS or VoIP for audio conferencing?

The current audio conferencing solution is analog and will not be changing so proposals should use the current audio conferencing solution as a baseline for any new audio conferencing solution proposed.

36.) Should the new touch panel be located on the wall as is current or built into the podium?

Definitely not built into the podium. Located on the wall and removable is sufficient. Other solutions can be proposed as well, based on vendor expertise.

37.) Does the podium need to be ADA compliant?

proposal where the costs are offered on an individual basis (each suggestion offered should

38.) Is there a need for assisted listening within the room?

proposal where the costs are offered on an individual basis (each suggestion offered should

39.) Is there a need for a press output plate within the room?

proposal where the costs are offered on an individual basis (each suggestion offered should

40.) Please confirm the fire strobe on the projection wall will be moved by others if the new screen will block it.

Yes. If it needs to be moved, NINDS will work with the NSC building management to get it relocated.