Amendment_0003_SF30_Summary_of_Changes.doc

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION SF 30 - BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

The following have been modified:

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

HQ0013-14-R-0009

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. Please confirm that the only items required for Volume III - Contracting/Price Volume are the completed SF1449 (if one is provided), Section B and Section K

Volume III submissions shall contain the completed and signed SF1449 and amendments, Section B “Supplies or Services & Prices or Costs”, and Section K “Representations, Certifications, & Other Statements”.

2. Is there an ODC CLIN offerors should propose against? If so, can the Government provide some historical data on quantities and items previously required?

Answer: No, this solicitation does not include an ODC CLIN.

3. Section 5.2 of the PWS states that the “Contractor shall use all reasonable commercial efforts to ensure that all services are available 99.9% of the time in any calendar month, which translates to a maximum of 45 minutes of unavailability per calendar month.” Does this figure of 45 minutes refer to unscheduled downtime or the sum of both scheduled and unscheduled downtime?

Answer:

The “maximum of 45 minutes of unavailability per calendar month” refers to unscheduled downtime.

4. Has the Government developed Function/Snap Point counts for any of the planned enhancements listed in Section 5.3.2 of the PWS? If so, can these point counts be provided?

Answer:

The applicable Function/Snap Point counts for enhancements will be provided with the issuance of the task order for the enhancement.

5. Will the contractor be responsible for paying hosting and/or managed services fees associated with GlobalNET’s internet-hosted environments (i.e., Acquia Cloud, potentially Vazata Nova)? If so, in what line item should this be priced?

Answer:

Hosting and/or managed service fees shall be included in CLIN 0002 “Operations for GlobalNET”.

6. In section 5.3 of the PWS, do the levels associated with Function/Snap Point ranges correspond to sprint size ranges? For example, does a Level 6 set of requirements with 126-150 Function/Snap Points correspond to 6 planned sprints?

Answer:

No, a level 6 is one sprint estimated between 126 and 150 Function/Snap Points.

7. For Development Level pricing (e.g., item no. 1003 to 1011 in the base year), is it the Government’s intention to have a “menu” of fixed prices for development at different ranges of Function Points? For example, does “Item No 6 – Development Level 4” correspond to a price charged should the Government request systems enhancements estimated at 76-100 Function Points? Or are the Development Levels 1-9 meant to represent sequential completion of planned enhancements valued at a total of 250 Function Points?

Answer:

Yes, it is the Government’s intention to have a “menu” of fixed prices for development at different ranges of Function Points.” Should the Government request systems enhancements estimated at 76-100 Function Points, CLIN 0006 – Development Level 4 will apply.

8. Can the Contractor assume that not all Development Level Line Items will be exercised in a given year? That is, are we simply providing a list of prices for different-sized “chunks” of development that the Government may or may not request?

Answer:

Yes, the CLINs will provide pricing applicable for different-sized “chunks” of development that the Government may or may not request.

9. Can the Government provide any estimate of what levels of Development Services will be requested in the base and option years?

Answer:

The Government estimates approximately 615 function points per contract year.

10. The past performance deadline for the above solicitation is due on prior to the submission of questions. Is this correct? We believe that the answers to some of our questions may change which past performance we'd like to submit.

Past Performance Questionnaires shall be submitted by the closing date and time for the solicitation.

11. Can you advise on whether Cloud Services are a component of this Procurement?

Answer:

DSCA will consider proposals utilizing Cloud services which are FEDRAMP compliant, and managed IAW DoD standards.

12. What are the Security Requirements for the application hosting platform?

Answer:

With the exception of passwords as documented in the System Specification, the DoD security standards are contained in the DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) and upcoming risk management framework (RMF).

13. Are DoD Cloud Service Requirements for Impact Levels being used to determine services to be utilized?

Answer:

No.

14. Will the Government provide the SF1449 referenced in Section 52.212-1 of the Clauses document?

The SF1449 is included in this amendment.

15. The Instructions for Volume II-Past Performance Information state: “The offeror shall provide a minimum of three (3) references relevant to its past performance and its major subcontractor’s past performance in providing similar services under existing or prior contracts for the last 5 years.” The instructions also state: “The offeror shall provide a list of no more than three (3) contracts completed within the past three years, which clearly demonstrates the offeror’s performance relevant to the requirements and all contracts and subcontracts currently in process.” Can the Government clarify how many past performances the offeror should provide and the range of years they must have been completed in?

Answer:

The Offeror shall provide three (3) references for contracts supported during the past three years demonstrating relevant experience.

16. Are security clearances required for personnel?

Answer:

No, security clearances are not required.

17. Can the Government clarify what is meant by the requirement that the contractor “shall address contributions to the Drupal project?”

Answer:

Offerors shall describe any contributions made to the open source DRUPAL project generally located at http://www.drupal.org.

18. For the travel CLIN (0014), is there a specific amount to be proposed, or will the Government provide a list of trips?

A list of trips is not currently available. The Government estimate for Travel is $10,000.00 per contract year. However, if additional travel requirements arise and funding is available, DSCA will modify the contract to include the additional travel requirements.

19. The solicitation indicates that G&A is not to be applied to the travel CLIN (0014). Is this during the proposal phase or during execution?

G&A shall not to be applied during either phase.

20. Does the Government require pricing back-up to be submitted along with the Schedule B?

The Government does not require back-up. However, if the offeror chooses to include pricing back up, it shall be submitted along with Schedule B.

21. Please let us know the exact Place of Performance for this opportunity. Its CONUS or OCONUS?

Your answer will help us to decide that we are applicable for this or not because we can provide the Support Services across the nation only.

Answer:

With the exception of the GTS personnel which are located at the OCONUS locations listed in Section 1.6.6.2 of the PWS, performance shall be at the contractor’s facility. Occasional Travel to OCONUS stakeholder locations may be required.

22. The solicitation said nothing that I found about security clearance requirements. But NGA is an agency that often requires them. Is a clearance required, and if so, what level?

Answer:

No, security clearances are not required.

23. Can you tell me who the incumbent is on the GlobalNet contract and what is the LOE (FTE/funding) for their contract?

The incumbent is Merlin International, Inc. The scope of work has changed significantly from the current contract; therefore, funding and the LOE could not be used for proposal analysis baselines.

24. I would like to know the exact place of performance for this effort. It’s CONUS or OCONUS?

Answer:

With the exception of the GTS personnel which are located at the OCONUS locations listed in Section 1.6.6.2 of the PWS, performance shall be at the contractor’s facility. Occasional travel to OCONUS stakeholder locations may be required.

25. In Section 5.3.2.1, it states “DSCA desires to move from that environment to a Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FEDRAMP) compliant facility. DSCA would prefer the VAZATA Nova data center for reasons of consolidation and information exchange with the regional center person activity management system (RCPAMS) but other FEDRAMP compliant facilities may be appropriate.” Can VAZATA perform as the hosting provider even though they are still waiting for final FEDRAMP approval? If not, can DSCA provide an alternative preference for a FEDRAMP approved hosting provider?

Answer:

The stated preference for the Vazata Nova data center has been deleted from Section 5.3.2.1 of the PWS. The Offeror’s proposed data hosting center must be FedRAMP compliant at the date of proposal submission.

26. Section 5.3 – “All requirements should be detailed in terms of operational requirements and the corresponding function points and/or SNAP point sizes.”

Please define each of the Levels/Snap Points (1-9).

What is the assumed duration of the sprints?

Answer:

This amendment established a CLIN for SNAP points. Sprint durations will be negotiated at the Task Order level and dependent on FP level and/or SNAP size.

27. Is the intention that DSCA will solicit the development of the ‘Upgrade Plan’ as a task order on this IDIQ, after award, since this allows the awarded contractor more time to better understand the “as is” and “to be” goals and requirements for DSCA?

Answer:

Yes, the “Upgrade Plan” will be supported by a post-award task order.

28. The price proposal requests that respondents provide a NET AMT price for the various development levels and function ranges in fixed price CLINs 0003 through 0011. Since the ‘Upgrade Plan’ (referenced in section 5.3.2.1.3) requires interaction with DSCA to develop and approve the upgrade plan, will DSCA consider creating a Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) CLIN for the plan development and execution?

Answer:

No. The Upgrade Plan development and execution will be supported by FFP task order(s).

29. Section 5.3.1 “Configuration Management” –

a. Does DSCA have an approved configuration management plan or shall the contractor use its own change management plan?

b. What is the current LOE DSCA is receiving today for each of the labor categories referenced in the RFP?

c. Will DSCA consider another contract type such as FFP LOE or CPFF since the scope of the work is not clearly defined with regards to function points?

Answer:

a. Yes, DSCA has a configuration management plan.

b. The previous contract type was labor hour and did not utilize the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG) 4.3 methodology to include the General System Characteristics, and the IFPUG Software Non-functional Assessment Practices (SNAP) Manual 2.1 or higher methodology to support development and enhancement requirements; therefore, the LOE for the previous contract will not provide an accurate baseline for the solicitation.

c. Applicable Function Points/ SNAPs will be identified and negotiated at the task order level.

30. In the Clauses document (Sub-factor A), “The contractor shall address contributions to the Drupal project”. “The offeror's response should demonstrate a strong understanding of the following factors, expertise, certifications or membership: Member of the Drupal Association”

Can DSCA quantify what minimum contributions are considered to be acceptable for evaluating a company's experience to fulfill the requirements in the PWS? For example, number of distributions maintained (e.g., a minimum of 3); number of members on the Drupal Association board (e.g., a minimum of 1); number of years as a Drupal Association member (e.g., a minimum of 1 year).

Answer:

The minimum number of Drupal contributions maintained is one.

The minimum number of members on the Drupal Association Board is one.

The minimum number of years as a Drupal Association membership is one.

31. Section 1.6.11 – “The contractor shall notify the COR 15 days prior to replacing key personnel and provide the resumes of proposed key personnel replacements with an equal or better-qualified person for review and approval by DSCA”

Are resumes required for each labor category or only for proposed key or Lead individuals?

In the Clauses document (Sub-factor B - Personnel and Project Team), is the contractor only required to submit resumes of proposed key personnel and technical leads?

Answer:

Resumes shall be provided for key personnel/technical leads.

32. Section 5.2.1 - Help Desk. Approximately how many Tier 1 Help Desk tickets help does DSCA anticipate to receive per year/month?

Answer:

Each GlobalNET community provides tier 1 support, separate from this solicitation.

The Contractor shall be responsible for Tier 2 and Tier 3 Help Desk requirements.

The estimated number of Tier 2 and Tier 3 tickets are noted in Section 5.2.1 of the PWS.

33. What are the network bandwidth requirements for the system?

There are currently approximately 50,000 provisioned GlobalNET accounts of which 25,000 are classified as active. Table 1 below lists the actual platform usage for the year. The platform currently is provisioned for 3TB storage and uses approximately

1.5 TB. The required backup solution maintains all transactions. The following table provides actual traffic for the date ranges shown.

34. What is the MAC level of the system? What is the RPO/RTO?

The system level is MAC III.

Recovery Time Objective (RTO) = 1 Day

Recovery Point Objective (RPO) = 1 Day

35. Section 5.1.6 - Certification and Accreditation Support. “GlobalNET has an authority to operate (ATO). With the new hosting environment and software, the ATO will have to be revalidated using the DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP)”.

Question: Will the contractor be required to submit a new DIACAP package for GlobalNET accreditation and ATO for the new hosting environment?

Answer:

Yes, the contractor will be required to submit a new DIACAP package for GlobalNET accreditation and ATO for the new hosting environment inheriting the FEDRAMP controls from the hosting facility.

36. Does DSCA intend to have CLIN 13 (Transition services) in Option Year 1 & 2? If so, what is the level of effort in the option years?

Answer:

There is no transition requirement in Option Year 1. CLIN 1013 has been changed to “RESERVED”. The transition services in Option Year 2 will support the transition from this contract to the follow-on contract.

37. Section 3.1 Equipment and Information: When authorized by the COR to perform on-site at Government facilities, adequate workspace, including desks, computer workstation setup, telephone, and other necessary equipment or supplies will be provided by DSCA. DSCA will provide the contractor access to regulations, directives, or other policy documents required to complete this task.

Question: Does DSCA require the contractor to use their own equipment (such as laptops) for development efforts or will government provide IA secured GFE with CAC access in support of managing, maintaining and developing applications?

Answer:

With the exception of the GTS locations identified in Section 1.6.6.2 and as indicated in Section 1.6.6, work will be performed at the contractor’s facility using the Contractor’s own equipment. The Government will provide alternate tokens for testing and CAC enablement for development efforts. The Government will provide equipment in support of the GTS.

38. What is the scope of the Zimbra project? Is the contractor expected to migrate and manage existing accounts? How many accounts in total will be managed? Are there PII concerns that need to be addressed?

In terms of operational continuity, the contractor has 30 days to migrate from Acquia’s cloud to a new hosting environment. Depending on the hardware required to provision the new hosting environment (private cloud infrastructure or dedicated physical configuration); will DSCA provide more time to transition and test to minimize risks to GlobalNet operations?

Answer:

Please refer to Section 5.2.4 Maintain Zimbra Email Servers.

Yes, the contractor is expected to migrate and manage existing accounts.

As indicated in Section 5.1.1, “there are approximately 100 email accounts that are anticipated to remain constant with some limited additions and subtractions as needed”.

PII requirements are limited to encrypted in motion.

No, transition time is limited to 30 days for migration and testing.

39. Section 5.2.1 - The contractor shall provide 24x7 on-call Help Desk support. Each community will assign a GlobalNET lead to respond to Tier 1 issues identified by users.

Issues that cannot be resolved by the Tier 1 support team will be escalated to the Help Desk.

Does DSCA require the contractor to provide a toll free number or online chat capabilities to field help desk questions?

Answer: No. Section 5.2.1 of the PWS is revised to read “The contractor shall ensure 24X7 systems operations. Each community will assign a GlobalNET lead to respond to Tier 1 issues identified by users. Issues that cannot be resolved by the Tier 1 support team will be escalated to systems operations support. Systems operations support will respond to the GlobalNET lead within 30 minutes of receiving the issue and assign a ticket number for resolution, in accordance with the hours of operations defined in Section 1.6.5. The team will provide updates to the responsible GlobalNET leads every 24 hours for Tier 2 items and every 3 days for Tier 3 items. The Government anticipates 125 Tier 2 support tickets and 50 Tier 3 support tickets per year.”

40. Reference CLIN 2014, this travel CLIN is in support of CLINs 0001-0013 and travel costs will be reimbursed in accordance with Per Diem Rates in effect at the time of travel as set forth in the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and/or Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) as applicable as referenced in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 31.205-46.

Should this travel CLIN support CLINs 2001-2013?

This amendment corrects the description of CLIN 2014 to read “CLINs 2001-2013” vice “CLINs 0001-0013”

41. Reference PWS Section 5.3.2.1 “Build New Hosting Environment and Migrate Software/Content”, GlobalNET has three internet-hosted environments: development, test, and production all currently located in the Acquia Hosting Cloud serviced by the Amazon Elastic Cloud Compute (EC2). DSCA desires to move from that environment to a Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FEDRAMP) compliant facility.

DSCA would prefer the Vazata Nova data center for reasons of consolidation and information exchange with the regional center person activity management system (RCPAMS) but other FEDRAMP compliant facilities may be appropriate.

As of 5/12/2014, Vazata is still in the process of obtaining a Joint Authorization Board (JAB) FedRAMP Authority to Operate (ATO) for Infrastructure as a Service (Moderate). Will the Government accept solutions that include moving GlobalNET to a data center that is already FISMA Moderate compliant and awaiting its FedRAMP

ATO?

Answer: The stated preference for the Vazata Nova data center has been deleted from Section 5.3.2.1 of the PWS. The Offeror’s proposed data hosting center must be FedRAMP compliant at the date of proposal submission.

42. Reference PWS sections 5.3.2.1, 5.3.2.1.1, 5.3.2.1.2, 5.3.2.1.3 “Build New Hosting Environment and Migrate Software/Content”, and CLINs 0003-0011, 1003-1011, 2003- 2011; Planning and building the new hosting environments and planning the migration of software and content are activities typically not quantified in the same manner as software development is measured. To which CLINs would this work be allocated?

Answer: “Build New Hosting Environment and Migrate Software/Content” is a Transition Activity; therefore, the work should be allocated under CLIN 0013. Please see revised PWS Sections 5.3 and 5.4 and CLIN revisions.

SECTION SF 1449 - CONTINUATION SHEET

The following have been modified:

52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JULY 2013)

(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard. The NAICS code and small business size standard for this acquisition appear in Block 10 of the solicitation cover sheet (SF 1449). However, the small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, but which proposes to furnish an item which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.

(b) Submission of offers. Submit signed and dated offers to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Offers may be submitted on the SF 1449, letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. As a minimum, offers must show--

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the offeror;

(4) A technical description of the items being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(5) Terms of any express warranty;

(6) Price and any discount terms;

(7) "Remit to" address, if different than mailing address;

(8) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically);

(9) Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments;

(10) Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and

(11) If the offer is not submitted on the SF 1449, include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(c) Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of offers. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender's request and expense, unless they are destroyed during preaward testing.

(e) Multiple offers. Offerors are encouraged to submit multiple offers presenting alternative terms and conditions or commercial items for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each offer submitted will be evaluated separately.

(f) Late submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers:

(1) Offerors are responsible for submitting offers, and any modifications, revisions, or withdrawals, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that offers or revisions are due.

(2)(i) Any offer, modification, revision, or withdrawal of an offer received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers is “late” and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made, the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition; and--

(A) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of offers; or

(B) There is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government installation designated for receipt of offers and was under the Government's control prior to the time set for receipt of offers; or

(C) If this solicitation is a request for proposals, it was the only proposal received.

(ii) However, a late modification of an otherwise successful offer, that makes its terms more favorable to the Government, will be considered at any time it is received and may be accepted.

(3) Acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at the Government installation includes the time/date stamp of that installation on the offer wrapper, other documentary evidence of receipt maintained by the installation, or oral testimony or statements of Government personnel.

(4) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that offers cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of offers by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of offers will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume.

(5) Offers may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers. Oral offers in response to oral solicitations may be withdrawn orally. If the solicitation authorizes facsimile offers, offers may be withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers, subject to the conditions specified in the solicitation concerning facsimile offers. An offer may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or its authorized representative if, before the exact time set for receipt of offers, the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is established and the person signs a receipt for the offer.

(g) Contract award (not applicable to Invitation for Bids). The Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors. Therefore, the offeror's initial offer should contain the offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

(h) Multiple awards. The Government may accept any item or group of items of an offer, unless the offeror qualifies the offer by specific limitations. Unless otherwise provided in the Schedule, offers may not be submitted for quantities less than those specified. The Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit prices offered, unless the offeror specifies otherwise in the offer.

(i) Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation. (1)(i) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, and copies of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained for a fee by submitting a request to--GSA Federal Supply Service Specifications Section, Suite 8100, 470 East L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC

20407, Telephone (202) 619-8925, Facsimile (202) 619-8978.

(ii) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the following ASSIST websites:

(i) ASSIST (http://assist.daps.dla.mil).

(ii) Quick Search (http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch).

(iii) ASSISTdocs.com (http://assistdocs.com).

(3) Documents not available from ASSIST may be ordered from the Department of Defense Single Stock Point (DoDSSP) by--

(i) Using the ASSIST Shopping Wizard (http://assist.daps.dla.mil/wizard);

(ii) Phoning the DoDSSP Customer Service Desk (215) 697-2179, Mon-Fri, 0730 to 1600 EST; or

(iii) Ordering from DoDSSP, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, Telephone (215) 697-2667/2179, Facsimile (215) 697-1462.

(4) Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance.

(j) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. (Applies to all offers exceeding $3,000, and offers of $3,000 or less if the solicitation requires the Contractor to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. The offeror shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its offer, the annotation “DUNS” or “DUNS +4” followed by the DUNS or DUNS +4 number that identifies the offeror's name and address. The DUNS +4 is the DUNS number plus a 4-character suffix that may be assigned at the discretion of the offeror to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) accounts (see FAR Subpart 32.11) for the same concern. If the offeror does not have a DUNS number, it should contact Dun and Bradstreet directly to obtain one. An offeror within the United States may contact Dun and Bradstreet by calling 1-866-705-5711 or via the internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. An offeror located outside the United States must contact the local Dun and Bradstreet office for a DUNS number. The offeror should indicate that it is an offeror for a Government contract when contacting the local Dun and Bradstreet office.

(k) System for Award Management. Unless exempted by an addendum to this solicitation, by submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the SAM database prior to award, during performance and through final payment of any contract resulting from this solicitation. If the Offeror does not become registered in the SAM database in the time prescribed by the Contracting Officer, the Contracting Officer will proceed to award to the next otherwise successful registered Offeror. Offerors may obtain information on registration and annual confirmation requirements via the SAM database accessed through https://www.acquisition.gov.

(l) Debriefing. If a post-award debriefing is given to requesting offerors, the Government shall disclose the following information, if applicable:

(1) The agency's evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the debriefed offeror's offer.

(2) The overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the successful and the debriefed offeror and past performance information on the debriefed offeror.

(3) The overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency during source selection.

(4) A summary of the rationale for award;

(5) For acquisitions of commercial items, the make and model of the item to be delivered by the successful offeror.

(6) Reasonable responses to relevant questions posed by the debriefed offeror as to whether source-selection procedures set forth in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed by the agency.

ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS - - COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCTOBER 2000)

1. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), is releasing this solicitation electronically via Federal Business Opportunities (FBO.GOV). HQ0013-14-R-0009 is the official version for this procurement action. No hard copy of this solicitation will be issued. Offerors are encouraged to check FBO (www.FBO.GOV) for any amendments to this solicitation.

2. Questions and Proposal

a. The cut-off date for all questions regarding the solicitation is 11 A.M. Monday May 12, 2014. Request that the offeror email all questions to the following individual: janet.d’angelo@dsca.mil. No responses to questions via telephone will be answered. All questions and answer must be in writing. Responses to all questions will be in the form of an amendment and will be posted electronically for the offerors.

b. Proposals must be submitted no later than 2 P.M. Friday June 20, 2014. Proposals may be submitted via U.S. Postal Service, UPS, FEDEX, or hand delivered to the following address by the closing date and time. Someone will be present at the agency to accept proposals between the hours of 8 AM and 4 PM.

Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)

201 12th Street South, Ste 116

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 601-3728

Attn: Janet D’Angelo

3. Addendum to Paragraph (b) Submission of offers. In addition to those requirements as stated in paragraph (b), the following are added and shall apply to the submission requirements in response to this solicitation:

(1) Proposal Format - All offerors must submit written proposal materials as described below and in the quantities of each volume as stated.

Volume I – Technical Experience. Submit 1 copy and 3 sanitized copies (company name removed). The Technical Experience Statement will consist of a 25 page or less document that outlines the understanding of the Government’s requirement and approach to performing the work to include its skills and capability to meet the requirements of this acquisition. The 25 page limitation is exclusive of resumes. Resumes shall be included as an appendix to Volume I. The Evaluation Board will stop reviewing the proposal after the 25th page. Offerors must demonstrate capability and experience in the areas of; understanding of the Government’s requirement and approach to performing the work as described in Paragraph 2 (Proposal Composition Requirements and instructions) below. The Technical Experience Statement will be evaluated against the criteria listed under Evaluation Factors in the addendum to FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation, Commercial Items.

Volume II - Past Performance Information. Submit 1 copy and 3 sanitized copies (company name removed). The offeror must submit Past Performance Documentation in accordance with instructions provided below in the proposal composition requirements and instructions. The Past Performance Volume is limited to 25 pages.

Volume III - Contracting/Pricing Volume. Submit 1 copy and 1 sanitized (company name removed). Contracting/Pricing Volume will be submitted separately with all executed RFP Documents. Prices will be evaluated for reasonableness. Instructions for preparation of the Contracting/Pricing Proposal are provided at Paragraph 2 (Proposal Composition Requirements and instructions) below.

(2) Proposal Composition Requirements and Instructions

Volume I – Technical Experience:

The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s technical capability to determine the degree to which the information provided by the offeror in its proposal demonstrates the offeror’s ability to perform the services identified in the Performance Work Statement. Offerror should demonstrate their understanding of the work and how it intends to meet the performance objectives identified in the PWS. Offeror shall provide resume for the key personnel proposed to support this requirement.

The Technical Experience Sub-factors are:

This technical evaluation includes consideration of risk in conjunction with the strengths, weaknesses, and deficiencies in determining acceptability -

Minimum requirements:

a. Sub-factor A - Technical Approach and Software Development Plan

The minimum experience required of both the contractor and proposed contractor personnel in order to be considered "acceptable" is at least 4 years working with U.S. Government or Industry processes to provide necessary support similar to the requirements stated in the solicitation. The Government will evaluate the offeror’s technical approach on its software development methodology, review procedures and security policy in accomplishing the tasks and to include deliverables from a technical perspective.

The Government will evaluate the offeror’s approach to managing the operations of a secure, highly resilient web based platform for optimal delivery and minimized downtime. The Government will evaluate the offeror’s continuity of operations (COOP) strategy and an ability to scale as needed.

The offeror shall address contributions to the Drupal project. In order to meet the minimum requirements, Offeror shall have a minimum of one Drupal contributions maintained and one year membership to the Drupal Association. The Government will also evaluate the offerors on the clarity of their approach and their ability to convey to the Government their ability to perform the requirements in the PWS. The Technical Requirements item assesses the offeror's Technical Approach that will be used to meet the Government's requirements. It assesses the offeror's understanding of the Government's Requirements. It also assesses the offeror's capabilities and is an indication of the risk an award would create.

The Offeror’s proposed data hosting center must be FedRAMP compliant at the date of proposal submission.

The offeror is required to have and propose to use its existing processes and procedures that govern its software development and support activities.

The offeror's response should demonstrate a strong understanding of the following factors, certifications or membership:

- Project Management

- DoD processes

- Interoperability with other, DoD Systems

- Member of the Drupal Association (Minimum 1 year membership)

- System Analysis

- System Design

- Configuration Management

- Software Quality Assurance

- Database Administration and Migration

b. Sub-factor B - Personnel and Project Team

The offeror shall submit project staffing strategy, experience, exchangeable skill-sets and qualifications of the proposed personnel and the ability of the overall project team to adequately minimize risk and successfully complete the requirements of the PWS. Resumes of proposed individuals for the technical capability for the tasks shall be provided as an addendum. The resume of the contract employee must reflect experience directly related to the task and functions he/she is intended to perform under this contract. Also provide a matrix to include the background/experience/education of each company’s proposed personnel mapped to the appropriate PWS tasking (resumes to be provided as backup) that supports the classification category and level that company is proposing.

The offeror must propose personnel that have the appropriate Passport to perform requirements of the PWS. The Government will evaluate the adequacy of the organization and staffing level, the level of the employees’ experience, education, and technical qualifications, the availability of the proposed contractor personnel, the plan to retain qualified personnel, and the plan to recruit qualified personnel. The Government reserves the right, during the life of this contract, to request resumes of an assigned contract employee for the purposes of verifying compliance with the above requirements. Additionally, the government reserves the right to review resumes of contractor personnel proposed to be assigned.

Minimum certifications required:

· Sun Certified MySQL Database Administrator or Oracle MySQL 5 Database Administrator or 10 years experience as a MySQL Database Administrator

· Zend PHP certified or 10 years PHP experience

· Linux Professional Institute (LPI) minimum level 2 or equivalent or 10 years experience

· SCRUM Master

· Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute or equivalent

· Proposed data hosting center must be FedRAMP Compliant or FISMA Moderate compliant pending FedRAMP Authority to Operate (ATO). The data hosting center must be FedRAMP compliant no later than 30 September 2014.

c. Sub-factor C – Management Plan

The offeror shall demonstrate in their proposal an understanding of the requirement for the support as described in the PWS and the management approach and the degree of the offeror’s understanding in execution of the tasks.

Volume II- Past Performance Information

A. The offeror shall provide a minimum of three (3) references relevant to its past performance and its major subcontractor’s past performance in providing similar services under existing or prior contracts for the last 5 years. The offeror shall have its references complete the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) (Attached) and have the references submit the completed PPQ directly to the Contracting Officer Ms. Janet D’Angelo, Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) 201 12th Street, South, Ste 116, Arlington, VA 22202 by the closing date of this solicitation. Fax copies of the PPQ are acceptable and should be faxed to 703-601-2451. PPQs must be submitted by the closing date and time noted in Paragraph 2.b. above.

B. The offeror shall provide a list of no more than three (3) contracts completed within the past three years, which clearly demonstrates the offeror’s performance relevant to the requirements and all contracts and subcontracts currently in process. Contracts listed may include those entered into by the Federal Government, state and local government agencies and commercial customers.

C. Offerors that are newly formed entities without prior contracts or new to the solicitation requirements, with no relevant past performance history, must list no more than three (3) references, for all key personnel whose experience the offeror proposes will demonstrate their ability to perform the solicitation requirements.

D. Include the following information for each contract:

- Name and address of contracting activity, state or local government agency, or commercial customer.

-Point of contact (POC). - Contract number.

-Contract type (fixed price/cost reimbursement, competitive/non competitive, negotiated/sealed bid)

-Contract value.

-A description of the services/work required under the contract, including performance location (s) and performance period.

-Name, telephone number, and facsimile number of the Contracting Officer or other individual responsible for awarding the contract.

-Name, telephone number, and facsimile number of the Administrative Contracting -Officer or other individual responsible for administering the contract.

-Name, telephone number, and facsimile number of program manager, operations officer or other individual responsible for technical oversight of contract performance.

E. The Government may contact the references provided in the offer, former customers, etc. to enquire about past performance to include, but not limited to, its reputation for conforming to terms and conditions, for accurately estimating and controlling costs, for adherence to contract schedules (including the administrative aspects of performance); for reasonable and cooperative behavior, and commitment to customer satisfaction. The Government may contact references other than those identified by the offeror.

F. The Past Performance Sub-Factors are:

Sub-Factor A, Quality of Service: Will be evaluated for the offeror's record of conforming to specifications and providing quality services.

Sub-Factor B, Timeliness of Performance: Will be evaluated for the offeror's ability to meet contractual performance schedules.

Sub-Factor C, Business Practices/Customer Satisfaction: Will be evaluated for the conduciveness of offeror's business practices to ensure a cooperative and frictionless relationship with its customers.

Volume III – Contracting/Pricing Volume:

A. The Contracting/Pricing Volume shall consist of the OFFER (the solicitation document as completed and signed) to include, as a minimum, the pricing sheet /schedule B.

B. The offerors are cautioned that no reference to proposed price(s) shall be made in any volumes other than Volume III.

C. Proposal preparation costs – This Request for Proposal/Quote does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of your proposal or in making any necessary studies for the preparation thereof, or for any visit the Contracting officer may request for the purpose of clarification of the proposal or for preparation of negotiations. By the submission of its offer, the offeror assumes all cost associated.

4. Addendum to Paragraph (c) Period for acceptance of offers: This paragraph (c) is changed to read as follows: The Offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 90 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an amendment to the solicitation.

5. Addendum to Paragraph (e) Multiple offers. This paragraph (e) is changed to read as follows: Multiple offers presenting alternative terms and conditions will not be accepted.

6. Addendum to Paragraph (h) Multiple awards. This paragraph (h) is changed to read as follows: The Government intends to make a single award to the responsible Offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.

7. Evaluation of Options: Except when determined not to be in the Government's best interests (FAR Part 52.212.2(b)), the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

8. Award on Initial proposals: The contracting officer retains the right to evaluate offers and make award without discussions with offerors. Therefore offerors are encouraged to ensure that initial proposals contain the offeror’s most favorable terms and reflect its best possible performance potential.

9. Discussion/Negotiations: The Contracting Officer may clarify all information submitted in response to the solicitation as necessary to evaluate the proposals, and notwithstanding these clarifications, the Contracting Officer still retains the right to award without discussions.

End of Addendum to 52.212-1

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