Amendment_1.pdf

WHS - ACQUISITION DIRECTORATE

1225 SOUTH CLARK ST, SUITE 910

ARLINGTON VA 22202-3909

HQ004963605

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

30-105-04EXCEPTION TO SF 30

APPROVED BY OIRM 11-84

STANDARD FORM 30 (Rev. 10-83) Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

This amendment provides the responses to the questions recieved. This amendment also revised portions of the solicitation that are changes based on the responses to questions.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

S 1 17

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

BY 21-Jul-2016

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA15C. DATE SIGNED15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of Contracting Officer)(Signature of person authorized to sign)

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., Street, County, State and Zip Code) X HQ0034-16-T-0116

X 9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

08-Jul-2016

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

X The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offer is extended, is not extended.

Offer must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(B).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

10A. MOD. OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO.(If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

22-Jul-2016

CODE

WHS - ACQUISITION DIRECTORATE

1225 SOUTH CLARK ST, SUITE 910

ARLINGTON VA 22202-3909

HQ0034 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6)

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

CODE

FACILITY CODECODE

EMAIL:TEL:

HQ0034-16-T-0116

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

The following have been added by full text:

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Questions & Answers

HQ0034-16-T-0116

1. Does the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation under solicitation number HQ003416T0116 contain requirements similar to a current contract?

If possible, please provide the current contract number.

Or, is this a new requirement for the government?

This is a new requirement therefore, no previous contract awarded

2. Has a brand study been conducted previously on HCI at DoD

No

3. Under 1.31, the scope states “extensive audience base.” Can you define the audience base that will need to be audited for the brand study?

The audience base is both within the Department of Defense and US civilians; however, the audit (survey) will be a representative sample of Department of Defense personnel.

4. Are there existing DoD brand guidelines? Is there a current Brand Book?

Not to our knowledge.

5. Under 2.7 Travel, it appears that much of the auditing will take place in the DC area.

Is local DC area contractor preferred? Do you expect onsite auditing?

There is no expectation that the contractor would be required to provide onsite auditing (virtual is acceptable). There is also no preference for a DC area contractor. Work will be done in contractor facilities.

6. Under 4.1 the Senior Strategic Planner requires DoD-focused brand development experience. Will you accept a proposal from an experienced brand strategist that has not previously work with DoD?

Our preference is someone who has experience with brand strategy with DoD customers, but we will consider all acceptable proposals.

7. In section 4.6 Transition, is it the intent of this project to transition to a new contractor will take the brand study and use it for creative?

The government will own the data upon delivery.

8. Under 1.31, the scope states that this partnership will augment existing capabilities.

What are the existing capabilities?

Existing capabilities include climate surveys, communication networks, etc.

9. In “Instructions to Offerers,” Section 2 (Factor 2--Price), it states to provide a quote for the base year and each option year.

However, in the PWS section 2.9.1, the Period of Performance is defined as 120 days, with a potential of a six month extension

Factor 2 was revised to state” For evaluation purposes, the Government will consider the price for the six-month Option to Extend Services for price reasonableness. The total evaluated price will include the base period and six-month option including the referenced in section 3.4 of “Instructions to Offerers.” In that section, it states, “For evaluation purposes, the Government will consider the price for the six-month Option to Extend Services as equal to half the price of the last option period quoted.” Should offerers quote any price for an option, or only quote the 120 day POP?

Option to Extend Services. Evaluation of the option will not obligate the government to exercise the option.

Therefore, each offeror should quote for a 120 days POP and a 6-month option.

10. In “Instructions to Offerers,” Section 1.3, page limitations for volume 1 state “First Page (see 1.1) 2 pages.” Are the two pages assumed to be the cover page and a Table of Contents, or does a Table of Contents count against the 10-page limit of the Technical Approach?

The first page is your cover page to include shall include the RFQ number, date of submittal, the vendor’s name, address, CAGE code, POC name, phone, and email.

The second page is documentation verifying your WOSB Program Repository

I will increase page limited 15 pages instead of 10.

11. For Volume 2, must Factor 2—Price be in Excel, or can the table be included in a Microsoft Word document?

Factor 2 Price must be submitted in Excel format

12. In section 2.9 of the PWS, it states “Workers typically work eight (8) hours per day, 40 hours per week.” Is there an expectation that contractor personnel working on this contract would be full-time personnel, or can offerers propose partial full-time equivalents in the various labor categories?

There is no expectation that contractor personnel working on this contract would be full-time personnel.

Offerors may propose partial full-time equivalents in the various labor categories.

13. Is there an incumbent for this work or is the requirement new?

Section 4.6 of the PWS addresses phase-in and references a transition plan as part of the proposal, but it’s unclear in the “Instructions to Offerers” where that requirement is.

Is a full plan expected as part of the Technical Approach, and would the contractor be taking over any existing work?

No incumbent see response to question 1.

Under Factor 1 (a) it states ability to support PWS requirements (Part 3 Task) including a detail understanding of the requirement and how it will be performed. The including a detail understanding of the requirement speaks to all aspects of the PWS.

As part of your technical approach you need to address section 4.6 Transition In & Out and all aspects of the

PWS.

14. Will the government be able to provide assistance the contractor with identifying and accessing members of the AWF community for the purposes of surveys, focus groups, interviews or similar?

Yes

15. In sec 3.3 on page 7 it says: "The contractor shall create a messaging strategy for the AWF and subsequent HCI Brand to support

At this time, there is no plan to redesign the HCI logo.

Follow-on work is not defined at this time.

organizational and total workforce engagement goals and objectives." Does subsequent HCI Brand imply there will be HCI logo will be redesigned and if so is that in the scope of this project or will any branding or logo design work be done as part of a separate acquisition?

16. Will we be interfacing with a single govt client POC or will we be expected to coordinate efforts between the DoD, AWF, and HCI.

Single government client POC (HCI)

17. Is there any existing user research we will be able to leverage at the start of the project?

For instance, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, surveys?

Yes. Survey data, limited focus group and stakeholder interviews.

18. What are the target audience groups of the AWF, and HCI? The RFP states the audience base is extensive, but at this time is there information that can be shared that would indicate various audience groups in a prioritized fashion?

Three main categories (in priority order):

1. Potential hires (mainly entry-level college graduates)

2. Current DoD / Federal Government employees

3. General public

19. On page 40 under Factor 2 - Price, it asks contractor to provide a separate quote for base year and each option year. We assume this is boilerplate language and not applicable since the POP is 4 months. Please confirm if this is correct.

See response to Question 9

20. Is there a estimated price the contract is expected to fall within? If so what are the parameters?

The Government will not provide an estimate price to potential offerors.

21. Factor 2 Price Page 40 Will non-Travel Other Direct Cost’s(ODCs) be cost reimbursable

There is no Other Direct Cost anticipated for this effort (only travel).

22. RFP Refenence 4.4 Pg. 8 Must the final Quality Control Plan (QCP) plan be sumbitted with the proposal response, and if so does it count against the 10 page technical factor limit

Yes; Section 4.4 must address your technical approach.

The page limited was increase to 15 pages instead of

10.

23. Can HCI provide any information on the target audience for this effort? For example, size, number of groups, demographics or statistics on the audience

See #18. Part of the strategy will be to determine how best to reach target audience(s).

24. Are there any numerical goals that HCI currently tracks in the areas of recruiting, retention, workforce engagement/morale, etc.?

Yes; we have extensive hiring data, but we are not able to share this with potential offerors.

25. Are resumes required for the key personnel?

Are they included in the 10-page limit?

Yes; a resume is required for the Key Personnel. The page limited was increase to 15 pages.

26. What portal will be used for the transition-out phase and what activities are required related to the portal?

Interface directly with HCI.

27. Are there existing reference materials that HCI will be able to provide to assist with the assessment phase? For example, previous studies, organizational assessments, employee morale/pulse surveys, recruiting assessments or surveys, previous brand awareness surveys, etc.?

Yes; HCI will be able to provide limited assessment data, including some of those listed in your question.

SECTION C - DESCRIPTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS

The following have been modified:

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

COMMUNICATION SUPPORT SERVICES

HUMAN CAPITAL INITIATIVES/AT&L

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND

Driving the Department of Defense’ (DoD) Acquisition Training and Logistics desired end-state of brand recognition as an “employer of choice” along with, Human Capital Initiatives’ (HCI) unique brand formation within the Acquisition Workforce (AWF) community, the need is prevalent for the proper packaging and promotion to aggressively recruit and retain top talent to support the emerging needs of tomorrow. This will require a multifaceted approach that involves brand definition and visualization of the acquisition workforce environment, strategic and targeted outreach, collaboration and engagement of future employees to “see” themselves as a critical partner with the DoD AWF /HCI dedicated to serving the needs of our Warfighters.

1.2. OBJECTIVES

1.2.1. Achieve DoD and Service-wide recognition of HCI as the “focal point” for the entirety of the AWF.

1.2.2. Perpetually replenish the AWF labor pipeline.

1.2.3. Increase interest in and desire to pursue an AWF/acquisition career, and in doing so, make the AWF an “Employer of Choice.”

1.3. SCOPE

1.3.1. To assist with the expansion of workforce strategies, policies and the identification and talent management initiatives, HCI requires brand positioning and message development support through a collaborative partnership designed to augment existing capabilities. Messaging and brand positioning play a key role in any organization’s strategy and an undeniable role in driving relevancy. HCI wants to maximize the power of its brand and its relationship to the higher entity of DoD AWF as well as to other key stakeholders and partners to create awareness of our capabilities and positive impact on resource readiness. Due to the extensive audience base and complex branding needs, HCI needs technical assistance in the development and implementation of its brand strategy, messaging and strategic communications activities in support of outreach efforts.

2. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

This section describes the general requirements for this effort. The following sub-sections provide details of various considerations.

2.1. NON-PERSONAL SERVICES

The services and performance required under this contract are determined to be not inherently governmental. The contractor shall not perform or give the appearance of performing inherently governmental functions as described in FAR Part 2 and Subpart 7.5, and all applicable DoD policy. The Government shall neither supervise contractor employees nor control the method by which the contractor performs the required tasks. All contractor personnel shall identify themselves as contracted support personnel in all forms of communication with all entities with whom HCI has business dealings. It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to manage its employees and to guard against any actions that are of the nature of personal services, or give the perception of personal services. If the contractor believes that any actions constitute, or are perceived to constitute personal services, it shall be the contractor's responsibility to notify the Contracting Officer immediately.

All contractor employees who perform on this contract and are subject to organizational conflict of interest (OCI) restrictions shall execute and sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) provided as an attachment to this contract. A signed copy of this statement shall be provided to the Contracting Officer and to the COR.

2.2. BUSINESS RELATIONS

The contractor shall successfully integrate and coordinate all activity needed to execute the requirements specified herein. The contractor shall manage the timeliness, completeness, and quality of the contract deliverables. The contractor shall provide corrective action plans, proposal submittals, timely identification of issues, and effective management of all contractor personnel (including subcontractors). The contractor shall seek to ensure customer satisfaction and professional and ethical behavior of all contractor personnel.

2.3. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

The contractor shall establish clear organizational lines of authority and responsibility to ensure effective management of the resources assigned to this requirement. The contractor must maintain continuity between the support operations at the Pentagon and the contractor's corporate offices.

The contractor shall establish processes and assign appropriate resources to effectively administer this contract. The contractor shall respond to Government requests for contractual actions in a timely fashion. The contractor shall have a single point of contact between the Government and Contractor personnel assigned to support this contract. The contractor shall assign work effort and maintaining proper and accurate time keeping records of personnel assigned to work on this requirement.

2.4. SUBCONTRACT MANAGEMENT

The contractor shall be responsible for any subcontract management necessary to integrate work performed on this requirement and shall be responsible and accountable for subcontractor performance on this requirement. The prime contractor will manage work distribution to ensure there are no Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) considerations. Contractors may add subcontractors to their team after notification to the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

2.5. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL, DISCIPLINES, AND SPECIALTIES

An integral part of successful performance under this contract is not only the production of quality products described in Section 3.0, but the responsiveness of contractor personnel in the day-to-day output of work products. While the end product or deliverable is vital to successful performance, day-to-day oversight also includes client interaction and responsiveness.

Accordingly, the contractor is required to proactively maintain assigned tasks, and be responsive to all entities with professional business dealings related to the assigned tasks.

The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate work force for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential.

The work to be performed herein is considered bona fide professional labor and is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

2.6. TRAINING

The Contractor shall provide training, as necessary, for their own personnel to ensure that personnel are trained on the common suite of Microsoft Office tools (e.g., Word, Excel, Powerpoint) and other applicable programs. The Contractor shall also ensure that all of its employees have been properly trained and are qualified to perform assigned tasks under this PWS. The Government will provide or coordinate training on any new Government-provided equipment or Government-directed training (e.g., Information Assurance). If such training requires travel on the part of contractor employees, local travel costs (i.e., Metro) shall be borne by the contract personnel.

2.7. TRAVEL

All travel within 100 miles of the National Capital Region is included in the price of this contract. Travel outside the National Capital Region will not normally be required. When movement of contractor personnel is required locally (i.e., Metro) costs will be borne by the contractor. The Government will reimburse the contractor for all other travel outside the 100 mile limitation that was authorized in advance by the Contracting Officer, for reasonable travel related expenses. Such direction will be made by the Contracting Officer via issuance of bilateral modification(s), on a cost reimbursement basis to the contract against the Government specified not-to-exceed amount.

2.8. LOCATION

Work will be performed off-site except for required onsite meetings and briefings. Required meetings or briefings will take place at Fort Belvoir, Virginia in the North Capital Area.

Contractor personnel must also read and familiarize themselves with all organizational mission statements and charters, organizational structures, operating instructions, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and policy.

2.9. HOURS OF WORK

Normal workdays are Monday through Friday except US Federal Holidays. Workers typically work eight (8) hours per day, 40 hours per week. Flextime workers start not earlier than 0600 and not later than 0900. Core hours of work are from 0900 to 1500 daily. All employees are expected to be available during core hours.

Contractor personnel are not customarily expected to work on holidays, but holiday work is possible, subject to advance scheduling with the contractor. Recognized Federal holidays are as follows:

New Year’s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Columbus Day President’s Day Veteran’s Day Memorial day Thanksgiving Day Independence Day Christmas Day

The amounts in schedule of the contract include an allowance for holidays to be observed. The government will not be billed for such holidays, except when services are required by the government and are actually performed on a holiday.

When the government grants administrative leave to government employees, or is closed as a result of inclement weather, potentially hazardous conditions, or other special circumstances, contractor personnel working at the specific facility/location granted administrative leave may also be dismissed at the discretion of the On-site Manager to the extent that the overall performance is not adversely impacted. The contractor shall at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the government facility is not closed for the above reasons.

The contractor shall provide the COR a current schedule for its entire staff assigned to the contract, including planned leave. The contractor shall assign alternates to cover assignments of any of its staff that are absent sufficient to ensure that the services are not disrupted.

2.9.1 Period of Performance: 120 days from Contract Award

2.9.2 Place of Performance: Contractor personnel who support this effort must perform these tasks off-site except for required onsite meeting or briefings.

3. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

The following section specifies the Performance Objectives and Performance Elements for the contract.

3.1. The contractor shall conduct an HCI Brand Strategy Assessment

3.2. The contractor shall collect, analyze, and aggregate the data and findings identified in the

Assessment

3.3. The contractor shall create a messaging strategy for the AWF and subsequent HCI Brand to support organizational and total workforce engagement goals and objectives.

3.4. The contractor shall submit monthly management status reports, due no later than the 5th day of the following month.

3.5. The contractor shall submit biweekly Project Status Reports.

4. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

This section describes the special requirements for this effort. The following sub-sections provide details of various considerations on this effort.

4.1. KEY PERSONNEL

The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel for the key position under this contract. The key position is Senior Strategic Planner. The Contractor shall ensure that the SSP possesses the skills, knowledge, training, and certification(s) required to satisfactorily perform all services required by the contract.

The Senior Strategic Planner must have a minimum of five (5) years of executive-level management experience, leading multi-disciplined teams of research analysts and various operational branding departments. It is preferred that the Senior Strategic Planner must have a minimum of five (5) years of senior level experience in DoD-focused brand development, market/audience positioning, and stakeholder engagement.

During the first 90 calendar days of performance, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel without the approval of the Contracting Officer, unless illness, death, or termination of employment necessitates the substitution. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer as soon as possible after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required below.

After the initial 90 calendar day period, the Contractor may propose a substitution. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing of any proposed substitution at least thirty (30) days in advance of the proposed substitution. The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor shall, prior to making any substitution permanent, demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Contracting Officer, that the qualifications of the proposed substitute personnel is equal to or better than the qualifications of the personnel originally identified for the position. The Contracting officer will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on proposed substitutions.

4.2. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIALS: N/A

4.3. DATA SECURITY: All contractor personnel having access to HCI files shall sign a non-disclosure statement

4.4. QUALITY CONTROL PLAN

The Contractor shall prepare and adhere to a Quality Control Plan (QCP). The QCP shall document how the Contractor will meet and comply with the quality standards specified in the

PWS, and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). At a minimum, the QCP must include a self-inspection plan, an internal staffing plan, and an outline of the procedures that the Contractor will use to maintain quality, timeliness, responsiveness, customer satisfaction, and any other requirements set forth in this PWS.

4.5. DOCUMENTATION

Documents, data files, reports, correspondence, and all other documents and writings, together with any charts, graphs, tables, illustrations, photographs, images, and other illustrative, explanatory, historical documents related thereto or independent thereof, regardless of the medium (or media) by which they were produced, preserved, stored, or created in connection with or for purpose(s) of work performed under this PWS and contract, are property of the Government and shall be delivered to the COR promptly, upon request.

The Contractor agrees to assume responsibility for protecting the confidentiality of Government records, which is not considered public information. Each Contractor or employee of the Contractor to whom information may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the Contractor that such information may be disclosed only for purposes and to the extent authorized herein. The Contractor shall not release any information related to this contract to the public, media or other unauthorized persons or organizations unless the government has conducted the appropriate security review and granted written approval (e.g. posting information to a public website).

4.6. TRANSITION

The Contractor shall follow its transition plan submitted as part of their proposal and keep the Government fully informed of status throughout the transition period. Throughout the phase-in/phase-out periods, it is essential that attention be given to minimize interruptions or delays to work in progress that would impact the mission. The Contractor must plan for the transfer of work control, delineating the method for processing and assigning tasks during the phase-in/phase-out periods

4.6.1. Phase-in

The Contractor shall submit a detailed phase-in plan to include start-up activities that may be required to transition to full operational capability upon conclusion of the transition period.

The Contractor shall:

• Provide a detailed transition methodology in logical sequence to ensure a smooth transition of all tasks/subtasks of the contract without interruption or degradation of service levels;

• Provide a timeline for completion; and

• Identify associated risks and issues and risk mitigation strategies.

4.6.2. Phase-out

The Contractor shall provide a phase-out plan no later than sixty (60) days prior to expiration of this contract. The Contractor shall maintain complete documentation that is totally assessable to the designated Government representatives via a web portal or some other portal as the Government directs. The Contractor shall overlap with incoming Contractor during transition for a nominal period of 30 days and will work with Government personnel and the incoming contractor to transfer knowledge, information and documentation for all projects and tasks related to this contract. The type of information and documentation to be transferred includes but is not limited to:

• AWF and subsequent HCI brand assessment materials, to include:

o Interview questions o Online surveys

• Brand assessment data and results o Main audience impressions, perceptions, and views on HCI Marketable stories that reinforce HCI's role within the DoD AWF o Key HCI value proposition statements for both present and future

• A messaging strategy for the AWF and HCI organization that supports and reinforces overall AWF engagement goals and objectives. Efforts will include:

o The overall framework for HCI's brand message strategy o Themes and messages (core, key, and audience-specific) that reinforce the brand positioning strategy o Recommended HCI message-to-audience alignments

Note: All automated data files in the possession of the contractor are the property of the Government and shall be turned over to the KO or the COR at the completion or termination of the contract. Additionally, all records related to the execution of the current contract shall be returned to the Government as electronic copies that are readable and accessible by the Government.

5. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

Requirements Performance Standards Acceptable Quality Level Method of Surveillance

Provide support personnel to meet PWS requirements

All contractor personnel possess the skills needed to perform the required tasks as specified in the

PWS.

All contractor personnel possess the needed skills within 2 weeks of processing to the HCI office.

The Contractor's work products are suitable to support the full range of analysis as specified in the PWS.

The contractor's personnel are qualified and adept at presenting clear, concise, factual reports free from political conclusions or any judgment of individual journalist(s). Editorial and typographical errors should be few.

COR

review/government personnel feedback

Submit a monthly status report

The Status Report accurately reflects progress, status;

proactively identifies and addresses any problems or issues encountered; and recommended resolutions are feasible and likely to succeed in resolving issues.

Report is submitted by the first Friday of every month Reports are grammatically correct and professional in appearance

Deviation with COR or designee approval.

No more than 3 reports may be submitted by COB of the first Monday following the first Friday of each month Draft documents contain minor typographical errors; Final documents are error free

COR Review

Hours of Work/Workloa d Management

The contractor shall ensure its personnel accomplish the assigned tasks within agreed upon schedules, and at an acceptable level of quality.

The Contractor ensures that sufficient staff is available during core business hours to proactively interact with clients and complete the requirements specified in the PWS.

Contractor also ensures the COR is informed of developments with assigned actions.

COR

review/government personnel feedback

Services and Deliverables

The Contractor provides the full range of services required to support the requirements addressed in section 3.0 of the PWS.

The Contractor provides competent expertise and analysis that is consistent with the quality levels specified in the PWS.

Deliverables are factual, well-written, 99% free of grammatical errors or misspellings, and free from political conclusions drawn by the analyst or any judgment of individual journalists. Writing meets college Baccalaureate degree standards for English grammar, spelling, and composition.

Deliverables are accomplished by the due date/time specified in Section 6 of the PWS.

Random review of work products by the COR no less than once a week and feedback from appropriate Government sources.

6. DELIVERABLES

Deliverables shall be submitted to the COR designated in the COR Appointment letter. All deliverables shall be submitted using Microsoft Office suite of tools (for example, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint), or Adobe PDF format, unless otherwise specified by the COR. Electronic submission shall be made via email, unless otherwise agreed to by the COR.

The COR has the right to reject or require correction of any deficiencies found in the deliverables. In the event of a rejected deliverable, the Contractor will be notified in writing by the COR of the specific reasons for rejection.

The following table specifies the deliverables for this requirement.

PWS

Reference

Deliverable Title Medium/Format Date Due/ Frequency

3.1 & 3.2 HCI Brand Strategy Assessment Electronic 120 days after contract award

3.3 Messaging Strategy Electronic 120 days after contract award

3.3 Branding Report Electronic 120 days after contract award

2.1 & 4.3 Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) Electronic No later than 5 days after

Contract Award

3.4 Monthly Status Report Electronic No later than 5th day of the month

3.5 Project Status Report Electronic Bi-weekly

7. Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings

The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The contracting officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer will apprise the contractor of how the government views the contractor's performance and the contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government.

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO BIDDERS

The following have been modified:

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS/EVALUATION FACTORS

Washington Headquarters Services – Acquisition Directorate (WHS – AD) requests a quotation (RFQ) for the services specified in the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS). Quotation evaluation will be conducted in accordance with FAR Subpart 15.101-1 Tradeoff Process, with the intention to award a one contract to a Woman Owned business. Quotations must be sent to Keisha.L.Simmons.civ@mail.mil , by10 a.m. EDT, 7/29/2016.

Questions regarding the solicitation are due to keisha.l.simmons.civ@mail.mil by 5p.m.

EST, 7/18/2016.

1. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

1.1. Quotations shall include two attachments and shall be submitted in one email. The first attachment represents the vendor’s response to Non-Priced Factors 1. The second attachment represents the vendor’s Price Quote, Factor 2. The first page of each attachment shall include the RFQ number, date of submittal, the vendor’s name, address, CAGE code, POC name, phone, and email. Vendors may use the body of their email as a cover letter.

Limit the cover letter to 600 words. You must submit documents verifying its eligibility to the WOSB Program Repository. Failure to submit this document results ineligible to award.

1.2. Text shall be single-spaced, on 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper, with minimum one-inch margins on all sides and minimum 12-point font. Text and graphics shall be in a format readable by Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or Excel. Note: There is a 10MB limit for email submissions.

1.3. Page Limitations. Any pages in excess of the page limitations below will not be considered.

Attachments Page Limits

First Page (see 1.1) 2 pages Factor 1 – Technical Approach 15 pages First Page (see 1.1) Factor 2 – Price (Microsoft Excel)

1 page No Page Limit

2. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Factor 1 – Technical Approach Describe your technical approach for meeting PWS requirements. Include a description of the following:

a. Ability to support PWS requirements (PART 3, Tasks) including a detailed understanding of the requirement and how it will be performed.

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b. Ability to provide innovation and flexibility in supporting a changing environment, including any tools, technologies, capabilities and skills proposed for meeting contract requirements.

c. Ability to demostrated staffing qualifications and experience of the offeror in size, scope and complexity to the requirement as defined in the PWS.

Factor 2– Price Using the following table, provide a separate quote for the base year and each option year using Microsoft Excel. Quotes shall identify the level of effort (number of hours) and fixed-price fully-burdened hourly rates for each labor category proposed, and any materials or supplies required to perform the PWS. Significant discounts are strongly encouraged and shall be identified in the vendor’s price quote.

LABOR CATEGORY HOURS RATE PRICE

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TOTAL LABOR PRICE

The Contractor shall use $5,000.00 for the Travel in its quotation for the purpose of standardizing cost for CLIN 0002

3.0 EVALUATION

The Government intends to evaluate quotations and award a firm-fixed price contract based upon the vendor’s proposed, technical approach and price based on initial quotation. Therefore, the vendor’s initial quotation should contain the best terms from a pricing and technical standpoint. In determining best value, the Government may, in accordance with 15.101-1 employ a tradeoff process allowing for award to other than the lowest priced offeror or other than the highest technically rated offer.

The Government evaluation teams will evaluate the Technical Capability and Price factors simultaneously to facilitate an expeditious contract award. The Technical Capability factor is “equally important” as the Price factor. To receive consideration for award, a rating of no less than “Acceptable” must be achieved for the Technical Capability factor. Offerors are cautioned that the award may not necessarily be made to the lowest price offered.

The evaluation process shall consist of the following steps:

1. Initially, all responsive Offerors’ will be evaluated for their ability to meet the submission of documents verifying its eligibility at the time of initial offer to the WOSB Program Repository in accordance with FAR 19.105-3 Status.

2. If the Offeror is rated as “Pass,” on the WOSB Program Repository, then the rest of the Offeror’s Technical Capability will be evaluated using the Technical Capability Performance Evaluation Ratings in Table 1 for Factor 1 - Technical Capability. (Note: An offeror with a “Fail” is not eligible for award and their Technical Approach will not be evaluated).

3. The Contracting Officer will make an award to the offeror representing the best value to the Government based on the aforementioned criteria. The offeror’s initial proposal should contain the offeror’s best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to request revisions if the Contracting Officer later determines the need.

Offerors are cautioned that the award may not be made to the lowest price offered. However, the Government reserves the right to request proposal revisions if the Contracting Officer later determines them to be necessary.

A request for a price discount does not constitute a quotation revision. The award shall be made to the responsible vendor whose quotation represents the best value to the Government. The Government may reject any or all quotations if such action is in the public interest; accept a quotation other than the lowest priced quotation; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in quotations received.

3.1. Order of Importance

Factor 1 – Technical Approach is equally important to Factor 2 – Price. However, the importance of price will increase if offerors are rated and considered essentially equal in terms of non-price factors.

3.2. Definitions

The following evaluation definitions are provided to assist the evaluator(s):

Deficiency: A material failure of a quotation to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in a quotation that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance to an unacceptable level.

Weakness: A flaw in the quotation that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

A significant weakness in the quotation is a flaw that appreciably increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

Strength: A proposed method or technique in the quotation that exceeds the solicitation requirements.

3.3. Ratings

Each Factor (except Price), through an assessment of any strengths, weaknesses, and deficiencies will receive one rating described in Table 1. In addition, Key Personnel will be evaluated in accordance with the minimum requirements set forth in Section 4.1 of the PWS.

TABLE 1 - TECHNICAL RATINGS

Outstanding Quotation meets requirements and indicates an exceptional approach and understanding of the requirements. Strengths far outweigh any weaknesses. Risk of unsuccessful performance is very low.

Good Quotation meets requirements and indicates a thorough approach and understanding of the requirements. Quotation contains strengths which outweigh any weaknesses. Risk of unsuccessful performance is low.

Acceptable Quotation meets requirements and indicates an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements. Strengths and weaknesses are offsetting or will have little or no impact on contract performance. Risk of unsuccessful performance is no worse than moderate.

Marginal Quotation does not clearly meet requirements and has not demonstrated an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements. The quotation has one or more weaknesses which are not offset by strengths. Risk of unsuccessful performance is significant.

Unacceptable Quotation does not meet requirements and contains one or more deficiencies. Risk of unsuccessful performance is high.

3.4. Factor 2 – Price

Price reasonableness determinations will be in accordance with FAR 15.305(a)(1)). The government will evaluate whether the proposed level of effort is appropriate for the requirements of the PWS to ensure successful performance and whether the proposed rates per hour are reasonable.

The government has included 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services. For evaluation purposes, the Government will consider the price for the six-month Option to Extend Services for price reasonableness. The total evaluated price will include the base period and six-month options including the Option to Extend Services. Evaluation of the option will not obligate the government to exercise the option

(End of Summary of Changes)