RFP Attachment 9 - Questions and Answers_8.19.21.pdf

Question RFP Document Page Section Paragraph Text or Observation Question or Recommended Change Rationale Answer (to be completed by Government)

1 Attachment 2 Sections L&M 2

Proposal

Submission

Requirements

L.4

Paragraph 6 states, "Table of contents and/or compliance matrices are permitted and will not count toward the page limit."

Would the Government please confirm that cover pages/title pages and a glossary are also permitted and excluded from page count?

Cover pages/title pages are important for allowing offerors to label their proposals with the necessary "Restriction on disclosure and use of data" legends. Glossaries are useful for evaluators to identify unfamiliar acronyms used in proposals.

Yes, cover pages/title pages are permitted and excluded from page count. However, please do not include anything expressly requested by the RFP on these pages as they will not be considered for evaluation.

2 RPF Attachment 1 - PWS 16 5.7.10

The PWS requires: "Review changes to or issuances of new DoD security policy documents within five business days of promulgation, and create reports of projected impact to DARPA for the Assistant Director, Policy and Oversight, and the Director, SID."

This task indicates that the Policy Analyst acts as a senior-level advisor to SID. Would the

Government please confirm this understanding?

It is necessary to understand the nature of this position to ensure proper staffing.

The Policy Analyst is considered one of the senior positions on the contract, providing senior-level advice to SID leadership.

3 Attachment 2 Sections L&M 5 Subcontracting

Plan L.7.12

This paragraph states, "Subcontracting plans shall reflect Offeror’s commitment, in terms of value of the total acquisition, to small businesses as proposed in response to Factor 2: Management Approach- Small

Business Participation. Subcontracting plans that do not reflect at least the same small business participation (e.g., percentage and type of small business concern) as proposed in response to Factor 2 will be considered non-compliant with this

Factor 2 Management Approach does not have a

Small Business Participation component; rather, Factor 5 in L.8.5 does. Would the Government please confirm that the Subcontracting Plan in

Volume I must reflect the Small Business

Participation Plan in Factor 5?

Clarification requested. Confirmed, Attachment 2 is now updated.

4 Attachment 2 Sections L&M 6

Evaluation

Factor 2:

Management

Approach

L.8.2 e)

L.8.2(e) instructs offerors to provide "Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) for the

Government’s consideration in development of the

Government’s QASP to include proposed acceptable quality levels and mapping to the PWS in accordance with FAR 37.604."

Would the Government consider updating the RFP's instructions to clarify that offerors are only required to recommend AQLs, not a full QASP?

Typically, a QASP is a full deliverable covering many topics including an

Introduction, Background, Objectives, Scope, Terms and Definitions, Roles and

Responsibilities, Procedures, AQLs, Corrective Actions, etc. All that information would not fit within the proposal's page limits

Yes, Attachment 2 is now updated.

5 Attachment 2 Sections L&M 6

Evaluation

Factor 2:

Management

Approach

L.8.2 e)

L.8.2(e) instructs offerors to provide "Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) for the

Government’s consideration in development of the

Government’s QASP to include proposed acceptable quality levels and mapping to the PWS in accordance with FAR 37.604."

If a full-QASP is required, would the Government consider excluding the QASP from page count in

Factor 2?

Typically, a QASP is a full deliverable covering many topics including an

Introduction, Background, Objectives, Scope, Terms and Definitions, Roles and

Responsibilities, Procedures, AQLs, Corrective Actions, etc. All that information would not fit within the proposal's page limits

N/A, see Question 4.

6 RPF Attachment 1 - PWS 26 5.15.1

The PWS requires: "Create, develop, coordinate, and manage program protection strategies to support

DARPA programs and technology thrust areas"

This task indicates that the S&T Protection

Analyst acts as a SME-level advisor to DARPA.

Would the Government please confirm this understanding?

It is necessary to understand the nature of this position to ensure proper staffing.

The S&T Protection Analyst is considered one of the senior positions on the contract, providing senior-level advice to SID leadership.

Attachment 9 HR001121R0003 DARPA SID Program Security Services Questions & Answers

RFP Attachment 2 Section

L.8.2 d) and PWS Section

7.1

6 (and page

47 of the

PWS)

Evaluation

Factor 2:

Management

Approach

L.8.2 e)

The Offeror shall address their management approach to include the following: d) Transition Plan in accordance with PWS Section 7.1, which states "The

Contractor must establish a transition management team capable of providing overall management and logistical support of all transition activities within a

30-day transition period. Within 30 calendar days of contract award, the Contractor must submit an updated Transition Phase-In Plan that describes the process, details and schedule for providing an orderly transition "

Aligned with CLIN 0003, would the Government confirm that Offerors should submit a Transition

Plan that includes the processes, objectives, and milestones to accomplish a full transition within

30 days of notice to proceed?

Clarification requested.

The Transition Phase-In Plan shall be submitted in the proposal. An updated plan shall be submitted by the awardee within 30 days of contract award after having any pertinent conversations with the

Government at the contract kick-off meeting or otherwise.

8 RPF Attachment 1 - PWS 45 5.26 The PWS states: "Prior experience as a DoD Polygraph

Examiner or DoD Contract Polygraph Examiner is highly desirable."

Would the Government please confirm that this position does not have a firm requirement for a degree and/or minimum years of experience ?

It is necessary to understand the nature of this position to ensure proper staffing.

Confirmed.

RFP Attachment 7 Cost

Spreadsheet n/a

Cost

Breakdown

Tab n/a

On the Cost Breakdown tab, the formula in cells AK7 thru AK66 does not include the transition in period

(column E). However, cell AK67 (total labor) does include the transition in column. The grand total cell AK73 also does not include the transition in period

Would the Government please confirm whether this is intentional or is this a formula error?

Clarification requested.

This was a formula error, Attachment 7 is now updated.

RFP Attachment 7 Cost

Spreadsheet n/a Summary Tab n/a

On the Summary tab, cells B3, B4, and B5 are pointing to the wrong column on the Cost Breakdown tab. They should be pointing at column E instead of column I.

Would the Government please correct this formula so that total evaluated cost in column I calculates correctly.

Clarification requested. Yes, Attachment 7 is now updated.

11 RPF Attachment 1 - PWS 7 & 25 4.14 & 5.14

PWS 4.14 shows Program Security Operations

Manager* as a key position. However, PWS 5.14 shows Program Security Operations Manager (no asterisk) indicating that this position is non-key.

Would the Government please clarify whether the

Program Security Operations Manager is a key position?

Clarification requested.

The Program Security Operations Manager is a key position. Attachment 1 is now updated.

12 Attachment 2 Sections L&M 4 Security L.7.8 b)

This paragraph states, "A copy of its documentation proving ownership, lease, lease agreement contingent upon award of contract, or otherwise control of (e.g., via subcontract) office/storage space in the National

Capital Region that can be dedicated to storage of classified network backup data and clearly shows it meets the requirements of PWS Section 1.4."

The best document to prove this requirement is the

SCIF/SAPF accreditation letters. Our SCIF accreditation letter is classified S//TK//NF and our

SAPF accreditation letter is protected at

U//HVSACO. Our CUA is classified C//NF. Would a reference or statement that these documents are available in DFASTS meet the sufficient evidence of this documentation?

All offerors would need to either classify proposal submissions for one section or reference these documents as under separate cover.

Yes, Attachment 2 is now updated.

13 Attachment 2 Sections L&M 10 Volume III

Cost L.9.1 Note

In Volume III: Cost, the instructions Note states that subcontractors may submit their proposals directly to the Government if they don't want to submit proprietary information to the Offeror.

Would the Government consider it acceptable if no subcontractors submit an unsanitized proposal to the Government?

The cost spreadsheet does not have an area to identify who is filling the position and offerors may have multiple companies providing the same LCAT.

Yes, but in the Offeror Format Spreadsheet and Cost Narrative (or the subcontractors' versions), the Offeror (or subcontractor) shall still provide full cost element buildup and a basis for the cost including enough information/explanation for the Contracting

Officer to evaluate proposed price as fair and reasonable and cost as realistic for any proposed labor rates. If not all FTEs in a labor category are being proposed at the same rate, new labor category rows may be added per Cell A76 of Attachment 7.

14 RPF Attachment 1 - PWS 24 5.13

The PWS requires: "The Security, Education, Training, and Awareness Specialist requires a bachelor’s degree with five years of related security, education, training, and awareness experience, or an associate degree and eight years of related experience."

The responsibilities listed in PWS 5.13.1-5.13.17 seem more advanced than a candidate meeting the minimum experience requirement would be able to perform. Would the Government please confirm this requirement?

It is necessary to understand the nature of this position to ensure proper staffing.

A candidate for this position need not be a subject matter expert in the various security disciplines covered by the contract, but rather relies on SMEs in the development of training content. The Government believes the stated experience requirements are sufficient

15 Attachment 2 Sections L&M 10

Evaluation

Factor 5:

Small Business

Participation

L.8.5(c)

The RFP's instructions state: "List extent of participation of small business by small business type

(e.g., service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, small disadvantaged, and women-owned small businesses) in terms of a percentage of the total value of the acquisition."

Would the Government please confirm that the total value of the acquisition is considered the total labor dollars, not including Travel/ODCs?

Small Business Participation goals are traditionally based on the percentage of labor dollars.

Confirmed, Attachment 2 is now updated.

16 Attachment 2 6 L.8.2 a)

Complete staffing mix in organizational chart format

(to include reporting structure). If the number of FTEs proposed deviates from the anticipated amounts included in the Current Staffing Mix, the Offeror shall explain the associated efficiencies, additional benefits, and/or effectiveness of the deviation(s).

Would the government consider issuing an updated

FTE count from the draft RFP?

Ensuring knowledge of deviations

The FTE count in Attachment 3 is accurate.

17 Attachment 2 6 L.8.2 a)

Complete staffing mix in organizational chart format

(to include reporting structure). If the number of FTEs proposed deviates from the anticipated amounts included in the Current Staffing Mix, the Offeror shall explain the associated efficiencies, additional benefits, and/or effectiveness of the deviation(s).

Would the government consider offering an internal SID organizational breakout chart?

Ensuring knowledge of deviations

No further information will be provided beyond the current organizational chart of

SID government staff already received by potential offerors per Section L.2 of

Attachment 2.