A0003 Questions and Answers.pdf

A0003 Questions and Answers List

1. Please provide the Info Sys Sec Spec labor category description, which was missing, from

Attachment 4.

a. Answer: Attached.

2. Please confirm that all hours must be bid against the labor categories as specified in the cost template and alternate solutions will not be accepted.

a. Answer: Confirmed

3. Based on Note 2 provided within the cost template, is the government expecting contractors to apply applicable indirect burdens in addition to the $100,000 travel NTE for each contract period?

a. Answer: Yes.

4. Reference Section H.6 please confirm that the fee adjustment contemplated in paragraph (c) only applies if labor is below the acceptable variance discussed in paragraph (b).

(b) For LOE‐type Task Orders, it is understood and agreed that the rate of labor hours per month may fluctuate in pursuit of the technical objective, provided that such fluctuation does not result in the utilization of the maximum labor hours of effort prior to the expiration of the term thereof or present a materially different labor mix than specified by the Task Order.

It is understood and agreed that the Contractor may, without notice to the Government, provide more or less than the ordered quantity of DPLHs, or the Target LOE for individual task orders, within a specified variance without penalty or change in fee. The DPLH variance is a percentage of the

Target LOE, not to exceed +/‐10% for each task order. The variance shall be negotiated at the task order level, and a target LOE as well as the approved range of DPLHs will be defined. The Contractor may deliver DPLHs within the defined range/variance, to the extent that the ceiling price and maximum DPLH for the Task Order are not exceeded. If for any Task Order the total DPLH delivered is greater than 110% of the DPLH specified for that Task Order, then the DPLH in excess of 110% for that Task Order is non‐fee bearing.

The computed fee per hour for this Task Order is $ (to be determined on each Task Order), which represents the fixed fee divided by the total DPLH. (c) For LOE Task Orders, the fixed fee shall be paid based on delivery of the total DPLHs by Task Order. If, at the end of each task order period of performance, the Contractor has delivered less than the total ordered quantity of DPLHs, the fixed fee shall be automatically adjusted and shall be reduced in proportion to the ratio of the total DPLHs actually delivered to the Task Order DPLHs: (DPLHs Delivered / Task Order DPLHs) X Task Order Fixed

Fee = Adjusted Task Order Fixed Fee.

It is understood by the parties that the Contractor may use subcontractor hours to the extent authorized by the Contracting Officer, to satisfy its obligation of providing the Task Order and contract specified DPLHs. The subcontractors contemplated would be those additional subcontractors and/or current subcontractor providing new or additional work scope, initially contemplated to be performed by the Contractor, as identified in the negotiated Task Order. Further, such subcontractor effort shall be counted as delivered LOE by the Contractor; to the extent such subcontractor effort is comparable to the LOE contemplated to have been provided by the Contractor in the negotiated Task Order.”

a. Answer: Yes. The allowable variance shall be determined at the task order level.

5. “The Q&A stated that EVM was only required at the TO level and that the requirement for an

EVM plan was removed from the proposal. However, in the latest modification, the requirement for an EVM plan is still in section C 3.6.1. In accordance with the government’s answer to question 19, we request that you adjust Section C 3.6.1 to remove the requirement to submit an EVMS plan with the proposal submission.”

a. Answer: As specified in paragraph 5 of section C 3.6.1 “EVM requirements will be defined on a task order basis” and will not be required as part of the proposal submission.

6. Attachment 4 – Labor Categories: Please clarify the 1st sentence. Is the intent that either the degree or a combination of degree and/or experience is required? For example: the Data Architect labor category which requires Master + (1 – 6) years experience would meet the minimum requirements in any of the combination below:

Masters + 1 year experience (Bachelors + 3 years experience =) Masters + 1 year experience (Associates + 6 years experience =) Masters + 1 year experience (9 years experience =) Masters + 1 year experience

a. Answer: Yes. The above assessment is correct because the low end of that range is 1 year of experience plus the education requirement. Please reference the revised experience requirements and work experience translation documents.

7. Clarification on question #25 of the original set of questions:

a) How will the Government mitigate the incumbent’s advantage regarding transition since they are currently staffed, badged, have appropriate access to the infrastructure and applications, and no GFE needs to be transitioned?

b) In addition, how will the Government mitigate the incumbent’s advantage regarding having the incumbent workforce, who presumably will execute the transition, not being required to bill additional hours to perform a transition that other offerors must price separately?

Original Answer:

a) The incumbent has a natural technical advantage regarding transition. To properly address this advantage the incumbent will receive a neutral evaluation for the technical evaluation criteria related to Transition.

b) The incumbent has a natural cost advantage regarding transition. To properly address this advantage the government will not directly evaluate overall cost of the Transition Plan from any offeror. The government will perform: 1. Cost analysis of the individual elements of the full cost/price proposal to determine cost reasonableness and/or cost realism, 2. Price analysis to determine if proposed prices accurately and adequately reflect the work to be performed

a. Revised Answer: a) The incumbent will be evaluated based on the submission requirements and evaluation criteria set forth in the RFP.

b) Cost realism will be performed on each transition cost proposal; however, the incumbent does not possess a cost advantage because the transition costs/hours are included in the overall cost template provided in attachment J.

8 References to the Sample Task Order appear to have been removed as a proposal submission requirement and remain only as part of Phase II of the solicitation, Oral Presentation. Question:

Are the response to and pricing for the previously issued sample task no longer required?

a. Answer: Yes.

9 Reference: Section L.10, under Cost Proposal (Volume V) Subcontracts states that “All other subcontractors (non‐major) can be shown as other subcontractors in the cost template”

Instructions on the Cost Template and instructions on the “Labor Hours” tab state that, “Columns for each subcontractor shall be used (and added) as necessary.” Question: If there is to be a column on the Labor Hours tab for each subcontractor should there also be a separate subcontractor tab showing the hours allocated to each subcontractor regardless of being classified as a “major subcontractor”? Question: If the answer to the above is “yes” then does it remain valid that on the summary tab only the major subcontractors need to be listed as separate lines and all other subcontractors grouped onto one line?

Question: If Time and Material and Fixed Price‐type subcontracts are anticipated can the subcontractor worksheets be submitted with just the labor sections completed showing hours and loaded rates?

a. Answer: Please use the as necessary column to reflect the numbers of non‐major subs.

All subcontractors should be reflected in the subcontract cost but only need the detailed spreadsheets SUBCONTRACTOR 1, SUBCONTRACTOR 2, etc to be filled out for major subcontractors. Yes, if T&M and FFP subcontracts are anticipated please submit hours and loaded rates.

10 Reference: “Cost information for each major subcontractor shall be furnished in the same format and level of detail as prescribed for the prime offeror if the subcontract will be a cost type. For T&M subcontracts the subcontractor shall provide fully burdened labor rates.”

Question: Please confirm that only subcontractors performing on CPFF subcontracts are required to submit pricing at the same level of detail as the Prime and, therefore, must submit sealed bids.

a. Answer: Yes. But they must be submitted to the prime for submission to the

Government.

11 Reference: “Major subcontractors are defined as those performing equal or greater than $12.5 million. Question: Does the $12.5 million amount apply to the entire potential 5 year contract period?

a. Answer: Yes

12 Reference: The worksheets for the subcontractors contain the same plug number for Travel and

ODCs as does the Summary worksheet, $100,000. Question: Is this in error? If so please confirm that total amount of $100,000 is only to be applied once per year at the summary pricing level?

a. Answer: That is correct. It should only be applied once per year at the summary pricing level.