HSFE20-17-R-0006_A00001_Questions_and_Answers_2.pdf

HSFE20-17-R-0006

CDP COBRATF FOMS

Questions and Answers # 2

1. There was a discussion of clearances at the site visit, indicating that individuals working there require a NAC, which takes time to complete; but that an "interim clearance can be granted". Question: will individuals be allowed to begin working on this contract once they have an interim clearance, or must they wait for the adjudication and granting of the final clearance?

No one can start work until they have an adjudicated back ground investigation based on eQip submission and issued an entry on duty (EOD) date.

2. We assume that all subcontractors will similarly require clearances. Is this correct?

No, subcontractors can be escorted eliminating the clearance requirement.

3. Who pays for the clearances of O&M staff? And of authorized subcontractors?

All clearances are processed through the Government.

4. Will the government issue a complete site equipment list with an amendment?

The GFE that the contractor signs for is attachment 11.

5. O&M staff in federal building have specific core competencies and training requirements specified by the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010; and some contracts specify additional requirements.

a. What are additional agency-mandated O&M training requirements for this contract (if any)?

The Government will provide training unique to Chemical Agents and Biological Materials. Other than that there are no unique training requirements.

b. Personnel operating in various parts of this complex will require specific chemical and live agent safety training to obtain proficiency with wearing appropriate PPE and working in contaminated environments. Who conducts this training? Who pays for this training? What are the time requirements and certification standards? How is it documented?

The Government will provide this training. Depending on the individuals duties determines the amount of time the training takes – generally no more than 8 hours with annual refresher required.

6. Is the Contractor responsible for coordinating HAZWAS disposal, to include manifesting, and payment (i.e. cradle to grave)? Or, does the USG pay for the disposal and maintain responsibility for the material while the Contractor coordinates the activity?

The contractor collects, stores and arranges for disposition with an approved vendor. The Government will sign the manifest. The contractor is responsible for reimbursable payment (ODC).

7. 2.3.1.2: Lists skills by title (electrician, HVAC, etc). The CBA only lists Stationary Engineers and no skills by title. Are all non-exempt maintenance personnel considered stationary engineers and to be paid as such?

The CBA lumps all non-exempt contractor employees under the title of “Stationary Engineer” and provides job descriptions in Appendix D. However, those CBA job descriptions are essentially for CBA wage rate purposes only. Contractor employees are still required to hold skilled positions (i.e., electrician, HVAC, etc.).

8. 3.1: Are all tools, materials and equipment to be furnished by the contractor?

No. Tools, materials and equipment are either Government furnished or purchased by the contractor and reimbursed via the ODC CLIN (thus remaining Government owned).

9. Custodial/Housekeeping is referenced in the CBA, attachment 14, attachment 25 and the CLIN schedule, but no duties outlined in the PWS. Is custodial/housekeeping to be provided by the contractor?

No. The incumbent CBA is based on the incumbent contract. The custodial/housekeeping requirement is not included in this solicitation or resulting contract. The references to custodial preventative maintenance in Attachment 14 have been removed in the revised Attachment 14 posted with Amendment A00001. The references to custodial work load data in Attachment 25 could not be separated from the data, since it is historical. That historical custodial data should be disregarded. There are no references to custodial in the CLIN schedule, rather there is a reference to the Product/Service code that is added by our contract writing system. The Product/Service code description for S216 is HOUSEKEEPING – FACILITIES OPERATIONS SUPPORT, which is correct since this contract is for facilities operations support.

10. PC & E positions are referenced in the CBA and attachment 25, but are not referenced in the PWS. Are these duties included in the contract?

No. The incumbent CBA is based on the incumbent contract. The PC & E requirement is not included in this solicitation or resulting contract. The references to PC & E work load data in Attachment 25 could not be separated from the data, since it is historical. That historical PC &E data should be disregarded.

11. The quantity column in the CLIN structure for CLIN 004 reflects a quantity of 463,000. Is this the correct required quantity?

Yes. The unit of issue is Dollars (DO). This unit of issue is required by our contract writing and financial systems since the ODC CLIN is cost-reimbursement and will be incrementally drawn down during the performance period with varying invoice amounts for the ODCs.

12. The funding amounts in the pricing schedule for ODC’s on page 55 of HSFE20-17-R-006 are pre-plugged. What expenditures does this funding cover?

See the corresponding ODC CLIN descriptions.

13. Since the quantity of hazardous waste is not known, will this be billed to the ODC Clin (i.e. spent fuel, batteries, tires)?

Yes.

14. The Attachment J3 Wage Determination includes EO13706 Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors. Is paid-sick leave required in addition to the fringe policies of the CBA?

No. The CBA provides 136 hours for employees for Paid Time Off (PTO), which as defined by the CBA includes vacations AND sick days.

Therefore, since the CBA already provides at least 56 hours of PTO, the sick leave requirements of E.O. 13706 are covered by the CBA.

15. The RFP Section J Attachment 3 is a Wage Determination (WD). This WD identifies that the CBA (Attachment 37) is applicable for union personnel. However, we anticipate that non-exempt personnel will be used in performance who are not members of the union. For these non-union non-exempt personnel, we believe that the locality based WD (#2015-4587, Rev 1) should be the governing document for wages and fringe. We believe that the RFP wage determination should identify both the CBA and WD #2015-4587, Rev 1. Will the Government consider making this change for the RFP?

IAW the CBA, ALL “hourly rated employees” are subject to the policies and rates of the CBA. Any other employees, who fall under the exempt status (i.e., confidential secretaries, supervisors, and management personnel), are NOT subject to the CBA or any other Wage Determinations (including DoL SCA WD # 2015-4587).

16. What percentage of exhaust and fan motors, variable frequency drives, and other electrical components, do not have three-phase protection?

All exhaust and fan motors, variable frequency drives, and other electrical components are three-phase. There are some smaller room type exhaust fans that are not three-phase.

17. 2.G: Are the current maintenance personnel licensed I.A.W.?

The incumbent FOMS personnel do have licenses or other types of certification/qualifications (training, education, etc).

18. 2.G: Is there a license requirement for stationary engineer?

There are industry training and certifications requirements for stationary engineers. The Government would expect an employee assigned as a stationary engineer to meet at least the minimum qualifications for a stationary through training, education, and experience.

19. 2.3.1.1.4: Does the CMMS have a current up to date inventory of all maintenance assets?

Yes.

20. Can the current inventory and reports be migrated to the upgraded CMMS or will a physical inventory be required of all the assets?

The current system 7i may or may not be capable of migrating data to a new CMMS system. There is a lot of maintenance and asset management data not associated with 7i that would require manual input.

21. 2.5.2.59: Is there a license requirement for the Metrology Tech II? Is the incumbent tech licensed accordingly?

The language in the PWS was revised to reflect a broader view for Metrology Tech qualifications. The requirement is for management of the items identified in the new language.

22. 2.3.1.4: Does the current CMMS have an up to date preventive maintenance schedule of the assets established?

The current CMMS does assist with preventive maintenance schedules supported by other management tools using Microsoft products such as Excel.

23. 2.3.1.4.2: What types of BAS systems are currently in place?

The only BAS systems currently used are associated with the chiller and security systems. The ongoing project with the HVAC system will eventually incorporate BAS for HVAC and possibly autoclave functions.

24. 3.1: Please define “incidental engineering”.

Consider incidental engineering as critical thinking, trouble shooting, basic project design, resource estimates, and minor fabrication.

25. 3.1: Is a P.E. required to be staffed?

The contract limits the contractor on work beyond the scope of operations and maintenance. There is no expectation the contractor will be tasked to design and build a project. The contractor gets engineering support from the CDP Engineers.

26. 3.1.1.5: Will a current historical file be made available to the contractor at time of award?

Yes, during phase-in.

27. Recycling is referenced several times in the PWS. This would be a custodial function, yet no custodial duties are outlined.

The custodial contractor is responsible for daily trash, and recycling of plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The FOMS contractor is responsible for recycling items replaced or demolished during routine maintenance work (concrete, metal, copper, etc.).

28. Attachment 7: Do the current electrical tech(s) meet these requirements?

The current electrical technician meets the minimum certifications for his position and capability.

29. Will the new contractor get a copy of all current licenses, certifications and training records of all employees?

Yes.

30. Is contractor required to supply uniforms, steel-toe boots and hard hats? If so, will this be billed under ODC’s?

Uniforms and safety related personal protective gear is cost-reimbursable and invoiced under the ODC CLIN.

31. In addition to Overtime, the RFP Attachment 37 CBA includes several other activities which require wage rate premiums. This includes shift differential, ODD workweek bonuses, hazard pay, and holiday pay. Should offerors include costs for these wage rate premiums in the fixed price CLIN prices or should offerors provide separate labor rates for these activities and expect that billing for these costs will be permissible under the ODCs CLINs (like overtime)?

The offeror’s proposed work plan and staffing plan should take the PWS requirement for performance during different (2nd and 3rd) shifts, ODD workweeks, and holidays into consideration as part of their normal performance, and therefore these costs should be included in the offeror’s proposed FFP. Any work performance outside the normal performance of the contract (overtime and hazardous duty) would be paid from the ODCs.

32. Reference- Collective bargaining Agreement Question: Will the Government provide specific guidelines for what rates (CBA, SCA, etc…) to bid for the full period of performance?

Based on FAR 22.102-3(a), 22.1006(c)(1), 22.1008-2(b), 52.222-41(f) and (m), 52.222-43(a), the wage schedule provided in the CBA applies to approximately the first three years of this contract. Since the incumbent CBA expires after approximately three years, wage rates could fall back to the DoL SCA WD if no new CBA is negotiated and incorporated into the contract. However, a new CBA with the successful offeror is required to be in place within one year of award. Therefore, the third year wage rates of the CBA should be considered the minimum non-exempt wage rates for the remaining performance periods of this solicitation and resulting contract. Any future FFP price adjustments to the contract will be made in accordance with any new CBA wage determinations, and processed as a modification to the contract.

Question # Document Page Number Paragraph

Number Reference Industry Question

1 PWS 8 2g

Provide a major equipment and critical system break down or impairment form

Is this a deliverable? It is not listed in Section J, Attachment 8. Will the Government please provide information on the content and submission timelines for this report/form?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The intent is to report and document critical system breakage and maintenance issues. There is no set format imposed by the Government. This could be developed by the contractor or could be a simple as an email - clearly communicating work efforts, updates and maintenance issues is the task.

2 PWS 8 2.2

The purpose of the Kick-Off Meeting, which shall be chaired by the Contracting Officer, is to discuss technical and contracting objectives of this contract and review the Contractor's draft project management plan.

Is the Project Management Plan a deliverable? It is not listed in Section J, Attachment 8. Will the Government please provide information on the content and submission timelines for this plan? The intent of the kick-off meeting is to allow for the contractor and Government to open a dialogue for a successful transition.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: There is no requirement to deliver a draft project management plan. This is a good opportunity for the contractor to present details to their phase-in plan and give the Government an idea of how the transition will be executed.

3 PWS 11 2.3.1.4.1

The equipment requiring Contractor proposed preventive or predictive maintenance standards or guides shall include all of the building equipment when any of the following equipment characteristics apply: c.

The equipment has moving parts.

Will the Government please clarify the requirement for these standards or guides? "The equipment has moving parts". Something as simple as a light switch has moving parts.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: This pertains to major components with mechanical parts such as pulley, fan, bearings etc. -not smaller items

4 PWS 21 2.3.4

The Contractors specifically tailored Quality Control Program and proposed staffing requirement(s)/qualifications shall be submitted with the proposal. The program shall include a quality control inspection system covering all general and specific tasks in the contract performance work statement. It shall specify tasks or areas to be inspected on both a scheduled or unscheduled basis and the manner in which inspections are to occur. The Contractors QCP shall cover all aspects of contractor performance and requirements of this contract, to include management functions.

Requiring a site-specific quality plan seems in contradiction to Sections L and M in the RFP. The RFP requires us to provide "our ability to propose and execute a quality control plan, whereby the contractor manages and monitors the process and takes the appropriate corrective action to correct performance to meet program objectives.

Consideration will be given to how well the plan demonstrates that the offeror will provide effective quality control for all requirements of the PWS. The PWS is requiring general and specific task inspection programs etc. Will the Government please delete the verbiage in paragraph 2.3.4 and allow us the opportunity to develop a site-specific plan during the Phase-In period?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: It is reasonable to ask for a vendors QC plan to be submitted in the time frames presented in the PWS. It is also understood that as the awardee gains more specific knowledge the QC plan will likely improve to ensure the intent of a sound quality control program is in effect to support success of the contractor's performance.

PWS 23 2.5.2.1c

Along with the names and telephone numbers of the immediate supervisors.

Will the Government please consider deleting the requirement for phone numbers? In many instances current phone numbers are unknown.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: It is reasonable to ask for reference type information. The expectation is that due diligence will be made to obtain the requested information. An email address would be acceptable.

5 PWS 24 2.5.2.5

All personnel working on this contract must possess all required registrations, certifications and licenses required by State and local jurisdictions, and any specific requirements noted below

As we understand the COBRATF is categorized as a Federal Installation.

Will the Government please provide a list of registrations, certifications, and licenses required by State and Local Jurisdictions for technicians working on a Federal Installation?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The expectation is that the proposing contractor will be familiar with the minimum requirements for skilled laborers. For example Alabama requires a plumber to have a license.

6 PWS 24 2.5.2.5.1

Technicians performing contract work involving the inspection, testing, and maintenance of emergency and standby power systems shall be trained and possess a current training certificate for inspecting, testing, and maintaining these components from an equipment manufacturer or a certificate by an organization acceptable to the CO or COR.

In order to not cause any disruptions in training will the Government please provide a list of organizations that are acceptable to the CO or COR?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: This section was clarified/changed in the revised

PWS.

7 PWS 25 2.5.2.5.8

A Journeyman Pipe Fitter shall have successfully completed a 4 year technical program. Technical training shall include an accredited apprenticeship program.

Pipefitting technician programs are most often offered at 2-year schools and include an apprenticeship. In researching Section J Attachment 24, we could not determine the number of hours a year requiring a Journeyman Pipefitter. Will the Government please provide an annual estimate based on historical workload.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: Pipefitter requirements were changed in the PWS.

Pipefitter requirements should increase with the installation of new mechanical systems/piping supporting HVAC system.

8 PWS 26 2.5.2.5.10

The welder shall meet the requirements of the PWS as well as the requirements American Welding Society (AWS), federal, state and local requirements of the contract.

The PWS does not provide any Welder requirements. Will the Government please provide these requirements? How many task orders/hours required a welder based on historical work load data?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The welder supports plumbing, electrical and general maintenance requirements. The welder logged approximately 30 hours of welding last year.

9 PWS 26 2.5.2.6

All personnel shall be licensed and certified, or become licensed and certified within 30 calendar days of beginning employment, to perform work within their normal duties, where such licensing is required by the State for non-Federal locations.

Will the Government please clarify this statement, we thought the COBRATF was a Federal location.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The COBRATF is a Federal facility, but that does not alleviate the contractor from state licensing requirements. The contractor shall be knowledgeable of Alabama's licensing requirements and follow the PWS for specific technical skill qualifications. If a license is required by Alabama the contractor will need to show the requirement is met for their employees.

10 PWS 23 2.5.2.4

The Safety Manager shall meet the minimum OSHA qualifications for required Safety Manager on a commercial industrial site. Safety Manager must have a minimum of three to five years’ experience of safety management at a site of similar

Will the Government accept 3 to 4 years of safety related education with some level of safety manager experience working in similar facility in lieu of the three to five years of experience?

size and complexity. The Safety manager must also meet the following:

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: PWS

language was revised.

12 PWS 53 3.1.14

Incinerator and Autoclave Systems During the site-visit it was stated the incinerator was nonoperational and the time line to fix/replace it has not been determined. Will the Government please delete any reference to the incinerator and add the tasks we are to perform to circumvent the incinerator being nonoperational?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: Vendors shall submit proposals based on the PWS that was provided at the time the solicitation was issued.

13 PWS 68 4.1.2

Safety This section appears to be repetitive of most information found in 3.2 Safety Management. Will the Government please revise this section or combine the two?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: PWS

revised/clarified.

14 PWS 73 4.2.1.2.2

When an existing deficiency in an item is corrected, the Contractor shall assume full responsibility for the subsequent repair of the item as covered under the terms of this Contract at no additional cost to the Government.

Repair and Maintenance of complex systems is not an exact science. In many instances there may be multiple malfunctions that cannot be identified until preliminary repairs are conducted.

For example during the on-site visit it was stated the cost to repair the incinerator was estimated at 1.8 to over 2 million dollars. As we read this, you would be requesting an itemized estimate on a piece of equipment like the incinerator and you would hold us to the estimate and after we did our initial repairs any additional repairs would be at a cost to us. The incinerator alone would be a risk of several $100,000 to a small business. Will the Government please clarify this requirement? "

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: When an existing deficiency in an item is corrected, the Contractor shall assume full responsibility for the subsequent repair of the item as covered under the terms of this Contract at no additional cost to the Government." was deleted from the PWS. All repair work subsequent to initial findings are covered by Government funds unless determined to be rework due to poor craftsmanship or negligence

15 PWS 73 4.2.1.2.2

The Contractor shall submit an initial deficiency list report not later than 30 days after phase in period, to the COR. Any dispute between the Government and the Contractor as to classification of initial deficiency list report items will be resolved under the Disputes Clause in this document.

The Contractors itemized estimates for correcting each deficiency shall remain in effect for 30 days after submission of the initial deficiency

With all the other deliverables to in the first 30 days will the Government extend this requirement to 90 days for our itemized estimate submission?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The PWS language was changed to accommodate more time to develop the initial deficiency list to being due not later than 60 days.