Questions__Answers_for_PTARRD_Solicitation_1130.doc

Questions & Answers with Industry

· The previous contract for this work (HSFEHQ-10-D-0806) included training course development and delivery. Will those training components continue under a separate procurement going forward?

Training is covered under another requirement/contract.

· If so, when do you anticipate the solicitation for that work to be released, and will it also be an 8(a) set-aside?

Training course development and delivery falls under the training contract. We suggest you consult with the FEMA Small Business Office for additional guidance concerning future procurements.

· There is a solicitation (Number: HSFE60-16-R-0001) that caught our attention. There is no comment in it about the incumbent contractor, Ideation, INC., which was mentioned in the pre-solicitation. Does this mean that there is no incumbent for this solicitation?

The incumbent for the solicitation is Ideation, Inc.

· Is the incumbent still an active 8(a) contractor?

Yes

· Should there be separate proposal volumes as follows? (Section E.1 of Solicitation)

· Technical Proposal

· Price Proposal

· Separate PDF file for certifications and representations

Yes, there should be separate proposal volumes for all of the above mentioned bulleted items.

· Is there a page limitation for each proposal volume? (Section E.1 of Solicitation) Yes there is a page limitation for each proposal

1. Technical Proposal –20

2. Price Proposal—10

· Is there a page limitation for the volumes (Section E.1 of Solicitation):

· Can the cover page be excluded from the page count? No

· Can the table of contents be excluded from the page count? No

· Can a transmittal letter be excluded from the page count? No

· Can the resumes be excluded from the page count? No

· Can the certs and reps be excluded from the page count? Yes

· What is the expected font size for the proposal volumes? (Section E.1 of Solicitation)

The expected font size for the proposals is 12.

· Can charts be a smaller font size? (Section E.1 of Solicitation) Charts’ font size should be no small than 10

· (11) Specifics that the projects must be either the Federal Government or commercial clients. Would the government consider adding projects of similar size and scope performed at State and Local government? (Section E.1 of Solicitation)

Please see solicitation revision.

· Would the government consider extending the due date of the proposal submittal? (Section E.1 of Solicitation)

We have reviewed the dates, but are unable to extend them at this time.

· On page 7 of the SOW, the Government uses the term “business objects”. Can the Government please define the intended use of this term? Is experience in a specific business objects tool required? (Attachment 1 – SOO) Business Objects is a suite of front-end applications that allow business users to view, sort and analyze business intelligence data. For our purposes, the suite includes the following key applications:

· Xcelsius/Dashboards -- Allows users to create interactive dashboards that contain charts and graphs for visualizing data

· Web Intelligence -- Provides a self-service environment for creating ad hoc queries and analysis of data both online and offline Experience in the above applications IS preferred.

· Being a relatively new 8(a) company we do not yet have the depth of the experience/past performance requirements stipulated in Section E.1(b)(11), Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items, for this RFP. Indeed, it appears these requirements are so specific that it would be difficult for many 8(a) firms to meet them and submit a competitive proposal. However, we are planning to partner with a company that does have many of the experience/past performance requirements. Can my company use the past performance of my subcontractor and still competitively compete for this requirement?

No

· What are the relative weights that will be given to the past performance of the prime offeror over the past performance of major subcontractors? (Solicitation, E.7(a), Evaluation – Commercial Items) Per the solicitation, “greater weight will be given to the past performance of the prime offeror over past performance of major subcontractors.”

· Under the Qualifications section on page 7 of 9 in the Statement of Objectives, the solicitation states that “…Contractor personnel shall have expert knowledge and understanding of applicable statutes…that impact FIMA RRD Building Science Programs, the FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs, EHP and the National Flood Insurance Programs.” Additionally, later under the Key Personnel section, the minimum requirements for the Program Manager position shown at the top of page 8 of 9 obviously weight this heavily to staffing qualifications and experience that the incumbent contractor would possess. Is the incumbent contractor eligible to compete for this IDIQ?

Yes

· How many task orders do you anticipate will be issued under this IDIQ? How many task orders were issued in the 5 years of the previous contract?

The number of task orders issued will depend on the needs of the agency. In the past 5 years, on a similar contract, there were around 16 task orders issued.

· Will there be an amendment to the RFP detailing the more expansive Proposal Preparation Instructions that are normally listed in most RFPs? No The instructions we found listed in Section E only require submission of Experience/Past Performance and Pricing information. There is no mention of addressing technical capabilities/approach, proposal formatting, or resume requirements.

The Solicitation states the following, “The projects described in these assessments need to demonstrate work that is similar in type and scope to the work described in the solicitation.” Therefore, no further instructions are forthcoming.

· Are proposals to be submitted electronically or in hard copy? If in hard copy, how many copies will be required?

All proposals should be submitted electronically to Freda McDonald, freda.mcdonald@fema.dhs.gov and Gerrid Gaboriault, gerrid.gaboriault@fema.dhs.gov.

· In Section C.7, the solicitation says, “The Contracting Officer will request wage determinations for additional places or areas of performance if asked to do so in writing by October 23, 2015.” Will this date be changed since it has already passed?

A request for additional wage determination should be made no later than 1:00 p.m. (Local –Washington, D.C.) on December 3, 2015 to gerrid.gaboriault@fema.dhs.gov, while also copying freda.mcdonald@fema.dhs.gov.

· We identified roughly 37 Labor Categories with differing levels of experience in the Pricing Evaluation Spreadsheet to support this effort. Typically 8(a) companies do not have that depth in their staffing. Additionally, none of the categories equal one full-time equivalent (FTE). This would require hiring someone for less than full-time work as Task Orders are issued. Is the intent of the Pricing Worksheet just to understand our Labor Rates for each Category? Or is there an expectation that the contractor has the depth and breadth of personnel on hand to meet the requirements?

Yes, the expectation is that the contractor has the depth and breadth of personnel to meet the requirements.

· Is it possible to provide examples? “Programmatic technical support" might be building spreadsheets and not software as The Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG) would know it.

Below are links to a Wildfire Methodology Report, the BCA website and a FEMA Publication on Tornado: Moore, Oklahoma, May 20, 2013 (this provides examples of the type of graphic and geospatial support for presentations and reports).

· Benefit-Cost Analysis Re-engineering (BCAR) Wildfire Methodology Report: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/19091

· Benefit-Cost Analysis FEMA Website: http://www.fema.gov/benefit-cost-analysis

· Examples of the type of professional graphic and geospatial support for presentation and reports can be found in the following document (i.e. pages 19 – 21): https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/100807

· Does the government expect the BCA Tool to continue to be developed as a desktop application outside of the traditional OCIO/IT processes? If not, what additional considerations must be factored in to accommodate future development in "different platforms" to comply with enterprise standards? (Attachment 1 – SOO, pg. 4) The government expects the vendor to propose innovative solutions for the BCA Tool in compliance with DHS 4300A and DHS/FEMA SELC.

· Some of the labor categories, like "eLearning Developer" and "Instructional Designer," suggest a training component to the contract. Although the SOO describes one of GDAT's responsibilities is training, we didn't see anything specifically relating to training requirements in this SOO. Is there a training component in this contract OR, should those labor categories be removed from this contract? (Attachment 4 – Price Evaluation Spreadsheet)

There is no training component to this contract – see solicitation revision.

· The Price Evaluation Spreadsheet, Attachment 4 contains labor categories and levels for which offerors are to provide hourly rates. In order to accurately develop rates, offerors need corresponding labor category descriptions for each position/level to include job description, education requirements, and years of experience. We respectfully request the labor category descriptions and qualifications to ensure we are able to offer FEMA our best price terms.

This information should be included in the contractor’s response.

· Is this opportunity only awarded to a firm that holds both the 8a certification and contract vehicle, such as GSA schedule 70?

Only 8(a) Set Aside

· In the RFP, page E-1, Section E.1, 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2015), (b) Submission of offers specifies that signed and dated offers should be submitted “to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation.” May we submit the proposal electronically to the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Specialist?

freda.mcdonald@fema.dhs.gov gerrid.gaboriault@fema.dhs.gov

· In the RFP, page E-1, Section E.1, 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2015), #(b)(6) requires offeror to submit “a breakdown of the fully burdened labor rates proposed on the Price Evaluation Worksheet for each year showing the base labor rates and all indirect costs and profit.” However, RFP page B-1, Section B.2, CONTRACT CEILING RATES, states that the fully burdened labor rates, including all indirect rates and profit, are “TO BE COMPLETED AT TIME OF AWARD USING CATEGORIES AND RATES FROM THE PRICE EVALUATION SPREADSHEET, ATTACHMENT 4.” Should the breakdown of the labor rates showing all indirect costs and profits be completed at the time of award or included in Attachment 4? If included in Attachment 4, are we to add additional columns to the spreadsheet for indirect costs and profit?

Please clarify your question. However, the information should be provide in both sections as indicated.

· In the RFP, page C-14, Section C.11,HSAR 3052.215-70 KEY PERSONNEL OR FACILITIES (DEC 2003), the position of “Project Manager” is designated as Key Personnel under this Contract, and the name of the Project Manager must be provided. The labor category listed in Attachment 4 is Project Manager, Master. In the SOO, pages 78, KEY PERSONNEL, the position of “Program Manager” for this contract is designated as “Key Personnel in accordance with Section C.11 HSAR 3052.215-70 KEY PERSONNEL OR FACILITIES (DEC 2003) of the contract.”

a. May we assume that each of these titles refers to the same position and that the titles of Project Manager and Program Manager can be used interchangeably?

No, Project Manager-task order level, Program Manager-contract level

b. In the SOO, pages 78, KEY PERSONNEL, the minimum qualifications for the Program Manager are listed. Where should we include the qualifications of our designated Program/Project Manager in the proposal?

The qualifications of the designated Program/Project Manager should be included in the resume.

· On page 7 of the SOO, the section on QUALIFICATIONS lists the type of expert knowledge and understanding that the Contractor personnel are to have. The section on STAFFING REQUIREMENTS state to “Provide a proper skill mix, subject matter expertise and required number of personnel to effectively meet or exceed all contract objectives,” and this section also states that “The Contractor staff shall have extensive experience and expert knowledge in the following areas:

· Benefit cost analysis and tool design

· Loss avoidance methodology development

· Analysis of business requirements and development of process design

· Data analytics and use of business objects”

Where should we include information on personnel qualifications and staffing requirements in the proposal?

The information on personnel qualifications and staffing should be included in their respective resumes.

· In the RFP, page E-1, Section E.1, 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2015), under #(b)(11), the third bullet under “Elements to address in project assessments” states “Relevant experience with supporting and developing systematic processes to review, identify, evaluate, validate and prioritize projects.” Could you clarify what type of projects this refers to?

Past experience as it applies to the objectives of this solicitation

· The RFP Section C.11, lists Project Manager as Key Personnel. The SOO KEY PERSONNEL shows the Program Manager as “Key Personnel in accordance with Section C.11.” Please confirm the two are the same. Also, where should the qualifications of the Program or Project be provide in the proposal? Is a resume also required for the Alternate Program/Project Manager?

The Project manager is on the task order level and the Program Manager is on the contract level. The two are not the same and do not serve the same function. The qualifications should be identified in the respective resumes. A resume is required only if the Alternate is designated as key personnel.

· Please clarify, are we to include the breakdown of the labor rates showing all indirect costs and profit with our proposal? If so, where within Section B? or in Attachment 4? RFP, Section E.1, (b)(6) requires offeror to submit “a breakdown of the fully burdened labor rates proposed on the Price Evaluation Worksheet for each year showing the base labor rates and all indirect costs and profit.” RFP, Section B.2 CONTRACT CEILING RATES, states that the fully burdened labor rates, including all indirect rates and profit, are “TO BE COMPLETED AT TIME OF AWARD using categories and rates from the price evaluation spreadsheet, attachment 4.”

This information should be included in your price proposal.

· Where within the proposal should the offeror include personnel qualifications and staffing requirements? The SOO Qualifications section lists the type of expert knowledge and understanding personnel should have. The SOO Staffing Requirements states to “Provide a proper skill mix, subject matter expertise and required number of personnel to effectively meet or exceed all contract objectives.”

Personnel qualifications and staffing requirements should be listed in the resumes for key personnel.

· To whom should the proposal be submitted electronically?

freda.mcdonald@fema.dhs.gov gerrid.gaboriault@fema.dhs.gov

· Should the bidder’s completed price evaluation worksheet reflect the exact “Support Hours” and “Labor Category” titles that are specified on the solicitation Price Evaluation Worksheet, Attachment 4 (e.g., Project Manager, Master 692 support hours, Contract Specialist Mid-Level 1,384 hours) (Price Evaluation Spreadsheet)

Yes

· Would the government provide the Labor Category experience descriptions required? For example years of experience. (Price Evaluation Spreadsheet)

See previous response above.

· For pricing purposes, what is the order of seniority in Attachment 4 Price Evaluation Spreadsheet? (Price Evaluation Spreadsheet)

We are unable to provide a response. We don’t understand the question.

· Attachment 1, Statement of Objectives, Section 1, Contract Objectives, providing recommendations including the development of a tool using an alternative platform is identified as a contract objective. Does the Government currently have a preference for a delivery platform? (Attachment 1, Statement of Objectives) All publically available information has been included in the solicitation.

· On page 7 of the SOO, the Government uses the term “business objects”. Can the Government please define the intended use of this term? Is experience in a specific business objects tool required? (Attachment 1, Statement of Objectives)

· Business Objects is a suite of front-end applications that allow business users to view, sort and analyze business intelligence data. For our purposes the suite includes the following key applications:

· Xcelsius/Dashboards -- Allows users to create interactive dashboards that contain charts and graphs for visualizing data

· Web Intelligence -- Provides a self-service environment for creating ad hoc queries and analysis of data both online and offline

Experience in the above applications is preferred.

· Should there be separate proposal volumes as follows? (Section E.1 of Solicitation)

· Technical Proposal

· Price Proposal

· Separate PDF file for certifications and representations

Yes, there should be separate proposal volumes for all of the above mentioned bulleted items.

· Does the government require a resume for the Project Manager as the only key personnel required under this solicitation? (Solicitation pg. 22, C11 – Key Personnel) Yes

· Are the hours listed in the pricing spreadsheet the actual hours the anticipated Level of Effort (LOE) for the first year task order(s), or only representative of possible LOE? That is, will the contractor be required to estimate the additional staffing requirements and labor categories for this solicitation? (Solicitation pg. 26, Section E – Instructions to Offerors)

Please clarify the question and note the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

· What, if any, are the government’s page limits for the experience/past performance evaluation factor? (Solicitation pg. 26, Section E – Instructions to Offerors) Technical Proposal is 20 pages and the Price Proposal is 10.

· Will the incumbent (tool creator) or subsequent vendor retained to monitor the BCA helpline be engaged with the vendor responsible for maintenance of the tool per this SOO? (Attachment 1 – SOO, pg. 4) No

· How does FEMA define “expert knowledge and understanding of applicable statutes, regulations, requirements, grants, policies, guidance, and specifications that impact FIMA RRD Building Science Programs, the FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs, EHP, and the National Flood Insurance Programs”? Is it based solely on years of experience in these specific knowledge areas? (Attachment 1 – SOO, pg. 7) No

· Does the contractor staff need to have specific experience, certification or training with FEMA's BCA tool? (Attachment 1 – SOO, pg. 7) Specific experience is not necessary but useful.

· Will contract staff be required to have 508-compliance training and certifications? (Attachment 1 – SOO, pg. 7) No, but the offeror should demonstrate knowledge and expertise.

· The solicitation documents do not list a format or page limit for proposal submission. Is there a type format required (e.g., text, font, MS Word, PDF, etc.) and a page limit for submission? (Solicitation, E-1(b)) Yes, there is a page limitation for each proposal.

Technical Proposal –20

Price Proposal--10

The expected font size for the proposals is 12. Charts font size should be no small than 10.

· Is there a page limit, will past performance assessments be included in the page count? (Solicitation, E-1(b)) Yes, past performance assessment should be included in the page count.

· Can past performance self-assessments for work completed or ongoing for different Work Orders / Task Orders under the same IDIQ contract be counted as multiple projects? (Solicitation, E-1(b), (11))

It is up to each contractor to follow the instruction in Section E-1. Each project should only be submitted once. There should be no overlap.

· Are labor categories restricted to those outlined in Attachment 4 – Price Evaluation Spreadsheet? (Attachment 4 – Price Evaluation Spreadsheet)

Please clarify. Each contractor shall be evaluated based on the terms set forth in the solicitation.

· Are the hours listed for each labor category in Attachment 4 – Price Evaluation Spreadsheet locked or can the offeror make changes in order to meet their technical solution for supporting the objectives? (Attachment 4 – Price Evaluation Spreadsheet)

See response above.

· Can the Government please provide the Labor Category descriptions? (Attachment 4 – Price Evaluation Spreadsheet) This information should be included in the response to the solicitation.

· Can the Government entertain 1099/s as Key Personnel, if intent letters are submitted? (Solicitation, C-11, Key Personnel) Please clarify. However, the Government will evaluate all properly submitted information.

· Can the Government provide a template for past performance self-evaluation? (Solicitation, E-1(b), (11)) No, however, please look to the solicitation and the Federal Acquisition Regulation for guidance.

· Regarding the re-engineering of HMA grants business rules processes, are these processes internal for FEMA headquarters or to be utilized by FEMA Regions and states as well? (Attachment 1 – SOO) The re-engineering of HMA grants business rules processes is for FEMA HQ, Regional offices and states.

· Can the Government push the deadline by at least a week, considering the Thanksgiving Holiday?

No. However, we are looking at the dates and may be able to grant a couple of additional days. We are working within a number of deadlines and schedules.