Questions_and_Answers_Document_12-17.docx

Questions and Answers

FEMA RFP HSFE90-14-R-0001

1. Originally this was advertised as a HBZ Prime. Why did that change?

The Contracting Officer determined that it is in the best interest of the Government to issue this requirement as a total small business set aside.

2. What is the NAICS code? Page K-3 states 541611 but page K-7 states 541614 with a size standard of $7M?

The solicitation has been revised on page K-7 to reflect that the NAICS code is 541611.

3. The RFP states that the primary place of performance is FEMA Headquarters. How many desks or workstations will be provided?

The primary place of performance will be at the contractor’s own facility. There may be instances where the contractors are required to be at FEMA Headquarters (meetings, workshops, etc). During these instances, adequate meeting space will be provided by FEMA. Travel costs shall not be reimbursed for these events.

4. Are all contract personnel expected to work at the FEMA Headquarters?

Refer to the answer to Question 3.

5. Section H has significant language on special contract requirements for meetings. Is there an ODC or CLIN for this requirement?

In accordance with Section C Part 9 this requirement will be handled on a task order basis.

6. May the prime submit past performance references from a significant subcontractor, and if so will they be accorded the same value as if submitted by the prime contractor?

No.

7. Is there a requirement for the Contractor staff to be permanently located on-site at FEMA headquarters? Can the Government please identify the number and type of contractor staff required to be on-site at FEMA HQ?

Refer to the answer to Question 3.

8. Is Attachment 5 (Past Contractual Performance) required for subcontractor(s)?

No.

9. Is the table of contents included in the 25 page limit for the Technical Volume?

No.

10. How many resumes should be provided in the proposal? Do you want resumes for all positions identified as key?

4 resumes should be provided for each labor category. All labor categories are identified as key.

11. How many documents are anticipated to be developed at the same time?

Contractor should expect to work on 5-6 documents at a time for recovery and response concurrently. Category of document (size, level of effort and scope) developed concurrently will vary.

12. Will FEMA reimburse for travel for staff to travel to FEMA HQ for workshops or "surge" levels of effort at FEMA HQ?

All contractors working within 50 miles of FEMA HQ are not considered to be on travel status. Travel must be approved in advance and in writing by the Contracting Officer’s Representative. Local travel under 50 miles of FEMA HQ will not be reimbursed.

13. Evaluation Factor 2 (Section M, page M-3) is quite prescriptive on content and requirements, especially when taken together with language on page 5 of the Performance Work Statement. What else would the government want to see on the Document Project Management Plan? Additionally, the language in Evaluation Factor 2 only addresses the Document Project Management Plan. However, the word “Staffing” is in the heading. What guidance, if any, can the government provide on information that should be provided on staffing?

The word staffing has been removed from Evaluation Factor 2. Factor 2 is called Document Project Management Plan.

14. Section B.4. Task Order Issuance: Will the Government only issue task orders as bilaterally executed orders?

No. The Task Orders will be executed unilaterally.

15. Section I.4 FAR 52.216-18 ORDERING Will the Government follow the process of releasing task order solicitations to be responded to by the Contractor's task order proposals?

Yes.

16. Section I.6 FAR 52.216-22 INDEFINITE QUANTITY Is it the intent of the government to issue concurrent task orders across deliverables?

Yes.

17. Please verify that this acquisition is a small business set-aside based on the NAICS Code 541611 with a size standard of $14M in annual receipts as opposed to a size standard based on a business' number of employees (500)?

Refer to the answer in Question 2.

18. Section L.7 Would the Government allow the electronic e-mail copy to be submitted by the due date and the hard copies due within 24 hours thereafter?

No.

19. Section L.10 states "The government retains the right to make award without discussions." Section M.2 states “The Government reserves the right to award based on initial offers without discussions." Section L.10 states "After the competitive range is established, the Government will hold meaningful discussions in accordance with FAR 15.306." Please clarify that the Government is reserving its right to award without discussions or that the Government will conduct meaningful discussions after the competitive range is established.

The Government is reserving its right to award with or without discussions.

20. F.2 Principal Place of Performance: Please clarify the location for the Place of Performance as there is varying guidance in the RFP. Will such location be consistent across all task orders?

Refer to the answer to Question 3.

21. Are Offerors allowed to subcontract services in accordance with FAR 52.244-6, Subcontracts for Commercial Items?

Yes.

22. Section L.6 Can offerors submit past performance references of its subcontractor(s)?

Refer to the answer in Question 6.

23. Section I.10 Contractor Employee Access: What specific type of background investigation is required?

The contractor must be able to pass a suitability clearance by FEMA. The background check will be for Public Trust.

24. Are there citizenship requirements?

No.

25. Section C, paragraph 13 Labor Categories: Would the government consider making changes to the number of year’s experience for the labor categories below? We recognize that the qualification requirements for the Analyst, who is described as a senior expert, asks for the same number of years experience (5) as the Technical Editor and Consultant, and similar years of experience as the Writer. Based on our experience working with the government on projects of similar size, scope, and complexity, we have seen an increased likelihood of project success when the Analyst (senior expert) has the greatest amount of experience to provide the team with the strategic direction, technical knowledge, and established relationships. We have been able to reduce cost to the government while maintaining a high degree of quality in delivery by utilizing a labor mix that includes a blend of junior staff, experienced project management professionals, and senior topical experts. Please see below for recommended modifications: Analyst: Increasing the range for the number of years experience from a minimum of 5 years to 12 – 15 years in order to gain deeper experience from subject matter experts. Technical Editor/Writer: Reducing the years of experience requirement to 1 – 3 years, which will enable the government to utilize a larger range of staff while realizing cost efficiencies. Personnel staffing these labor categories will have the benefit of the team’s well-rounded experience, management and expertise.

No. Section L.8 (d)(ii) does allow for alternative levels of effort and labor categories to be proposed.

26. Proposal Submission Deadline: In the November 27, 2013, version of the RFP, block 9 of form SF-33 lists the submission deadline as 10:00 AM on January 6, 2014. In the December 2, 2013, version of the RFP, block 9 of form SF-33 lists the submission deadline as 5:00 PM on January 6, 2014. What is the proposal submission deadline?

10 a.m.

27. Length/Format: Section L.8 states that the proposal must not exceed 25 pages, double-spaced, single-sided printing.

· Will a transmittal letter be counted against the page limit?

No.

· To clarify the desired length of the proposal, per the RFP requirements, the proposal will be limited to the equivalent of only 12.5 pages of single-spaced text. Is this the correct interpretation of the RFP instruction?

Text shall be double spaced.

28. Section L.7 Proposal Submission Instruction, Part d. Hand Deliveries To The Above Address: “If your proposal is hand delivered, adequate time should be allowed to provide identification to the FEMA guard service. You must contact Candice Burch & Marcelle Loveday with me on copy via e-mail no later than one (3) business day of your intent to hand deliver your proposal to ensure proper delivery and acceptance by the submission deadline.”

· Exactly which three individuals must the Contractor notify via e-mail of their intent to hand deliver the proposal? Candice Burch, Marcelle Loveday, and who else?

Sam Ansani

· How many days’ notice must the Contractor provide of their intent to hand deliver the proposal (one or three)?

If you choose not to mail hard copies of your proposals, please provide your intent to hand deliver the proposal by 01/03/2014. If proposals are hand delivered they will only be accepted on 01/06/2014.

29. Page M-3, Factor 2: Management Staffing Plan: “The Contractor will be evaluated based on their Document Project Management Plan.”

· To fulfill this requirement, should the Contractor submit a sample document management plan for the project? Or, should Contractor describe their general approach to developing and implementing a document management plan?

The Contractor should submit a proposed schedule for how they would accomplish the estimated workload in the initial award period. This should include key dates, potential risks and solutions for delays, and recommendations for the development and maintenance of document development projects.

30. We understand that the contractor will develop the doctrinal documents in accordance with the government documents on page C-3, paragraph 4. Is it the government’s intent to develop the doctrinal documents in sequential order beginning with the Keystone documents and subsequently developing the documents in sequential order as per the chart on page C-1 of the PWS? (For example, develop Keystone first followed in sequence by Manual, Handbook, Guide, Procedure, Category 1 Revision, and Category 2 Revision?) Or is the contractor required to produce the documents concurrently?

Documents will be developed concurrently. While development is not sequential all documents will have consistency of terms and must reflect common concepts.

31. Can the government provide examples of the doctrinal documents of each type that currently exist within the framework of the chart on page C-1 of the PWS?

Yes.

32. Do keystone documents, manuals, handbooks, guides, and procedures (referenced in the chart on page C-1 of the PWS) currently exist, requiring only updates by the contractor, or will the contractor be developing these documents without having a current document to begin with? If the documents currently exist, can the government please provide copies or refer the offeror to where these can be found?

They do currently exist. The contractor will be responsible for developing new keystones, manuals, handbooks, guides, and procedures, as well as revising doctrine that is currently in place.

33. Does the government expect the contractor to recommend what documents within each type (chart on page C-1 of the PWS) that should be created and then create them?

No.

34. Can the government please specify the volume of the proposal in which it would like past performance information (attachment 5) included?

The past performance information (Attachment 5) should be included in Volume 1 of the Technical proposal.

35. On page C-5, per the Comment Adjudication section in the table, the deliverable is to “[c]onsolidate inputs from stakeholders on various draft documents into a single comment matrix and incorporate approved changes into documents.” Who or what office in FEMA will approve the changes to the document based on the comments during the comment adjudication period?

FEMA Doctrine Unit Chiefs in both the Recovery and Response Directorates will approve changes on their respective documents. Adjudication may take place with contractor input, however, final approval will remain with the Doctrine Unit Chiefs. The Doctrine Unit Chiefs will be responsible for obtaining senior leadership approval for comments that require senior leadership decision.

36. On page C-6, PWS 10, the government states that “Depending upon the task, work shall be performed at the FEMA HQ and at the contractor’s location. The Contractor may be required to attend frequent meetings and planning sessions for coordination and planning purposes at: Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters, 500 C St SW, Washington DC 20472.” However, on page H-1, F.2, the government says “The effort required under this contract shall be performed at: Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters, 500 C St SW, Washington DC 20472.” Can the government please clarify whether the contractor will indeed be performing all work at FEMA headquarters or not?

Refer to the answer to Question 3.

37. Can the government please clarify the positions for which it expects resumes to be submitted?

Refer to the answer to Question 10.

38. Does the government require that offerors submit a letter of intent (LOI) for each position for which a resume is required?

No.

39. Can the government confirm that all resumes and LOIs will not count against proposal page limits? Resumes will not be included in proposal page limits.

40. With respect to proposal submission (L.7, page L-1), can the government please confirm that the e-submission is only via e-mail, not some other method (for example, an electronic copy on CD)?

The only e-submission allowed is via e-mail.

41. Additionally, should the e-submission be by e-mail, does the government require that the offeror wait until the due date to send the e-submission, or may the e-submission be e-mailed when the offeror mails the 1 original and 4 hard-copies?

The e-submission shall be sent on 01/06/2014.

42. Could the government please explain the genesis of the 16.8M amount given in section B.3, page B-1 of the solicitation?

The amount listed in B.3 represents the ceiling value of the proposed contract. This value was obtained in accordance with FAR Part 16.504(a)(1).”

43. Is this a new or existing requirement? If it is an existing requirement, could the government please provide the name of the incumbent?

This is an existing requirement. The previous work was performed under an Inter-agency Agreement.

44. Is it the government’s intent for the Keystone, Manual, Handbook, Guide, Procedure, Category 1 Revision, and Category 2 Revision documents to be completed during the initial period of performance?

As this is an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity the precise number of items ordered during each period of performance is unknown. While the Government estimates that the aforementioned documents may be ordered during the initial period of performance, exact quantities shall be determined on the task order level

45. If so, what would the deliverables for the option periods be?

As stated above, precise quantities shall be determined on a task order basis. The Government estimates that 10-15 documents may be ordered each year and that there may be more than one of each type of document ordered.

46. Would the government please consider extending the page limit for the technical volume from 25 to 30 pages?

No.

47. On page C-7, the government states that the writer shall have “Knowledge of client style guidelines, protocols, and procedures.” Can the government clarify whether the style guidelines mentioned are FEMA-specific, or does this refer to common style guides, such as the Chicago Manual of Style?

Under Task 1, 1.1.5, 1: In accordance with applicable Government policies, including proper formatting in line with GPO and DHS house style guidance.

48. If such guidelines are FEMA-specific, can the government please provide a copy?

No.

49. Under Section C, Article 10, “Place of Performance”, it states that depending upon the task, work shall be performed at the FEMA HQ and at the contractor’s location. In Section F.2 – it indicates effort required under the contract shall be performed at FEMA HQ. Is it anticipated that all staff assigned to this contract will be required to be positioned at FEMA HQ to conduct the tasks under relevant task orders?

Refer to the answer to Question 3.

50. Do all submitted past performance references need to come from the Prime Contractor?

Yes.

51. Are resumes required to be submitted for each key personnel labor category? Is there a page limit for resumes?

Refer to Question 10. No page limit.

52. Are key personnel identified at the time of task order issuance or are key personnel identified at time of contract award based on proposal submission?

All labor categories are considered key personnel. Specific key personnel will be identified at time of task order issuance.

53. Under 5.1.1.1.4, it states that workgroups will be conducted to validate draft doctrine. What will be the composition of those workgroups? Are those workgroups expected to be conducted at government facilities or will the contractor be required to secure and organize meetings at outside venues?

The workgroups will be composed of subject matter experts across FEMA that are identified by the Office of Policy and Doctrine. Meetings can be held both at FEMA facilities and at outside venues. The contractor should specify in their proposal if they are able to provide meeting space for working groups.

54. Can the government confirm that the document management plan is a post-award requirement and not part of the proposal submission?

Refer to the answer to Question 29.

55. In Section L.7.d. (Proposal Submission Instructions: Hand Deliveries to Above Address:) on Page 47 of the RFP, it is written: “If your proposal is hand delivered, adequate time should be allowed to provide identification to the FEMA guard service. You must contact Candice Burch & Marcelle Loveday with me on copy via email no later than one (3) business day of your intent to hand deliver your proposal to ensure proper delivery and acceptance by the submission deadline.”

Question: How many business days prior must Candace Burch and Marcelle Loveday be notified of hand delivery, one or three? If it is (3) three, does that mean December 31, as January 1, 2014 is a Federal Holiday?

Refer to the answer to Question 28.

56. Section B.1 of the RFP states that “The contractor shall utilize the excel sheet of Attachment 2 – Price Schedule to propose pricing for the base and four option years. Although suggested labor categories have been provided, the Contractor can propose additional or alternative labor categories.” The instructions in L.8.d.2 further state that “Offerors must complete the spreadsheet in its entirety by filling in base rates, option year rates, and estimated labor hours per labor category. “ To ensure consistency in evaluation of price across all offers, might we suggest that all offers be required to provide a price for each provided labor category as currently defined, and not be allowed to alter the government estimated hours or alter the labor categories requested.

No.

57. Is there an incumbent contractor? If so what company?

Refer to the answer to question 43.

58. Are past performance submissions from a subcontractor allowable?

No.

59. Neither the proposal preparation instructions nor the evaluation factors make reference to candidate resumes or qualifications (other than they are not part of the 25 page limitation). Are resumes required? If so, how many, are they for each labor category, etc. and how will the evaluation be conducted.

4 resumes are required for each labor category.

60. What volume of work is expected on the IDIQ? The government has provided hours and numbers of documents for pricing purposes, but it is it reasonable to believe that a full time workload for a core team is anticipated?

Level of effort in the PWS is estimated based on historical development of the categories, and are subject to change. It would be reasonable to assume a full time workload for this proposal. However, it is up to the contractor to decide how they want to distribute the work among their employees.

61. Will the incumbent be eligible to bid as a prime for this contract?

This requirement is currently being performed under an Interagency Agreement.

62. Will there be any additional consideration for contractors who are HUBZone certified as the original solicitation mandated a HUBZone Set-Aside but the updated solicitation only requires you to be Small Business Set-Aside?

No.

63. What is the estimated level of effort for this opportunity (i.e. number of full-time/part-time employees, etc?)

It is up to the contractor to decide how they want to distribute the work among their employees.

64. Will the Government be organizing all workgroups (i.e. providing the individuals for each workgroup, etc.) or will the Contractor be responsible for this task?

The Government will provide a list of the necessary subject matter experts for a workgroup. The contract may be requested to draft meeting invites/agendas/etc, and to facilitate portions of the workgroup.

65. Could the Government please clarify what the original copy of the proposal consists of and how this differs from the electronic e-mail copy? (p. 7 – “The Offeror shall submit one (1) original, four (4) hard copies, and one (1) electronic e-mail copy of the Technical Proposal.”)

One e-mail copy is required on 01/06/2014. 4 hard copies must be postmarked by 01/06/2014 or hand delivery on 01/06/2014.

66. It’s stated that work shall be performed at the FEMA HQ and at the contractor’s location. At which site does the Government anticipate most of the work will be performed?

Refer to the answer to Question 3.

67. When does the Government plan to award this opportunity to a contractor?

The date of award is to be determined.

68. How many documents of each type does FEMA anticipate requesting each year of the contract?

The Government anticipates 10 – 15 documents per year. This mix could change each year, dependent on the needs of the Directorates.

69. Section C.12 states, "All work performed under this SOW is unclassified unless otherwise specified by DHS."Are there any requirements for cleared personnel or secure facilities in case a need arises?

No.

70. Reference: Section L.7.a states, “Offeror shall also submit and one (1) original, one (4) hard copies, and one (1) electronic e-mail copy of the Business Proposal shall be submitted.” The number in parenthesis and spelled out number of hard copies do not match. Question: Please clarify the required number of hard copies of the Business Volume.

Refer to the answer to Question 65.

71. Section L.7.d states, "If your proposal is hand delivered, adequate time should be allowed to provide identification to the FEMA guard service. You must contact Candice Burch & Marcelle Loveday with me on copy via email no later than one (3) business day of your intent to hand deliver your proposal to ensure proper delivery and acceptance by the submission deadline." The number in parenthesis and spelled out number of business days do not match. Please clarify whether this must occur no later than one (1) or three (3) business days prior to hand delivery.

1 business day prior to the submission deadline (01/03/2014).

72. Section L.8.b states, “The Technical proposal submitted must not exceed twenty-five (25) pages, double-spaced, 8 ½” x 11” front side only, excluding resumes.” The instructions do not address the spacing requirements for tables, charts, graphics, and resumes. Do tables, charts, graphics, and resumes require double-spacing or can single-spacing be used?

Charts, tables, and graphics, and resumes may be single spaced.

73. Section L.6 states, “Offeror shall provide up to five, and no less than three, references of external customers to be surveyed that they have done business with within the past three years of the RFP closing date.” The RFP does not address whether the prime must submit all of the past performance references. May an Offeror submit past performance references from any teammates or must all references be from external customers of the prime contractor?

All past performance must be from external customers.

74. Section L.8.c states, “Offerors must submit Attachment 5 - Contractual Performance/Experience and have at least three (3) references submit Attachment 4 - Past Performance Surveys in accordance with section L.6 and the instructions found on each of the documents. It is the offerors responsibility to ensure that all Past Performance Surveys are delivered to the Government by the due date of the proposal indicated in Block 9 of form SF 33.” Attachments 4 and 5 ask for past performance reference feedback, corporate information and contact information for past performance references. The attachment formats do not ask for information on the relevance of the past performance to support to the FEMA Doctrine Unit. Can we modify the formats to include a discussion on the relevance of each past performance? If not, where in the proposal can we incorporate information on our past performances to substantiate their relevance?

The RFP states in Section M.2.1 that Offerors should have described past performance of comparable and related work similar in kind to that required under the contract, including summaries of scopes of work, resource requirements, dollar values and points of contact for each body of work on past or current contracts (or under other arrangements) of lesser, comparable, or greater scale. Offeror’s submitted self-assessment of responsiveness to client or regulatory direction, customer satisfaction, completing projects on schedule, within cost limitations, delivering quality products and cooperation with clients, successor contractors and others, e.g., producers, adjusters, and state governments, will be compared with reference interviews. Any information about comparable work should be included in Volume 1 of the Technical Proposal and is counted towards the page limit for the Technical Proposal.

75. Section M.2.1 (Factor 2) states, “Contractor will be evaluated based on their Document Project Management Plan. According to the PWS, the Contractor shall provide monthly document development plans for the Doctrine Unit’s approval.” Is the Document Management Plan intended to the same document as the monthly document development plan?

Yes.

76. If FEMA is requiring the submission of a Document Project Management Document with the proposal that includes requirements listed on C-4 and M-3, it is not possible for non-incumbent contractors to know the status of any of the required information. Can FEMA provide additional guidelines regarding what it seeks offerors to include in the Document Project Management Plan or in the Management and Staffing Section?

Refer to the answer to Question 29.

77. Reference: Section I.12 states, “The Key Personnel under this Contract:

Senior Consultant – (TBD at the Task Order level) Consultant – (TBD at the Task Order level) Analyst – (TBD at the Task Order level) Writer – (TBD at the Task Order level) Technical Editor – (TBD at the Task Order level)” Section L.8 states the technical volume is limited to 25 pages, excluding resumes.

Section L shows an interest in receiving resumes and section I lists the key personnel categories. There is no number of key personnel positions. Beside each labor category it says TBD, indicating that staffing will be defined in the task order. Does the Government expect key personnel resumes with the contract proposal? If so, is one resume per labor category sufficient as a sample?

Refer to the answer to Question 10.

78. Please confirm for Past Performance, the Offeror only needs to submit the Past Performance Questionnaire to their customers and the Past Performance/Contract references with the proposal response.

Yes.

79. Section M.3 Evaluation of Past Performance Descriptions - If Past Performance Descriptions are required, please validate the length of the document.

Refer to the answer to Question 74.

80. Section M.3 If Past Performance Descriptions are included with the proposal response, please verify they are an attachment to the Proposal Response and not counted against Page Limitations.

Refer to the answer to Question 79.

81. Given the dynamics and planning needed to successfully develop this suite of key documents and maintain continuity with the Response and Recovery Directorates, has the government considered not using an IDIQ approach?

The Government has determined that an IDIQ approach to be the best acquisition strategy for this requirement.

82. Section M says that the Government will evaluate management/staffing plan as part of the Technical Evaluation. The requirement to provide a management/staffing plan is not addressed in Section L. Please provide submission requirements for the management/staffing plan section of Volume 1: Technical. Is the Management/Staffing Plan included in the 25 page limit for Volume 1?

Refer to the answer to Question 29.

83. RFP Section L, L.8(a) Section L states that Volume 1 page limit excludes resumes but there is no other reference for submission of resumes. For which positions are resumes required to be submitted?

Refer to the answer to Question 10.

84. Please provide a list of doctrinal subjects/areas for which the Response and Recovery Directorates are responsible.

Doctrine could be created for any program or issue area within the Response and Recovery Mission (The Office of Response and Recovery provides leadership to build, sustain, and improve the coordination and delivery of support to citizens and State, local, tribal and territorial governments to save lives, reduce suffering, protect property and recover from all hazards).

85. Attachment 5 – Contractual Performance/Experience Are the contents of Attachment 5 included in the 25 page limit for Volume 1?

No.

86. L.7 (a) states that “they shall be enclosed in a sealed envelope and addressed to the issuing office specified in the solicitation to the attention of Sam Ansani.”L.7 (b) states “Offers shall also send one (1) original and four (4) hard copies of the whole proposal to the issuing office: Federal Emergency Management Agency L.7 (a) states that “they shall be enclosed in a sealed envelope and addressed to the issuing office specified in the solicitation to the attention of Sam Ansani.”

L.7 (b) states “Offers shall also send one (1) original and four (4) hard copies of the whole proposal to the issuing office:

Federal Emergency Management Agency Office of the Chief Procurement Officer Attn: Candice Burch 395 E Street SW, 5th Floor, Office 525 Washington DC 20472-3205 L.7(c) states “Marking on Technical and Business Envelopes - To ensure that your proposal arrives at the proper place on time, and to prevent opening by unauthorized individuals, the proposal must also be identified on the envelope or wrapper as follows:

Proposal Submitted in Response to RFP: HSFE90-14-R-0001 Contract Specialist: Candice Burch Room: Patriot Plaza 5th Floor, Office 525” L.7(b) and L.7(c) contradict the instructions in L.7(a). To whom are proposals to be addressed?

L.7(b) reads as if a second complete set should be sent under separate cover to Ms. Burch. Please provide clarification.

Refer to the answer to Question 28.

87. Are resumes required for each labor category?

Refer to the answer to Question 10.

88. Is this a new requirement? If so, is the incumbent eligible to bid on the contract?

Refer to the answer to Question 43.

89. If not, what was the original contract number? Who is the incumbent? What was the award amount? Has the scope of the requirement changed?

Refer to the answer to Question 43.

90. Are the manhours listed for each category (keystone, manual, handbook, guide, procedure, category 1 revision, catergory 2 revision) the number of projected hours for the full five (5) person team?

They are the projected hours for all of the contractor staff.

91. Are the Work Group members with specific expertise already established as an external component of the agency or is it the responsibility of the contractor to staff a team to provide this expertise?

Refer to the answer to Question 53.

92. Does the government anticipate that the contractor will be required to develop and recommend original doctrine or to lend analytic and other support to FEMA Doctrine Unit personnel who will take the lead in the identification and generation (authoring) of new doctrine?

No.

93. How are and who will organize the working groups, including identifying workgroup participants? (Sect C, 3. Scope) Refer to the answer to Question 64.

94. Are the working group “one week sessions” anticipated to be a full 8 hours per day for five work days? Are the working group sessions all in-person? If working group sessions are in-person, who pays for travel and related expenses? (Sect C, 3. Scope) The workshops are generally four and a half day sessions that end around noon on Friday. Most working groups are in-person, but some are held by VTC/teleconference. Costs for transportation, lodging, meals and incidental expenses incurred by contractor personnel on official company business are allowable subject to FAR 31.205-46, Travel Costs if the Contractor is located 50 miles outside of FEMA HQ.

95. Will the contractor facilitate all working group sessions? (Sect C, 3. Scope) Yes, the contractor will facilitate all working group sessions.

96. Are the Contractor provided Subject Matter Experts (Sect C, 5. Specific Tasks, 5.1.1) persons in addition to the suggested labor categories in Sect C, 13. Labor Categories?

Subject Matter Experts will consist of employees from across FEMA.

97. Is the Number column for each contract year in the Summary table (Pricing spreadsheet) the number of deliverables of each type of document that is expected that the contractor assist with producing under this contract?

Yes.

98. Can the offeror propose level of effort that is different than that provided in the Price Schedule Spreadsheet Attachment 2? B.1 Pricing indicates that the offeror may propose additional or alternative labor categories. But can the offeror propose different labor hours for the labor categories proposed? No.

99. How were the labor hours by labor category by deliverable category derived? Are these historical figures? If so, that assumes this work has been performed before or presently by another contractor.

These are historical figures.

100. How was the ceiling amount of $16,823,485.96 derived?

Refer to the answer to question 42.

101. In the table listing doctrinal document types and their descriptions, what is the “Estimated Period of Performance” figure for each document category (i.e., Keystone is 1 year, Manual is 8 months)? Does this mean that each Keystone document is a 1 year effort (elapsed completion time)? (Sect C, 3. Scope) Yes, but each document will not be a full-time project for that length of time.

102. In the table listing doctrinal document types, for the column labeled “# of working groups”, does the figure listed for each document type under this column mean the number of working group sessions PER developed document in each category? Does a “one week session” mean literally 40 hours per week or does it mean one week of elapsed time? (Sect C, 3. Scope) Yes. Generally each working group is a full work week.

103. Typically how many members are in a working group? How many members in the working group are contract staff (vs. non contract staff)?

10-15 members (6-8 FEMA SMEs, 2-4 OPD staff, 2-4 contractors)

104. Would Government provide a sample of each of the document types for reference?

Yes. Samples are provided as attachments.

105. What is the significance of the Estimated Period of Performance figure for Category 1 and 2 Revisions in the table in the 3. Scope section? (Sect C, 3. Scope) It is to define the scope of the revision categories.

106. There are several references of best practices “from exercises and training” – would the government elaborate on what these exercises and training are that they are referring to? Are these reference documents or reports that are provided by the Government or should the contractor possess this knowledge?

FEMA, DHS, and government-wide exercises and training. The After-Action Reports and other relevant materials will be provided by the Government.

107. At the government site, will contract personnel be provided with desk space?

Refer to the answer to Question 3.

108. What is meant by the number (amount) in the Number column if the Summary table in the pricing document provided by the government for the items “Revisions Category I” and “Revisions Category II”. We assumed that the figures in the Number column indicated number of developed documents for each document type (Keystone, Manual, Guide, etc.). But this doesn’t make sense in the context of revisions – presuming that all/most of the documents developed will go through some type of revision.

All documents will be revised based on a revision cycle. When a document is revised, revisions will fall into either category 1 or 2 dependent on exercise and incident after action reports and agency policy changes. The chart provides a definition of each category and the level of effort for each category.

109. Are Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in place which either/both Response and Recovery Directorate/s follows for doctrinal document development?

Yes.

110. Reference PWS, Paragraph 10, Place of Performance. Does the Government require the Contractor facility to be at a specific location or can remote support from several locations meet the requirements?

Remote support is acceptable.

111. Does the Government anticipate a conflict of interest if Employees of FEMA in on call, Part Time, Emergency Response, Hazard Mitigation Community, or Disaster Recovery positions are also employees of the Contractor on this Solicitation?

No.

112. Does the Government anticipate all employees of the Contractor to be full time or part time or a combination of both?

It is up to the Contractor to decide how they want to staff this effort.

113. Reference PWS Paragraph 12, Security. Does the Government anticipate a need for Security Clearances for any Contractor Staff?

The Contractors must be able to pass a DHS Suitability Clearance.

114. Reference RFP section G.2, Travel costs. Question: Does the Government anticipate the need for Contractor Personnel to travel to locations other than the FEMA HQ in the performance of its mission?

There may be other travel within the DC Metro area to other DHS conference facilities.

115. Reference RFP section G.2, Travel costs. Question: Will the Government reimburse for contractor travel from contractor site to FEMA HQ for required doctrine development meetings?

Refer to the answer to question 12.

116. The following are questions to clarify the requirements provided in the PWS Paragraph 13, Labor Categories. Question: For Senior Consultant - is the 12 years of “relevant experience” to mean experience directly working for FEMA, writing emergency management documents? Can the Government give examples of what they consider a “relevant field" for the Degree requirement?

It does not need to be FEMA specific experience. It is up to the Contractor to decide what Degree they feel may be relevant as the Government does not want to limit which degrees may be appropriate.

117. Question For Consultant – is the requirement for “Consultant shall perform tasks that require practical experience, theoretical understanding, and technical knowledge in emergency management and/or FEMA public assistance and individual assistance programs”, required to be while working for FEMA directly or is directly related experience a qualifying experience? What does the Government consider a relevant field for the Degree?

Refer to the answer to Question 116.

118. Question: Analyst – What does the Government consider a relevant field for the Degree requirement?

Refer to the answer to Question 116.

119. Question: Writer - What does the government consider a “relevant” field for this Degree Requirement? With respect to the requirement for “Knowledge of client style guidelines, protocols, and procedures are required” is it assumed that the “client style” is FEMA style, and must the Contractor Writer have experience working directly for FEMA?

Refer to the answer to Question 116.

120. Question: Technical Editor - What is considered by the Government a “relevant field” for the Degree? Reference: Per L.8. (a), Volume I, Technical’s page limit is “25 (double-spaced, excluding resumes). L.8. (b), Requirements for Technical Proposal Content also references the 25 page limit, excluding resumes. Resumes are not listed again in the RFP.

Refer to the answer to Question 116.

121. Question: Are resumes required? If so, for all personnel or only key personnel?

Refer to the answer to Question 10.

122. Reference PWS Paragraph 3, Scope and Attachment 2, Price Schedule. The PWS scope provides the doctrine categories and projected level of effort for each. The price schedule provides an estimate for bid with a number required for each category by year.

Question: Is this an accurate projection of scheduled doctrine requirements over the life of the IDIQ?

This is an accurate projection schedule of the work for each year.

123. Reference Standard Form 33, Block 9, proposals are due on January 6, 2014.

Question: Considering the resource requirements over the December holidays and the coordination needed to have contractor customers submit past performance surveys during this same period, would the Government consider an extension of 2 weeks to allow fully developed solutions and participation?

No.

124. Reference Page 14 of 54, Para F.4, While Delivery Schedule indicates delivery will be specified, it is not clear whether documents may be transmitted electronically or must be shipped.

Question: Please clarify method of delivery and whether this is for delivery by percentages (25, 50, 75 and so on).

Reference Question 28.

125. Reference Page 14 of 54, Para F.5 Question: Terms of Contract is not clear whether payment is withheld till document is completed or whether the statement only applies to final payment. Please clarify.

This statement refers to the final payment.

126. Page 20 of 54, Para H.2, Reproduction of Reports.

Question: Is it the intent of this contract to also produce the final doctrinal publication? Are there set quantities per publication? If so what are they?

The doctrine will be published by the Government Printing Office, not by the Contractor.

127. Page 20 of 54, Para H.3, Coordination of Federal Reporting Services.

Question: Will the government (FEMA) be able to provide a sample copy of the correspondence to complete this task. This would also clarify who the different contacts will be.

No, we don’t anticipate this being necessary.

128. Page 22 of 54, Para H.5, last sentence. Question: Does the government anticipate contractor overtime "to perform round-the-clock requirements of critical tasks"?

No.

129. Page 22 of 54, Para H.6, FEMA's Data Naming Standards.

Question: A copy of the standard is available for review at www.fema.gov/ofm/bidinfo.htm but the link appears to be missing a page. Please confirm link.

The link is currently down on the FEMA website.

130. Page 51, Para M.2.1 lists the type of doctrinal manuals. Question: Can the government provide a sample of the type document by providing a source URL. For example where can one find a Keystone document (URL = )?

Sample documents are attached.

131. The maximum aggregate dollar value of all task orders is $16,823,485.96. Is this the estimated or actual value of the incumbent contractor’s contractor? If so, what is the name of the incumbent contractor? Is there any incumbent for this requirement? Or is there any contractor currently providing the same or similar services?

Refer to the answer to Question 42.

132. Can we submit a draft Document Project Management Plan (referenced in Factor 2: Management/Staffing Plan) as an appendix? If so, would this be included in the page count.

The document management staffing plan shall be included in the page limit for the Technical proposal.

133. Price Schedule Under Summary, the documents listed for development are: Keystone, Manual Guide, Processes etc. Are the prices to be listed per item for each developed document?

Yes.

134. Labor hours for each deliverable are divided Procedure -40 hours Guide -200 hours Manual -2000 hours Keystone- 326 hours Do the deliverables tie up to the 'Labor Hour rates" or to 'Summary?"

Summary.

135. How much of the Past performance should come from Prime?

If we decide to Sub: Does a Sub also need to have Past Performance?

No.

136. Does the 25 page limit exclude Past Performance?

Refer to the answer to Question 79.