HSFEHQ-08-R-0165 Wireless Q As.pdf

17 October 2008

RFP HSFEHQ-08-R-0165

FEMA Enterprise Wide Telecommunications Program

Wireless Commodities and Services

Vendor Questions and Government Responses

Q1. [Company name deleted] is a Small Business registered on CCR. Are we eligible to bid direct for this solicitation if our rates are not listed on GSA?

A1. This RFP is solicited on an open market basis. Proposals submitted in response to this RFP are not limited to GSA vendors only.

Q2. The solicitation begins with Section B, is there a Section A?

A2. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.204-2, Section A of the RFP is the solicitation/contract form. In this case the form is the SF 1449.

Q3. Section B: With varying levels of technology and pricing per device type, will FEMA accept a tiered CLIN structure within each device type listed? (EX – Tier 1, Basic Cellular Phone; Tier 2, Mid-Level Cellular Phone; Tier 3, Executive Level Cellular phone)

A3. No.

Q4. Section B: The solicitation requires both CONUS & OCONUS service, however, the pricing grid does not allow for International voice and data pricing / CLINS. Will FEMA accept additional CLINS for this service?

A4. No.

Q5. Section F.1: The solicitation states that the Contractor also will provide equipment and service for satellite phones. This is not listed with the CLIN structure under Section B/Pricing.

Will FEMA accept additional CLINS to support satellite devices and service?

A5. Satellite phone are not part of the requirement. The mention of satellite phones in Section F.1 is an error.

Q6. Section L.1: The solicitation states no more than 30 pages for the Technical Proposal. Will FEMA accept exhibits as well?

A6. Section L.1 of the RFP states, “...Do not include marketing brochures, company procedure manuals, handbooks or guides, or other information that is not specifically required by the RFP.

This material will not be evaluated....” In addition, Section L.2.1 states,”…Offerors must submit a technical proposal of not more than 30 pages…” Therefore, any material submitted in excess of the 30 page limit will not be evaluated.

Q7. Per Section L.2.1 Technical Proposal Content, Offerors are to submit “a technical proposal of not more than 30 pages”. Does this 30 page limit apply to just subsection 1, Technical and Management Approach or are both subsection 1, Technical Management Approach and subsection 2, Subcontracting Plan combined to be under 30 pages in total?

A7. The 30 page limit applies to Section L.2.1, paragraph 1, Technical and Management Approach, only. The Government believes it would be unfair to limit the submission of both paragraph 1 and 2 to 30 pages because paragraph 2, Subcontracting Plan, does not apply to small business concerns.

Q8. Is an MS Word or MS Excel version of Part I, Section B available?

A8. No.

Q9. Is an MS Word version of Sections C through M available?

A9. No.

Q10. Is an MS Word version of the Past Performance Survey available?

A10. No.

Q11. How should we submit our response to Section C.1, Performance Work Statement? With our Price Proposal?

A11. See RFP Section L for specific instructions on what offerors should include in proposal Volumes 1, 2, and 3.

Q12. How should we submit our responses to Sections D, E, F, G, H, I, and K? With our Price Proposal?

A12. See A11.

Q13. Are you requesting pooling plans for voice service?

A13. See A11.

Q14. In response to L.4 Volume 3 – Past Performance. Are you looking for additional explanation beyond the Present/Past Performance Questionnaire? If so is there a page limit to our response for Volume 3?

A14. Regarding past performance, offerors are instructed to follow the specific instructions in Section L.4. No additional explanation beyond the specific instruction in Section L.4 is required pertaining to past performance.

Q15. Is it the intent of FEMA for this contract to be awarded for wireless management services or wireless device and service plans? Or both?

A15. As stated in the RFP, “…The Contractor shall provide and deliver wireless services and equipment including but not limited to wireless voice and data airtime, devices, activations, account management, and lifecycle support for cellular phones, pagers, air cards, and wireless handheld multifunctional devices within and outside the continental United States.”

Q16. Section B.1 - Is it possible to use rate plans that are different than proposed in the charts to optimize the usage and rate plans?

A16. No.

Q17. Section B.2.4 - Where does FEMA expect the Deployable Ready cellular phones to be housed while they are not being used? At a FEMA location or is the contractor expected to store and maintain at their location?

A17. The Deployable Ready Cellular phones will be housed and maintained at strategic FEMA locations.

Q18. Section B.2.4 - Who will be responsible for shipping charges when they are deployed?

A18. FEMA will be responsible for the shipping of the Deployable Ready cellular phones housed with FEMA.

Q19. Section C - Provide and deliver wireless services and commodities to include wireless data etc…What areas outside the continental US that we will be expected to provide service for?

A19. See Coverage Area descriptions in the RFP.

Q20. Section C, Constraints 3.0 - Offerers must provide for separate, redundant wireless communications in support of situations where FEMA has implemented it continuity of operations plan (COOP) and the contractor provided carrier is unable etc…Does this question refer to temporary coverage solutions or an alternative carrier solution all together?

A20. This refers to an alternate carrier solution to provide for redundant communication.

Q21. Section C, Constraints 9.0 - Do cell phones have to meet the 197 compliance requirement?

A21. No.

Q22. Section C, Constraints 12.0 - NIMS is mentioned in two different areas of this RFP with different descriptions. How will the awardee interact with these systems?

A22. NIMS will not affect the awardee as they will not be able to use NIMS.

Q23. Section C, Constraints 13.0 - This constraint indicates that ‘all’ cellular phones must have push to talk capabilities. In the Schedule section there are only 3,517 devices identified as Push to Talk devices. Is it FEMA’s intentions to make all the cellular devices identified in the Schedule Push to Talk capable?

A23. Constraint 13.0 is in error. Use the specific numbers in Section B.

Q24. Section C, Place of Performance - With the place of performance being at the contractor’s site, how will the contractor gain access to the GFE centralized ordering system?

A24. The ordering system processes are currently being developed. The contractor will either have an interface with the ordering system or will interface directly with the FEMA Telecommunications Service Center.

Q25. Section C, GFE - What is the name of the centralized ordering system?

A25. Telecommunications Information Management and Control System (TIMACS)

Q26. Section F.1 - Page 30 Tasks 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 – Non Emergency - This section mentions Satellite phones in the descriptions however; previous sections have not mentioned their procurement of air time, equipment or management of these types of devices. Is this RFP intended to include Satellite phone services? If yes, can FEMA provide information related to these services such as equipment types, air service plans and quantity of each? Also does FEMA expect to utilize an existing contract to procure these services?

A26. See A5.

Q27. Section C.1, Background – There is a reference to a centralized ordering tool, called the “Telecommunications Information Management and Control system” (TIMACS), an Oracle-based relational data base management system (RDBMS). Is this system based off cXML or not?

A27. No

Q28. Section B, Supplies or Services and Price - Cellular Phones with Push to Talk Capability listed as 3517. In the performance work statement VIII. Constraints 13.0 All wireless cellular phones must have push talk capability. Do all wireless cell phones have to have the capability or only 3517?

A28. See A23.

Q29. How many minutes of voice does FEMA use on average in a month?

A29. 5-7 million minutes per month

Q30. In regards to line item 0001D, Page 2, will FEMA accept an alternative technology solution to satisfy requirement?

A30. Yes, we encourage that with justification

Q31. Will FEMA accept interface into the government provided centralized ordering system?

A31. See A24. There will not be an electronic system to system interface. There will be a web based vendor access capability.

Q32. Are you looking for stand alone voice plans or pooled voice plans?

A32. See A11.

Q33. Will one wireless carrier be awarded all task orders or will multiple wireless carriers be awarded task orders?

A33. See the RFP.

Q34. In line items 0002A-0002C, Page 2 – Is FEMA looking for up to a certain minute plan (ex.

up to 100 minutes) or is FEMA looking for a range of minutes (ex. 0-100 minutes)?

A34. Range

Q35. In line item 002A what is the average minutes of use for the 10,696 lines in the 0-449 minute category?

A35. 3.1 minutes average

Q36. In line item 002B what is the average minutes of use for the 10,221 lines in the 450-749 minutes category?

A36. 3.3 minutes average

Q37. In line item 002C what is the average minutes of use for the 2,377 lines in the 750-1000 minute category?

A37. 3.7 minutes average

Q38. Can emergency rate plan be quoted separate from low end voice plan (ex. 0-449 minutes)?

A38. See RFP regarding Coverage Area D pricing.

Q39. In Coverage Area A – How many Blackberries have a voice plan in the: 0 (flat rate)-449 minute plan? How many Blackberries have a voice plan in the: 450-749 plan? How many Blackberries have a voice plan in the 750-1000 plan? How many Blackberries have an unlimited voice plan?

A39. Approximately, 1007, 962, 224, 45 respectively.

Q40. In Coverage Area B – How many Blackberries have a voice plan in the: 0 (flat rate)-449 minute plan? How many Blackberries have a voice plan in the: 450-749 plan? How many Blackberries have a voice plan in the 750-1000 plan? How many Blackberries have an unlimited voice plan?

A40. Approximately, 459, 439, 102, 20 respectively

Q41. In Coverage Area C – How many Blackberries have a voice plan in the: 0 (flat rate)-449 minute plan? How many Blackberries have a voice plan in the: 450-749 plan? How many Blackberries have a voice plan in the 750-1000 plan? How many Blackberries have an unlimited voice plan?

A41. Approximately, 161, 154, 36, 7 respectively

Q42. Which volume of the response should we include other information we want to include?

A42. See A11.

Q43. Can we quote a service plan for Coverage Area D phones separate from the rest of the devices?

A43. See RFP

Q44. Please clarify the FEMA requirement for Push to Talk (PTT). CLINs 0001A and 0001AA call for separate pricing but Section VIII, paragraph 13.0 calls for PTT on all wireless cellular phones. Does FEMA require PTT functionality on all wireless cellular phones?

A44. See A23. No, PTT functionality is not required on all cellular phones. See Section B and Section C, XIII.

Q45. With reference to CLIN 0001D, Pagers, can you please identify current provider of the paging services and clarify FEMA's willingness to evaluate comparable cellular technology solutions (i.e. text messaging, Blackberry PIN-to-PIN)?

A45. Skytel and Blackberry are currently in use within FEMA and will consider alternative technologies.

Q46. Voice Airtime and Data Airtime CLINs – For advanced data devices, can you please clarify the need for bundled voice and data services (e.g Blackberry) vis-a-vis stand-alone data services (USB and PC cards)? May the offeror propose additional CLINs for bundled voice and data services to support handheld multifunctional devices in order to offer the best overall value to FEMA?

A46. No

Q47. Is FEMA’s expectation that the offeror will be required to use the current centralized ordering tool, Telecommunications Information Management and Control System, for the wireless services? May offerors propose an alternative integrated ordering and reporting tool provided it meets or exceeds FEMA requirements outlined in Section VI, Tasks, and VII, Deliverables?

A47. The awardee will be required to use the FEMA centralized ordering tool.

Q48. Can you please clarify the area and/or scope of FEMA's requirement for international cellular services? Can you please also define the need for international or global plans in relation to the no roaming requirement under Section VIII, Constraints? Is the definition of OCONUS limited to Hawaii, Alaska and territorial regions, as outlined in Section XIII Coverage Areas?

A48. See A19.

Q49. Section VIII, Constraints, Section 9.0. Please identify current and future FEMA messaging environment (e.g. Blackberry, Microsoft Mobile). What software solutions does FEMA expect the offerors to provide as part of the data services? What are the current FEMA software solutions (e.g. Remote Access) that are meeting the requirements of FIPS-197?

A49. Current environment is Blackberry.

Q50. Section VIII, Constraints, Section 11.0, 15.0 and 16.0 – Can you please clarify the applicability of the DHS Enterprise Architecture policies to commercial wireless services? What specific hardware or software solutions from the wireless contractor does FEMA believe would require IPv6 compatibility? Can you please clarify the circumstances in which these requirements may apply to the contractor?

A50. Offerors are required to comply with DHS Enterprise Architecture policies.

Q51. Will FEMA consider a bid under the Offeror’s GSA Federal Supply Schedule Contract?

A51. No, See A1.

Q52. Will FEMA consider relaxing the IX. Security for Sensitive Requirements? These requirements are burdensome and may not be fully necessary in the case of provisioning wireless services. If not, will these requirements apply only in the case of the Contractor handling SBU information? How is SBU information defined?

A52. No. FEMA will not consider relaxing security requirements. .

Q53. Will FEMA consider adding a separate CLIN for airtime that would support a flat rate plan?

A53. No

Q54. VII. Deliverable, 1.0 Wireless equipment, some with push to talk capability, accessories and services – what accessories will be required?

A54. Standard wireless accessories include: Holster, Wall charger, Hands Free Device, and Car charger (CLA), etc.