Question and Answers 4.15.2011.docx

RFI – HSFEHQ-11-R-0041

VENDOR QUESTIONS – APRIL 11-2011

Partnership for Response & Recovery –PaRR LLC and Alltech, Inc.

No, next release will be a final RFP NOT A DRAFT

No, FEMA will award two Contracts for CONUS and OCONUS

Two

basis; Can FEMA provide a general description of what type of work is contemplated to be firm-fixed-price and what type of work is expected to cost-reimbursable?

Cost reimbursable i.e., government acquired equipment, fixed price i.e. per inspection cost

No, Task Orders are disaster specific

This will be Contractor discretion for direct hire or temporary contracted

Final version will be posted at RFP

Number of Inspections completed under the current contract 1,516,745 throughout CONUS and OCONUS. Inspections are performed using FEMA standards.

No, however, ISO registration must occur by the end of the base year Reference PWS Section C.5

All employees and inspectors must have a favorable adjudication prior to working on any Task Order. Adjudication procedures are with FEMA Security for edits and will be in the final PWS.

Decision will be made by the contractor and not by FEMA

Part A - Yes

Part B – Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan has not been finalized at this time.

Yes

No

FEMA will post a power point presentation for ACE software

Software development has been removed from the PWS; FEMA is in the process of software development to move ACE to a mobile platform

FEMA has plans to migrate ACE software from a Windows environment for sometime in the future. ACE will still be in the current format, but changes or a rewrite may take place over the duration of the contract.

Request (manned phone banks/registration intake) outside of the disaster housing inspection process will be covered under a separate Task Order for Technical Assistance C.6.9

Tarp inspections will be removed on solicitation documents

Sweep inspections include registering the survivor on site, recording 9 to 12 answers as they pertain to disaster registration then performing a complete disaster housing inspection during a single site visit.

Two

No

No

Each contractor will be expected to provide national coverage, as well as OCONUS.

Attachment #1 will be PWS

Yes

When it is known that a previous federally declared Individual Assistance declaration has occurred within the same geographical area within a 12 month period, the inspector must ask the applicant if they applied in the previous declaration. Example; a furnace was damaged in a previous event and the furnace had not been repaired. During the next event the item would not be recorded. A comment would be made “furnace not repaired from DR-XXX. The objective is to only record damage related to the event under which the inspector is performing inspections for the current task order.

CM&HIS QMS will not be provided. The contractor is expected to apply their QMS as it relates to the contract requirements designed to meet each threshold and objective.

No, certification is required

No

Base year (12 months) begins on day of award. Draft QMS shall be provided with proposal for review, certification 12 months from that date.

FEMA will audit those processes identified in the QMS relating to the product and associated requirements.

Monthly, Quarterly & Annually

Yes

(13) distinct positions. The text referring to the figure states “FEMA’s contract partners shall have the following key positions…” May some of the functions be combined under the same position and may contractors propose alternative organizational structures?

The example indicates the need for the contractor to have an organization structure suitable to manage their Quality Management System and share that structure as part of their QMS with FEMA. Key personnel must be identified.

No

Yes

The incumbents will be tasked to perform inspection task orders during the 90 day phase in period unless recommendation for early release is submitted to the CO by the COTR for concurrence.

Award Date, will correct in the solicitation

The statement is intended to explain that FEMA expects a fully operational and prepared contractor at the end of the transition period, which would include all staff. FEMA will not provide additional funding. The PWS will be reworded to make the statement clearer.

The statement is intended to explain work returned by an incumbent will be reassigned to the next contractor. FEMA expects a fully operational and prepared contractor at the end of the transition period, which would include all staff. FEMA will not provide additional funding. FEMA will not absorb cost associated with the reassignment of open work. The PWS will be reworded to make the statement clearer.

To Be Determined

To Be Determined

Ability to meet contract requirements; FEMA will not make the decision on Vendor decision on workforce.

FEMA is looking for affordable proposals that will provide a sufficient work force to perform at any performance level for this contract.

FEMA expects all contract requirements to be met; employees and independent contractors will be vendor decision.

FEMA will maintain a central repository regarding background adjudication. Contractors have the responsibility for tracking their staff.

If the offeror presents such a package and/or any other inspector retention package that are based on a cost factor, that cost would be in their cost volume. However, the details of the package need to be identified in their proposals. FEMA wants to know the detail of that piece in order to evaluate the effectiveness to provide inspector staffing in large quantities and in short time frames to meet the production requirements.

No. However, if the contractor can demonstrate how this is not in the best interest of FEMA, further consideration will be examined.

The contractors will be responsible for compensation structure.

All

The example indicates the need for the contractor to have an organization structure suitable to manage their Quality Management System and share that structure as part of their QMS to FEMA. Key personnel must be identified. The structure provided is an example and the contractors have flexibility. The contractors will be held to the performance standards.

Yes with explanation and duties identified. FEMA will need to approve

No. The contractor shall address in the QMS for staffing. Within a proposal, titles with definition, responsibilities, level of authority should be clearly defined.

Everyone working on the HIS Contract is required to undergo a background vetting process.

Will be provided at Solicitation

ability to grant access control credentials utilizing electronic verification and biometric authentication in near real-time.

Will be provided at Solicitation

All requirements apply

Security will provide details in RFP

Details will be provided during the solicitation

Part 1 = Yes.

Part 2 = Vendor will address training and cost in the proposal

Documentation and Control of these processes are part of the QMS and will provide the CO a factual back ground on the specific details of the delays that are without a doubt beyond the Contractor’s control. The contractor is expected to have a ready workforce at all times. It is FEMA’s responsibility to work with the contractors to meet our obligations.

performing their own disaster assessments within the affected area).” How will this information be used? When does FEMA anticipate the contractor will conduct their assessments, e.g. before or after issuance of a task order?

Contractor should assess the situation and determine the appropriate number of personnel to respond to an event. The contractors should not rely on the FEMA provided information, although FEMA will provide an estimate. The contractor may not use a low or high FEMA estimate of the potential number of inspections to complete as a means for non-performance or cost associated with over staffing for the response. The contractor should assess the event and staff appropriately.

duration? What are FEMA’s expectations for the contractor’s quality control personnel, e.g. remain on the task order in standby modes, or disengage until Auto-determinations are discontinued? How much advanced notice does FEMA anticipate providing before contractor reviews are to be reinstated?

Auto-determination is typically the result of aged inspections that have gone beyond the aging threshold that have been complted by the vendor and have not yet been forwarded to FEMA to assist the applicants only then will FEMA consider autodetermination. This has been done for very short periods of time in large catastrophic events but has been a rare exception. As to the disposition of staff, that is to be determined by the contractor. The contractors will still be held to quality standards in the event of auto-d deactivated. FEMA will work with the contractors prior to deactivation.

Equipment CLIN line will be added for contractor acquired equipment and must have prior approval before purchase. FEMA will not pay a vendor directly.

FEMA will provide hardware specifications for the government acquired equipment. Inventory of current equipment will be provided to awardees.

No Contact is the completion status assigned an inspection where the inspector is unable to make any contact with the applicant, after making three documented attempts. These attempts can be phone calls or site visits. The inspector must comment on the three attempts, explaining the method used to attempt contact and the time it occurred. The attempts should occur on different days and different times of the day. An exterior only inspection will be performed, a photo is required and post the dwelling. The Habitability call is based on damages recorded and relocate will be “no”. Once the inspector has exhausted these efforts, the case is sent from the inspector’s pad back to a queue that is maintained by the staff who make further efforts to contact the applicant, including mailing the applicant a letter, phone calls, and email. The inspection cannot be returned to FEMA prior to 14 days from the time it was issued to the inspector. If 14 days have expired and there is still no contact with the applicant, the inspection is returned to FEMA as a No Contact.

Shelter list will be made available to the contractor when applicable from FEMA. Other outreach methods may be required and disaster specific as needed.

No pricing guidelines, CLINS will be determined

Are the proposers expected to roll this additional cost into their per inspection price?

Part 1 =Yes

Part 2 = Sweep inspections will be a separate CLIN

the use of Geospatial Inspections? How will these services be requested by FEMA; and what specifications will be used to define successful delivery?

Part 1 = Removed from PWS for RFP.

Part 2 = To be determined. If done under HIS contract it will be addressed as separate SOW with CLIN

Removed and will be addressed as separate SOW with Clin

Inspection time should take about the same, but there is an effort required to manage the process and enter the data. The cost associated with the effort of entering data will be a CLIN and separated.

Cost should be identified in proposal for both CONUS and OCONUS equipment delivery.

warehouse photographs?

What are plans for disposition of the photographs after that period?

Life of the contract.

To be determined.

No, cost should be identified in proposal

anticipated?

Car, truck, sport utility large enough to carry 2 to 3 people, equipment safely.

Dependant on disaster activity

assessments?

No, this may be addressed in the contractors QC plan.

Yes, reference Inspection Guidelines

administration, quality control, close out, etc.?

When Technical Assistance proposals are received, the price proposed should encompass all cost associated with the Task Order requirements.

The RI labor rate is equivalent to a GS-7 The Inspector rate is equivalent to a GS-9 However, the contractor should verify the rates.

The RI labor rate is at a GS 7- $20.29 an hour. When needed, historical data indicates that we have had the contractor to supply 250 agents for about a 60 day period for this effort. Quantity and location is dependent on the need.

48 hour notice will be given to the stop work

Cost Reimbursable validation required

FEMA expects the contractor to meet the requirements of both RI and Inspections.

Yes.

CLIN items will be identified.

The Contractor’s QMS should address how they intend to handle this process for FEMA to approve and measure.

To be determined.

Verification, photos taken support Habitability call, water levels, and damages recorded. The objective is to have the photos, in part, validate the damage to the dwelling.

Language removed now reads: The contractor shall provide mobile communication systems such as Broadband Access Cards or other mobile communication devices to include optional methods of communicating data from the field to FEMA if broadband systems are not available. The Government shall not provide these devices

No – the contractors are accountable for all contractor acquired property.

Effective control and accountability. Additionally, must be electronic.

Privacy Office will determine the need for PII protection. Vendors for these actions are on GSA schedule.

To be determined

Will be an attachment in the RFP

Systems connecting to & supporting the inspection process connected or transmitting to any government owned server. (PII, equipment)

Hardware specifications will be provided during the Solicitation (ATT-11)

The language will be adjusted to the measurement of 2.50%

demonstrate that there was no error, will FEMA reimburse the Contractor for the cost of that reexamination?

No, but FEMA Task Monitors will partner with the contractor on correction errors.

Error rate is established during the QASP evaluation at the close of the Task Order. Financial disincentive will be applied if the error rate is above 2.50% of all inspections completed within a task order. The 2.5% is the not to exceed threshold.

be conducted and what elements of measurement will be used? What are the consequences of not meeting, or exceeding, this requirement?

Audit intent is for FEMA to determine if the contractors has addressed and can deliver all FEMA requirements. Measurements will appear in the QASP.

service and community needs sensitivity training curricula, implementation, and follow up plan?

TBD. This should be included in the contractors QMS plan to be evaluated and approved, they should describe in detail what steps and processes would be taken and could be easily documented for validation

curricula and schedule?

TBD This should be included in the contractors QMS plan to be evaluated and approved, they should describe in detail what steps and processes would be taken and could be easily documented for validation

FEMA Security. TBD

implementation/management plan?

FEMA Security. TBD

For this contract, all costs associated with operation, preparedness and inspections will require an itemization of the content. A total disclosure of what makes up cost for these CLINS will be required.

Yes, details are being worked out and will be available at solicitation

An average inspector should be able to perform an estimated 6-8 inspections per day throughout the life of the Task Order. The Full Rate of Production is 20,000 for any individual task order or multiple concurrent task orders. The contractor shall provide the number, but will be held accountable for performance and non-performance.

Specs will be provided by the Government and there will be a CLIN for contractor acquired equipment.

FEMA will approve the passing score

Contractor will receive shelter location lists and work with FEMA regarding the names of applicants located in shelters

Everyone having access to PII data must meet security requirements

FEMA would expect the inspection price to be the same. However, FEMA realizes there are other task that takes place to accomplish the process. When FEMA activates shelter inspections it will be a CLIN. FEMA does reserve the right to prioritize some shelter inspections without activating the shelter inspection process.

If this shelter inspection requirement is different from RI tasking, will FEMA provide the equipment (e.g. telephones, computers and air cards) for the non-inspector staff?

No shelters inspections coincide with regular inspections.

No contractor will be responsible for the process and equipment needed.

TBD

Part 1 = Yes Part 2 = Others could be admin errors, example = not following Inspection guidelines or Addendums

Base year begins date of award and last for 12 months from the date of award. Draft QMS is due with the proposal ISO certified QMS by the end of the Base Period.

Not meeting the per day production for one or multiple disasters.

The price proposed is firm fixed price IDIQ with a 20,000 per day structure

No, FEMA reserves the right to perform unlimited QC’s