Questions and Responses 12 15 2011.pdf

Questions and Responses to Draft SOW issued via FEDBIZOPPS

HSFEEMW-11-R-0001

Q1: Do the potential bidders and/or their teams need to be able to provide all service areas in the SOW?

A: Large businesses should propose on all Task Areas contained in the SOW. Small businesses will be instructed to propose on as many task areas as they are qualified to perform. Proposals from small businesses will be evaluated on both the quality /content of the responses to the task areas to which they propose, as well as the number of task areas to which they propose.

Q2: Which of the Task Areas will be set aside for small businesses?

A: Small Businesses will be encouraged to propose on those task areas for which they are qualified, at their own discretion.

Q3: Q: Will the government consider 8(a) set asides for any of the service areas?

A: No.

Q4: How will the government compete the task orders between the winners of the multiple-award IDIQ?

See the DRAFT clause entitled Task Order Procedures, attached to this notice.

Q5: What is the estimated budget for this purchase?

A: The total estimated dollar range for this acquisition is between $50M and $100M.

Q6: What is the Bid deadline?

A: The solicitation will be issued on or about January 3, 2012 with an anticipated closing of February 3, 2012.

Q7: What countries are eligible to participate in this offer?

A: The audience for this solicitation, which is to be conducted in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15, is companies registered in the Central Contractor Registration (www.ccr.gov), that possess Top Secret security clearances.

Q8: What is the anticipated award date for this requirement?

A: The anticipated award date for contracts awarded as a result of this solicitation is on/about April 1, 2012.

http://www.ccr.gov/�

Q9. Please provide the names of the contractors currently performing work for this requirement, their contract numbers & dollar amounts. How are these services currently performed?

A: The contractors currently providing services of a similar nature listed in the SOW and their contract numbers are:

HSFEMW-07-F-0171 Booz Allen (IPAWS)

HSFEMW-08-F-0371 CACI

HSFEMW-07-J-0175 BAE

HSFEMW-09-F-0440 Booz Allen (Front Office) HSFEMW-08-F-0257 Northrop Grumman HSFEMW-08-F-0280 Booz Allen (COOP)

HSFEMW-08-F-0366 SRAC

HSFEMW-07-F-0072 L-3

HSFEMW-08-X-0192 SPAWAR Interagency Agreement HSFEMW-08-F-0171 Northrop Grumman HSFEMW-06-A-0791 Applied Computing Technologies

Q10: Is this solicitation related to HSCG23-11-R-PMF001?

A: No.

Q11: Can a small business prime the Small Business Track and at the same time be on a Large Business Full and Open Team as a sub? Can a Large Business be a Prime on the Unrestricted Track, while at the same time join the Small Business Track Team?

A: Proposed teaming arrangements are at the discretion of the offeror. Offerors may propose as both a prime and a sub, under different proposals.

Q12: Is there a due date for any feedback to the Draft Statement of Work?

A: No.

Q13. Will the Small Businesses be required to hold a Facility Clearance in order to provide personnel with Top Secret or Secret Clearance? Or will some provision be made for those small companies without that capability?

A: The Statement of Work is being clarified to state that contractors must possess a Top Secret facility clearance at the time of award. A contractor must possess a Top Secret clearance in order to provide cleared contractor personnel.

Q14: A request was made to recommend the NAICS code be changed to 541519.

A: No, the government does not believe that code is suitable. The NAICS code is 541990.

Q15: Have there been previously issued RFIs or SSNs, would you be willing to share those RFI/SSN numbers?

No RFIs or SSNs have been issued with regards to this draft SOW.

Q16: How will the proposed IDIQ’s be composed or differentiated?

A: All of the contracts awarded on a full and open basis will contain the full Statement of Work with all Task Areas. The SOW/Task areas in contracts awarded under the Partial Small Business Set Aside will be determined at the time of award, based on the Task Areas against which they propose.

Q17: Is the draft SOW a new business or a re-compete? If it is a re-compete, are you able to tell us the incumbents?

A: This is considered a new requirement, as it is not a direct follow on to the existing NCP contracts listed above. It does, however, consolidate many pieces of a number of existing NCP contracts, some of which have been or will be affected by in-sourcing initiatives in NCP, and will be expiring in the next few years.

Q18: Will the requirements for a Facility Clearance be similar to DHS Eagle II, TABSS, and other BPA/IDIQ vehicles such as Seaport-e and FEMA Commit, where a facility clearance is required on a per task order basis but not at the Contract/IDIQ level? We recommend considering this option to allow more qualified small businesses to bid where they may not currently have their Secret or TS Facility Clearance yet but are otherwise qualified to bid on this solicitation.

A: No, all contractors must have the TS Facility Clearance at the time of award.

Q19: Would FEMA consider using GSA Schedules to solicit bids such as the Professional Engineering Schedule (PES)?

A: No.

DRAFT

TASK ORDER PROCEDURES

(a) One or more Task Orders (TOs) will be issued during the performance of this contract. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act and FAR 16.505(b), the Contracting Officer will give each awardee a fair opportunity to be considered for each order in excess of $3,000, except as provided in Paragraph (b)(2) of this section. Procedures and selection factors to be considered for each TO that provides fair opportunity are set forth in (b) and (c) below:

(b) Procedures providing a fair opportunity for consideration on each requirement

(1) The Government will provide all awardees a fair opportunity to be considered for each order. This opportunity will be provided through examination of existing information already in the Government’s possession, such as an awardee’s original proposal (labor rates, technical/management capabilities, etc.), demonstrated expertise in a specialized area beyond that of the awardees, and/or current past performance reports (including the Contractor’s original proposal data if it is the most current data the Government possesses.)

As work proceeds under this contract, the Government will rely more upon recent task order performance reports than on past performance records submitted with the original proposal to the maximum extent possible).

(2) Exceptions to fair opportunity consideration. Awardees may not be given an opportunity to be considered for a particular requirement when the Contracting Officer determines one of the following conditions apply:

(i) The agency need for the services is so urgent that providing the opportunity would result in unacceptable delays;

(ii) Only one contractor is capable of providing the services at the level of quality required because the services are unique or highly specialized;

(iii) The order should be issued on a sole-source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency as a logical follow-on to an order already issued under the subject contracts, provided that all awardees were given a fair opportunity to be considered for the original order; or

(iv) It is necessary to satisfy a minimum guarantee; or

(v) It is known that a contractor has an unacceptable conflict of interest.

(3) Small Business Set-Aside Tasks The Contracting Officer may determine that certain Task Orders shall be set-aside for competition only among the small business awardees. In such a case, the fair opportunity competition may be limited to just the small business awardees.

(c) Proposal process for Selected Multi-Awardees

(1) The Contracting Officer will issue a Task Order proposal request to those awardees selected for consideration. The proposal request will include a Statement of Work (SOW) that includes a detailed description of work to be accomplished, a listing of the deliverables, and additional information as appropriate. The proposal request will also include specific instructions for the submission of proposals, the Task Order type (Firm Fixed Price or Time and Materials), the selection criteria factors and other information deemed appropriate.

(2) Awardees will generally be allowed between 7 and 14 calendar days to prepare and submit proposal. However, more or less time may be necessary, based on the requirements. The due date shall be set forth in each Task Order proposal request. Awardees may “NO BID” at their own discretion.

However, all “NO BIDS” must include a brief statement as to why the awardee has chosen not to participate.

(3) Bid and proposal (B&P) Costs B&P costs of preparing a Task Order proposal will not be reimbursed as a direct cost to this contract.

(4) Technical Proposals Written technical proposals shall address, as a minimum:

Technical Approach Lead Personnel Quantities/Hours of personnel by labor category Other Direct Costs Risks Schedule Teaming Arrangements, if applicable

The technical proposal information should be brief, i.e., 3-5 pages stating compliance or exception to TO requirements, risks, assumptions, and conflict of interest issues. Proposals shall not merely restate Task Order SOW requirements.

(5) Price Proposals A written price proposal will always be required. This part of the proposal shall include detailed pricing amounts for all resources required to accomplish the task (labor, travel, etc.). As a minimum, the following data will be provided:

(i) Identify labor categories in accordance with the Section B – Schedule and the number of hours required for performance of the task.

(ii) Other Relevant Information: This information shall be in writing and shall address other relevant information, as required by the contract or requested by the TO proposal request.

(6) If necessary, during the evaluation of proposals the Government may contact an awardee with questions concerning their proposal. However, such contact does not constitute discussions as defined by FAR 15.306.

(d) Selection Criteria for Awarding Task Orders Once proposals are received, the

Government will evaluate the proposals in accordance with the selection criteria.

The Government’s award decision will be based, as a minimum, on selection criteria that addresses past performance, technical/management approach and price. Individual Task Order selection criteria may include other factors relevant to the particular Task Order. The order of importance for the factors may be identified on each individual request.

(e) Proposal Process for Award under other than Fair Opportunity to be Considered

Provisions The proposal process for excepted requirements as defined in paragraph (b)(2) of this clause is the same as paragraph “d” above, except that there will be no selection criteria;

(f) Unauthorized Work The Contractor is not authorized to commence task performance prior to issuance of a signed Task Order, or verbal approval provided by the Contracting Officer, which will be followed up with a written Task Order within 5 days.

(g) Task Funding Restriction No unfunded tasks are permitted.

(h) Task Order Issuance Task Orders may be issued by e-mail.

(i) Ombusdsman Description In accordance with FAR 16.505(a)(7), Task Order selection is not subject to the Disputes Act. No protest under FAR Subpart 33.1 is authorized in connection with the Contracting Officer decisions regarding fair opportunity or the issuance of a Task Order under this contract. The designated FEMA Task Order Ombudsman will review complaints from contractors regarding the issuance of Task Orders, and ensure that all contractors are afforded a fair opportunity to be considered, consistent with the regulations and procedures in the contract. Complaints to the FEMA Ombudsman must be forwarded to: