Questions Responses 3.2.2012.docx

Questions and Responses to

HSFEMW-12-R-0001

3/2/2012

Q1: Attachment 2, Task Order Instructions - The Instructions in Attachment 2 part 4 reference Section H, Fair Opportunity. This section does not exist. However, there is Fair Opportunity mentioned in Section G. This section also contains different instructions for task orders, and seems to reference future task orders not necessarily including the initial task orders. Please provide clarification.

A: The Reference to Section H was an error and will be corrected by an amendment to the RFP. Clause G.3 Task Order Procedures outlines the fair Opportunity Process for Task Orders to be issued after award. Offerors should be aware that their technical responses to the Initial Task Orders (Attachment 5-7 of the RFP) submitted as part of their Technical Proposals may also be considered for award of actual Task Orders when the contracts are awarded.

Q2. Attachment 2, Task Order Instructions - The Initial Task Order Titles listed in this section do not match the corresponding Task Order SOWs. Please clarify which PoPs and Hours are associated with which Task Order.

A: The Task Orders should be listed in the following order, and note the additional information provided. Attachment 2 to the RFP will be amended accordingly:

Attachment 5: Task Order A, IPAWS Program Management, Business Operations, Acquisition and Property Management Support, Estimated Effort 6,820 hours, Firm Fixed Price, 12 Month Period of Performance.

Attachment 6: Task Order B, IPAWS Outreach Support, Estimated Effort 3,800 hour, Time and Materials, 12 Month Period of Performance.

Attachment 7: Task Order C, IPAWS Technical Support, Estimated Effort 6,200 hours, Firm Fixed Price, 12 Month Period of Performance.

Q3. Key Personnel - Attachment 4 identifies the Program Manager as Key Personnel. Attachment 1 identifies the Project Manager and Task Managers as the Key Personnel. Are the program and project manager the same? What is the total number of Key Personnel?

A: The RFP inadvertently used the terms Project Manager and Program Manager interchangeably. The correct title should be Project Manager, and the RFP will be amended to reflect that correction. The Project Manager is the only Key Personnel prescribed in the RFP. Offerors may choose to propose additional staff for Key Personnel in their proposals, which may include Task Managers. FEMA may identify additional positions, including Task Managers, for Key Personnel as Task Orders are issued.

Q4. Technical Proposal Instructions, paragraph 4 "Initial Task Orders" - In order to provide competitive pricing that the Government will be able to evaluate, can the Government provide a breakout of the aggregate hours outlined for each task. As drafted, the Task Orders lack sufficient detail to estimate the labor hours required for nearly any offeror besides the current incumbents. Could the Government break out the labor hours for each task and/or labor category? Alternatively, could the Government provide more information about the levels of support that the Government will require?

A: See the Response to Question 2 above for total estimated labor hours for each Initial Task Order. Offerors should utilize their own proposed labor mix. The RFP will be amended to delete the requirement for submission of cost/pricing for the Initial Task Orders. Offerors will still be required to address the technical aspects of the Initial Task Orders, as well as their proposed labor mix.

Q5. Does Facility Clearance verification documentation apply to the page limits?

A: The RFP will be amended to state that the page limits do not apply to Facility Clearance verification documentation.

Q6: Would the Government please provide labor category descriptions for the labor categories listed in the ID/IQ?

A: Additional information about the qualification/experience standards for the labor categories will be provided in an amendment to the RFP.

Q7: Would the Government please provide the assumed labor categories and hours per labor category for the first three Task Orders?

A: The total estimated hours for each of the Initial Task Orders is provided with the response to Question 2 above. Offerors should use their judgment in proposing their own labor mix for each task.

Q8: Would the Government reduce the maximum page count for the solicitation as the 150 page limit has caused numerous no-bid decisions in industry so far?

A: The page limit remains unchanged at 150 pages; however at the request of prospective offerors the following information will not be subject to the page limitation: ISFD Clearance Verification, Letters of Commitment, Cover Page, Table of Contents, List of Figures, Compliance Matrix.

Q9: Would the Government please extend the proposal due date by 30 days after the response to these questions is provided, and indicate to industry now that some extension is anticipated?

A: The closing date will be extended to 3/23/2012 via an amendment to the RFP.

Q9: Should the contractor assume FFP or T&M type orders in preparing the Initial Task Order price proposals?

A: The answer to this question is at Question 2 shown above.

Q10: The Technical Proposal Instructions, Number 2 (Organization) suggests proposals be placed in binders indicating the following section (a-f). Does the Government only wants tabs associated with a-f in the technical proposal?

A: The Technical Proposal binder should contain information requested for the Technical Evaluation Criteria (Tabs a-f) should be included in the Technical Proposal, along with any information the offeror submits relevant to the offeror’s technical capabilities. No Cost/Price information should be included in the Technical Proposal binder. The tabs (a-f) should correspond with each of the six Technical Evaluation Criteria (if desired, they can be numbered 1-6 to correspond with the criteria). All other information should be included with the Cost/Pricing Proposal.

Q11: The Technical Proposal Instructions, Section 4 (Initial Task Orders) refers to Technical Work plans, and states that they should not exceed 10 pages. Conversely, Section G.3 (Task Order Procedures) in the RFP (page 13), number 4 states that technical proposals should be brief, i.e. 3-5 pages. Can the Government please provide clarification on the number of pages required for the Initial Task Orders?

A: The Technical Proposal Instructions will be amended to state that the Technical Work Plans for the Initial Task Orders are not subject to the page limit, and therefore are not limited to 10 pages. Submissions for future Fair Opportunity Task Order Competitions will not require as much information and therefore, they should only be 3-5 pages in length.

Q12: The number/order of the Initial Task Orders does not correspond with the respective attachments. Can the Government please confirm which is correct?

A: The answer to this question is shown above at Question 2.

Q13: The Cost/Price Proposal Instructions, paragraph 2 states the cost proposal should be titled and tabbed for easy identification. Does the Government only want tabs associated with 1-5 in the cost proposal?

A: The Cost/Price Proposal may also include other information such as Subcontracting Plans or business information, Reps and Certs (if not in ORCA), Conflict of Interest Certification, etc.

Q14: FEMA NCP PAMSS RFP Page 6 Section B.1 says: “Fully loaded, fixed labor rates for the Base Period and each Option Year of the contract are detailed in Attachment _(to be filled in at award)_ to this contract.” Does the Government intend to release labor category descriptions, or how should labor categories be qualified?

A: Please see the answer to Question 6.

Q15: FEMA NCP PAMSS RFP Page 6 Section B.1 says: “For T&M Task Orders: The Contractor shall invoice only for the time of the personnel whose services are applied directly to the work called for in individual Task Orders and accepted by the COR. The Government shall pay the Contractor for the life of a Task Order at the rates in effect when the Task Order was issued, even if performance under the Task Order crosses into another period.” This statement appears to prevent escalation of rates when the rate period changes during Task Order performance. However, Attachment 3 paragraph 2. says “The offeror shall identify a total contract price per contract period, based upon individually proposed, fully loaded labor rates, and Other Direct Cost (ODC) plug numbers provided in the Section L Provision, OTHER DIRECT COSTS.” The Sample spreadsheet provides for escalation of rates. Please explain how escalation of rates would be applied during Task Order Performance?

A: The following sentence will be deleted from the Clause via an amendment: “The Government shall pay the Contractor for the life of a Task Order at the rates in effect when the Task Order was issued, even if performance under the Task Order crosses into another period.” If the Government plans to issue a Task Order that extends into the next option period, the contractor will be given an opportunity to pro-rate their Task Order proposal and use the escalated labor rates in the contract for the period of time that extends into the new option year.

Q16: Ref: PAMSS, Part II – Contract Clauses, Section I – Contract Clauses, I.18 HSAR 3052.204-70 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES (JUN 2006), Paragraph (b) (1), Page 43 The clause states “(1) Within days after contract award, the contractor shall submit for approval its IT Security Plan, which shall be consistent with and further detail the approach contained in the offeror's proposal. “ Please clarify the number of days after award intended for IT Security Plan submission.

A: Paragraph (b)(1) of that clause will be amended to state that the IT Security Plan shall be submitted within 30 days after contract award.

Q17: Ref: PAMSS, Part I – The Schedule, Section G – Contract Administration Data, G.3 Task Order Procedures, (c) Proposal Process for Selected Multi-Awardees, Paragraph (1), Page 13 The schedule states “Contracting Officer will issue a Task Order proposal request to those awardees selected for consideration.” This sentence appears to conflict with G.3 (a), which states “… 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.” Are we correct in assuming that every awardee under this contract vehicle will be given the opportunity to respond to every Task Order proposal request, to the extent such requests are not subject to G.3(b)(2) and G.3(b)(3)? If not, please provide specific selection criteria the Government will use in order to determine which awardees will be given the opportunity to compete for Task Orders.

A: Unless the conditions in paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3) apply, all awardees will be given the opportunity to compete for Task Orders. For clarification purposes Clause G3 will be amended as follows:

Paragraph (a) will be amended to state, “except as provided in Paragraph (b)(2) and (b)(3) of this section.”

Paragraph (c)(1) will be amended to state, “Except as provided in Paragraphs (b)(2) and (b)(3) of this clause, the Contracting Officer will issue a Task Order Proposal to request to all awardees.”

Q18: Ref: PAMSS, Attachment 1 – Statement of Work, 1.3 Contractor Personnel, Paragraph 1.3.1.3, Page 7 The SOW states “The Project Manager shall possess the following minimum education and experience: PMP certification or equivalent” Please clarify what the Government considers to be an equivalent to a PMP certification.

A: A bachelor’s degree and ten years of Project Management experience would be considered equivalent to a PMP certification. The RFP will be amended to reflect this information.

Q19: Does this requirement for Subcontractors to have a Top Secret Facility Clearance apply, if the subcontractor is only going to be working at the prime’s location or the FEMA location (and not doing any work at their own subcontractor facility)?

A: If a contractor (sub or prime) is proposed to provide cleared personnel to work on task requiring clearances, that contractor must have a facility clearance. In effect, cleared personnel working on tasks requiring clearances must be employed by a company that has a facility clearance.

Q20: Ref: PAMSS, Attachment 2 – Technical Proposal Instructions, General Instructions, Paragraph (1) The general instructions state “The maximum length of written technical proposals shall be limited to 150 typewritten pages.” Please confirm that a Cover Page, Table of Contents, List of Figures, and Compliance Matrix are excluded from the 150 page limitation.

A: An amendment will be issued to state that those documents will be exempt from the page limitation.

Q21: Ref: PAMSS, Attachment 2 – Technical Proposal Instructions, Technical Proposal Instructions Section, Paragraph 5. Personnel The technical proposal instructions state “Letters of Commitment must be provided for all proposed Key personnel.” Please confirm that Letters of Commitment are excluded from the maximum 150 page limitation for the Technical Proposal.

A: The RFP will be amended to state that Letters of Commitment are excluded from the page limit.

Q22: Ref: PAMSS, Attachment 2 – Technical Proposal Instructions, Technical Proposal Instructions Section, Paragraph 6. Management Plan The technical proposal instructions state “Offerors shall provide a copy of the Industrial Security Facilities Database (ISFD) facility verification for their own company, and any proposed subcontractors or consultants that possess clearances.” Please confirm that the ISFD verifications for the prime and subcontractors are excluded from the maximum 150 page limitation for the Technical Proposal.

A: An amendment will be issued to state that the ISFD verifications will be exempt from the page limitation.

Q23: Ref: PAMSS, Attachment 2 – Technical Proposal Instructions, Technical Proposal Instructions Section, Paragraph 4. Initial Task Orders The technical proposal instructions state “Technical Work Plans should not exceed ten pages.” Please confirm that the Initial Task Orders are excluded from the maximum 150 page limitation for the Technical Proposal.

A: An amendment will be issued to state that Technical Work Plans in response to the Initial Task Orders will be exempt from the page limitation.

Q24: Ref: PAMSS, Attachment 4 – Technical Evaluation Criteria, Paragraph 5. Personnel The technical evaluation criteria states, “At a minimum, resumes shall include the following: Name, Position, Firm Affiliation, Office Location, Education, Relevant Experience to SOW Task Area(s), Relevant Training, Certifications or Special Knowledge and Capabilities, clearance levels (if applicable).” Please define “Office Location” and clarify how it will be used during resume evaluation.

A: The request for office relocation will be deleted via amendment to the RFP.

Q25: Ref: PAMSS, Attachment 2 – Technical Proposal Instructions, Technical Proposal Instructions Section, Paragraph 4. Initial Task Orders The technical proposal instructions state “Technical Work Plans should not exceed ten pages.” In order to supply sufficiently-detailed responses to the Initial Task Orders, we respectfully request that the Government expand the page count for each Task Order response to 15 pages.

A: The Technical Proposal Instructions will be amended to state that the Technical Work Plans for the Initial Task Orders are not subject to the page limit, and therefore are not limited to 10 pages.

Q26: Please confirm (1) where in the proposal Offerors are to include proposed Task Order pricing, and (2) whether the proposed pricing will be evaluated as part of the technical criteria or as cost/pricing criteria.

A: An amendment to the RFP will delete the requirement to submit pricing for the Initial Task Orders with the proposals for this RFP. Offerors will still be required to submit their Technical responses to the Initial Task Orders, as well as their proposed labor mix.

Q27: Question 19: (Ref: PAMSS, Attachment 2 – Technical Proposal Instructions, General Instructions, Paragraph (1), Page 13) The general instructions state “The maximum length of written technical proposals shall be limited to 150 typewritten pages…using no less than 10 point character size...” As long as graphics are clear, legible, and easy to read, will the Government allow fonts in graphics of 8 pt?

A: Yes, font may be 8pt, as long as the submissions are clear and legible.

Q28: Ref PAMSS, Part II Contract Clauses, I.21 HSAR 3052.209-72 Organizational Conflict of Interest (JUN 2006), Page 48. Paragraph (c) of this clause requires Offeror completion and potentially additional information in accordance with Paragraph (d). Where in the proposal shall Offerors provide the completed clause and potential additional information? If in the Technical Proposal, as we correct in assuming that this information is excluded from the 150 maximum page limitation for the volume?

A: Organizational Conflict of Interest information should be submitted in the Cost/Price proposal binder, and is not subject to the page limitation.

Q29: Section M.3 states that the Government will perform price analysis and evaluate Cost/Price Proposals will be evaluated for reasonableness. Given that offerors will be providing pricing for 3 Sample Task Orders (STOs) and a Labor Hour model, how will the STOs factor into the overall evaluated price and reasonableness evaluation?

A: An amendment to the RFP will delete the requirement to submit pricing for the Initial Task Orders with the proposals for this RFP. Offerors will still be required to submit their Technical Work Plans for the Initial Task Orders, as well as their proposed labor mix.

Q30: The Statement of Work includes a Task Area for OMB 300 Support. Task Order A also requires OMB 300 support. However, Attachment 2 Technical Proposal Instructions and Attachment 4 Evaluation Criteria do not request a response for this Task Area for Item 2 Technical Experience. Could the Government please clarify if offerors should respond to this Task Area in Attachment 2, Item 2 Technical Experience.

A: OMB 300 Support was inadvertently left out of the Technical Proposal Instructions and Technical Evaluation Criteria. Offerors should address OMB 300 Support in their Technical Proposals. The RFP will be amended accordingly.

Q31: The suggested spreadsheet included in Attachment 3 (Cost/Price Proposal Instructions) provides a number of labor category titles and associated hours per category, totaling 165,975 – consistent with the Government’s total annual estimated hours. Therefore, it is our assumption that offerors are to propose those Labor Categories listed in the quantities specified. Is this a correct assumption?

A: Yes, that is correct.

Q32: Reference Attachment 2: 1 and 4: Do the draft management plans that accompany the task order responses count towards the overall 150 page limit?

A: The RFP will be amended to state that the Draft Work Plans (management plans) are not subject to the page limitations.

Q33: Do the draft Project Management Plans (PMPs) for the representative Task Order (TOs) count against the 10 page limit of each representative TO?

A: The Draft Project Management Plans (PMPs) are exempt from the page limitations.