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Arkansas Questions and Answers
HSHQC7-13-R-00002
| 1 |
| I am seeking clarification on Paragraph 5.4.1.2 of the PWS regarding the requirement for a TS Facility Clearance. Am I correct in my understanding that government will sponsor us for a Top Secret Facility Clearance as indicated in paragraph 5.4.1.4.2 and paragraph 5.4.2.4(b)? |
| IAW Paragraph 5.4.2.4, Contractor shall comply with applicable subsection as identified by CO – 5.4.2.4(b). Paragraph 5.4.2.4(b) of the SOW states: DHS may sponsor Contractor for a facility clearance, if contract performance requires access to classified information and Contractor selected for award does not possess a facility security clearance that is equal to level for work on this contract as specified in Section 5.4.1.2. |
| 2 |
| There appears to be a discrepancy between the number of hours listed on the SF 1449 (143,459) and the hours accounted for in the Post Exhibit (132,959.25). The difference is 10,499.75 hours. Does the Government want the price submitted based on the hours on the SF 1449 or the hours in the Post Exhibit? |
| The hours reflected on the post exhibit reflect an estimate of known requirements, while the hours on the SF1449 reflect estimated potential increases. The contractor’s pricing strategy is up to the individual offeror. It should be noted that the government makes no guarantee beyond the minimum stated in the solicitation. |
| 3 |
| Will you please provide a redacted (without names) “Seniority Listing” for current PSOs, so that we may accurately calculate their length of service? |
| Please see attachment 10 contained in the RFP package. |
| 4 |
| Will you please provide a redacted (without names) “Certification & Training Log” for current PSOs, so that we can determine the level and amount of training and recertification required if the incumbent staff joins a new contractor? |
Incumbent contractor personnel meet all requirements under the current contract. The RFP requirements differ from the current contract requirements. All PSOs are required to complete all of the required training that is set forth in this RFP, which may vary from the type and quantity of training required under the expiring contract, prior to standing post.
| 5 |
| Is the “Socio Economic Factor” section not required for this proposal? |
| The Socio Economic Factor is not required. |
| 6 |
| I was wondering if there was an incumbent for this requirement. If so, would it be possible for you to provide the contract number and contractor? |
| The incumbent contractor is ERIS Security, Inc, Contract HSCEC7-09-A-00001. |
| 7 |
| Reference the pre-proposal conference slide # 28, “Screener training – from 16 hours for all PSOs to 16 hours for selected post (maybe)”: This statement indicates that only PSOs assigned to selected posts shall be required to take the 16 hours of government provided training. Please confirm. |
Amendment 000003 will be forthcoming the week of January 6th, 2014 to reflect the revised changes to the Government provided screener training.
| 8 |
| Reference the pre-proposal conference slide # 28, “Screener training – from 16 hours for all PSOs to 16 hours for selected post (maybe)”: This statement indicates that only PSOs assigned to selected posts shall be required to take the 16 hours of government provided training. Please indicate the “selected posts” on the post exhibit which would require to be staffed by trained screener personnel. |
| Amendment 000003 will be forthcoming the week of January 6th, 2014 to reflect the revised changes to the Government provided screener training. |
| 9 |
| Reference Proposal Submission Requirements section: “The third envelope shall contain a disc containing a saved electronic copy of the Offerors Management Approach (in Microsoft Word or equivalent format) and …”. Should the electronic copy of the Management Approach be in the redacted format or in the original format without redactions? |
| The electronic copy should be in the original format without redactions. |
| 10 |
| Are current contractor employees considered qualified in terms of training completion on the following: |
Basic Training, 64 hours Initial Firearms Training, 32 hours Initial Baton Training, 4 hours Initial OC Training, 4 hours Orientation Training, 8 hours Screener Training, 16 hours
CPR
1st Aid
AED
Tri-annual Refresher
If the answer to any of the above is 'no' what specific courses are lacking?
Incumbent contractor personnel meet all requirements under the current contract. The RFP requirements differ from the current contract requirements. All PSOs are required to complete all of the required training that is set forth in this RFP, which may vary from the type and quantity of training required under the expiring contract, prior to standing post.
| 11 |
| Are the medical and PAT requirements in the current contract different from the requirements in the solicited effort? |
| The medical/physical requirements of this RFP differ from those contained in the current/expiring contract. |
| 12 |
| Is the type of weapon currently in use different from the solicited effort that requires Caliber .40 S&W firearm. |
| No. The current contractor’s workforce is carrying the Smith and Wesson 40 caliber weapon. |
| 13 |
| Please provide the make and model of the firearm that is currently assigned to the incumbent personnel? |
| See Question 12. |
| 14 |
| Reference Exhibit 4, Item # 8, Government Provided Orientation Training (One Time Only) references Exhibit 4G (Government Provided Screener Training, 16 hours). Please confirm that it should reference Exhibit 4F, not 4G. |
| The correct Exhibit is 4F. |
See Amendment 000002
| 15 |
| Reference Exhibit 8A, Uniform Requirements: The quantity for Item # 2, Boots, is marked “0” (Zero) which is a departure from FPS requirements. Please confirm that boots shall not be a contractor furnished item under the solicited effort. |
| Boots will not be a contractor or government provided article for this contract. It is at the contractor’s discretion as to whether the contractor will furnish the boots or have the PSOs purchase their own boots. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring that the PSOs are in compliance with the contractual requirement. |
| 16 |
| Reference Exhibit 8E, Contractor Provided Communication Equipment and Exhibit 9D, Government Provided Communication Equipment: Exhibit 8E requires contractor to provide 26 cellular phones and Exhibit 9D indicates that the government will provide 33 radios. Please conform that the solicited effort has a requirement for both cellular phones and radios. |
| This contract does have a need for both forms of communication. The posts in Arkansas that do not have radio communication will require the cellular phones. |
| 17 |
| Reference SOW section 13.5, HSPD-12, PIV Cards: Please confirm that all incumbent PSOs have PIV cards in accordance with the solicited requirement. |
| At this time no PSOs on the current contract have PIV cards. |
| 18 |
| Reference Exhibit 9E, Government Provided PIV Cards: This exhibit indicates that all nearest enrollment centers are located in Texas (in Dallas and Denton). Please confirm that there are no enrollment centers for PIV Cards in Arkansas. |
| Currently there are no enrollment centers for PIV Cards in Arkansas. |
| 19 |
| The CBA applicable for the solicited effort expires on May 31, 2014. Please confirm that the bidders should base their pricing on the economics that are being paid out currently (effective 09/01/2013) under the terms of the CBA. |
| The Service Contract Act, Section 4(c), the contractor will be obligated to pay the rates listed in the CBA for the entire first contract period. |
| 20 |
| Exhibit 9E Government-Provided Property HSPD-12 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card Employee Application Process, Section C.1 states: “Government will notify Contractor of specific dates/times available for enrollment. Contractor shall schedule it employee(s) within those dates/times and ensure employee reports enrollment station at scheduled time.” We have several questions concerning this requirement, as shown below: |
a) How far in advance will the Government notify the Contractor of specific dates/ times for enrollment?
b) Since this contract will be performed in the State of Arkansas and the only PIV processing stations listed in this Exhibit are in Dallas and Denton, TX, will the Contractor be reimbursed for paying employees for their travel time to and from these processing stations?
c) If the scheduled appointment is cancelled by the Government and the employee has to be re-scheduled, how much notice will be given?
d) Is this a one-step process, i.e. the employee reports to the processing station, presents the required information, gets fingerprinted to activate PIV card and is issued a PIV card, or does the process require more than one trip/visit to the processing station? If multiple trips are required, is the Contractor reimbursed each time?
e) Is there any cost to the Contractor for employee PIV cards and, if so, is this a reimbursable expense?
f) Is the Contractor required to pay the employee his/her full wages and benefits for the time needed to complete the PIV process?
g) Do the incumbent employees have current, up-to-date PIV cards? Could the Government please provide a list of incumbent employees with PIV cards and the dates they were issued?
a) At this current juncture it is not possible to give an exact timeline however the Government anticipates that a realistic timeframe would be a 30 day notice once the PIV process is up and running. The contractor should also note that the PIV locations are not owned by the FPS and the owners timeframe must be taken into consideration.
b) The cost associated with PIV processing should be built into the proposed hourly rates.
c) Due to unforeseen circumstances outside of the control of the Federal Protective Service, it is not possible to give an exact amount of time. The Government will do everything in its power to ensure the contractor is notified as soon as possible to assist with unforeseen schedule changes.
d) Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the PIV process requires one trip/visit. Cards shall be renewed every 3 years from issuance. 20 minutes, as indicated in Section C.5 of Exhibit 9E, is representative of estimated processing time at the enrollment station.
e) There is no cost to the Contractor for the PIV card.
f) The contractor is required to comply with all state and federal labor regulations, in addition to those outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
g) See Question 17.
| 21 |
| Can proposals be submitted electronically via FBO in lieu of physical delivery? |
| No. |
| 22 |
| In regard to the lead PSO mentioned in the pre-proposal briefing, is there currently a lead PSO? If so, what is the location and shift? |
| No. |
| 23 |
| What weapons are currently being used? |
| See Question 12. |
| 24 |
| Is Field Level Supervision Exhibit (Attachment 8) exempt from the page count limitation? |
As stated in the Proposal Submission Requirements section of the RFP, the “Field Level Supervision Exhibit” attachment does not count against the page limitation in the technical proposal.
| 25 |
| Pricing Schedule – Pricing Schedule shows Maximum PSO Service Hours of 143,459 hours. The Exhibit 1 – Post Exhibit for State of Arkansas totals 132,959.25 PSO Service Hours. With a 2% allowance for TAS Service, the total PSO Service Hours is approximately 135,618.44 hours. What is the purpose of the difference of 7,840.56 PSO Service Hours? |
| The hours reflected on the post exhibit reflect an estimate of known requirements, while the hours on the SF1449 reflect estimated potential increases. The contractor’s pricing strategy is up to the individual offeror. It should be noted that the government makes no guarantee beyond the minimum stated in the solicitation. |
See Amendment 000002
| 26 |
| SOW 5.4.1.2 Security Clearance General Information – Exhibit 1 Post Exhibit shows that Post 7G371 & 7G371A require a TOP SECRET Security Clearance. Considering that SOW 5.4.4.3 states that DHS will not accept interim TOP SECRET clearances, how many incumbent PSO’s hold final TOP SECRET clearances? |
| The PSOs that work at the FBI have current TS clearances. |
| 27 |
| SOW 9.21.1.1 Use of DHS Form 139 – What is the source of the “personal identification number” referenced in this section? |
| The current language in section 9.21.1 which references the PSO using a PIN is under review. The PTS system is incomplete and at this time the PSOs will continue signing in on the DHS form 139. |
| 28 |
| SOW 11.2.5 Contract Manager – This section states, “CM shall be available during normal working hours (8:00 am to 4:30 pm) within 30 minutes by telephone or in person to discuss deficiencies. After normal duty hours or on weekends and holidays, CM shall be available within two hours. With COR located in Oklahoma City and CO in Federal Way, Washington who is the CM required to respond to within these specified time frames? What restrictions are there on the location of the CM within and/or outside the State of Arkansas? |
| The CM is responsible for responding to both the CO and the COR. The SOW does not separate who the CM responds to; however, they are both Government employees that administer contract oversight. |
Additionally although the SOW does not delineate where the CM must be located, it may behoove the contractor to co-locate in the vicinity of the PSO workforce in order to better manage the workforce and resolve issues.
| 29 |
| Will PSO’s be required to possess a PIV to stand post on contract start? |
| No. |
| 30 |
| What is the drop dead date on obtaining PIV’s on this requirement? |
| Drop dead date has not been determined. |
| 31 |
| Will a mobile unit for PIV badging be available? |
| No. Not at this time. |
| 32 |
| Will the government cover the cost of PIV badging and make a determination after contract start through an equitable adjustment? Or does this process need to be included in the proposal pricing? |
| The cost associated with PIV should be built into the proposed hourly rates. |
| 33 |
| What is the current WD and H&W? The CBA bridge does not list this. |
The minimum wage rates are listed in the wage determination contained in the RFP.
| 34 |
| Will the screener training be a requirement for PSO to stand post at contract start? |
| Amendment 000003 will be forthcoming the week of January 6th, 2014 to reflect the revised changes to the Government provided screener training. |
| 35 |
| Will the PSOs that do not have screener training be allowed to stand a non-screener post until everyone is trained? |
| Yes. |
| 36 |
| Do the current PSOs possess the necessary clearance for the TS building? |
| Yes. |
| 37 |
| Will they need the TS clearance for the building prior to contract start? |
| Yes. |
| 38 |
| Is there a designated relief in the E1 to include times? |
Yes dedicated relief is required. Relief times are established by the contractor, CBA, and DOL labor rules and regulation.
| 39 |
| Will all vehicles on the contract be required to have emergency lighting? |
| There are no FPS requirements; however, if required by state and/or local law, the Contractor shall obtain applicable permits, titles, inspections, and registrations in accordance with applicable Federal, state and local laws for operation of vehicles. |
| 40 |
| Will the CM ever be required to meet the time deadlines in person, since the COR is in another state? |
| It is not currently known whether such a requirement will occur. |
