HT001125R0001 Atch F Responses to Questions.pdf

HT001125R0001 Attachment F

HT001125R0001 Agency Responses to Questions

# Question Response

1 What is the total award value (size) of the current contract, which is presently ongoing by the Incumbent vendor?

This is a follow-on requirement. The incumbent award is HT001123F0015, awarded to Axiom Resources Management, Inc. Public information concerning this award is available at https://fpds.gov and https://usaspending.gov.

2 Is this a completely new requirement or is there an incumbent? If the latter, please provide the incumbent contractor name and contract number.

See response #1.

3 Is there currently an incumbent contractor performing on the Health Care Operations and Other Program Management Support requirement #HT001125R0001?

See response #1.

4 Also, are resumes required for all Key Personnel?

Yes, see Addendum to 52.212-1, (n)(4)(iii), "The offer shall include resumes of all Key Personnel..."

5 I did not see a value range in there and was wondering if the government is able to provide this information? I came across task order HT001123F0015 which looks to be the incumbent for this so am I correct in assuming a potential range between $25M and $50M?

With the intent for independent offeror price proposals to achieve adequate price competition (see FAR 15.403- 1(c)(1)), the agency will not speculate on a potential range for the total evaluated price.

6 Can we request the Government for the Incumbent vendor’s Name & their contract number (which is currently underperformance)?

See response #1.

7 Can you confirm the required resources include:

Program Manager Analyst Administrative Assistant 3 Clinical Nurses (different specializations) 1 Dental Professional

Addendum to 52.212-1, paragraph (n)(6)(v), is amended to more clearly identify the inclusion of Key Personnel in the estimated level of effort. Offerors are not constrained to providing this specific labor mix.

8 For the Dental Professional role, what level of education and certifications are required?

See Atch 01, PWS paragraph 1.12.6

9 What is the scope of government-required training and certifications for contractor personnel onboarding?

See Attachment 03, Onboarding Checklist. The agency Director may, on occasion, require additional training as a condition of facility or network access.

# Question Response

10 How are tasks identified and flagged for assignment to each contracting team member?

The successful offeror will be responsible for organizing its workforce into teams and for ensuring quality and timeliness of contract deliverables. The successful offeror will promulgate contract requirements to employees and communicate directly with the Contracting Officer's Representative. The agency anticipates contractor teams will work closely with their supported organizations for efficient delivery of services.

12 Will the contracting team perform work independently, in a supporting role to government employees, or as subject matter experts (SMEs)?

The contracting team will be in a supporting role to the Government team to provide the requirements and work products.

13 How is the success of tasks and deliverables measured for each role?

See the Performance Requirements Summary at PWS paragraph 7.1. Each performance objective will be incorporated into a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP, see FAR 37.604) which the Contracting Officer's Representative will follow to assess the quality of delivered services.

14 What specific TRICARE Health Plan programs and projects will the Program Manager support?

The Contract Program Manager is the Government's primary interface with the successful offeror and coordinates the efforts of the contractor team.

15 What are the expected deliverables for each program or project?

See Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 7.2, and Atch 02, Contact Data Requirements List

16 What government and commercial software systems will the Program Manager be expected to use?

The list below summarizes software applications and systems expected to be used in the performance of services:

General use applications o MS Office 365 Suite o Adobe Acrobat – Expert Knowledge o SharePoint o HTML – Helping develop or change websites o Publisher o Teams o Visio o XML for queries o Tableau o Performance Assessment Tool (PAT) o Operations Reporting Data Mart (ORDM)

PRISM-Comprehensive Analysis and Statistics tool and external interfaces SAM, FPDS-NG, EDA, and PDS

DEERS Web applications:

o Defense On-line Enrollment System (DOES) o General Inquiry to DEERS (GIQD) o Cat Cap and Fees Web Application o Application Lifecycle Manager (ALM) o Adobe FrameMaker o Management Tracking and Reporting (MTR) o Health Plan Requirements Management Site (HPRMS) o Performance Assessment Tracker (PAT) o ETMS2- for Correspondence/Congressional Correspondence o SharePoint o PRISM o ALMS for tracking DHA Information Management System (DIMS) tickets

Business Objects (Boxi) - A software application used to run reports and extract data held in the DHA database.

Structured Query Language (SQL) - write/develop scripts in order to extract data/reports

Putty SSH, and WinSCP – Terminal emulators and network file transfer applications

SAS (Statistical Analysis System) - extract/create reports from the TED Operational Data Store (ODS) database with total number of records submitted per cycle as well as total number of TED errors received per cycle

Patient Encounter Processing & Reporting Portal (PEPR) including:

o Access and update TED Reference Files/tables.

o Access to data from the Provider Database o Access and manual updates to Procedure Code File

MHS Information Platform (MIP) - An AWS GovCloud environment managed by EIDS for TEDODS (Production and Bench) access for reporting and research.

MHS art (M2)- Pulls network data

Test Track Pro-to perform Analytics on DEERS

MHS Medical Library (https://www.health.mil/Military- Health-Topics/MHS-Medical-Library-) to research new medical benefits.

o 3M Sharefile o EncoderPro o Hayes o OneHealthCare o Open Athens o Optum o NCCN o Kepro o Sitecore

17 What is the expected frequency and duration of travel within CONUS and NCR during the contract period?

See Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 1.8. Duration of travel is typically 2 or 3 days, and rarely exceeding 1 week.

18 What is the scope of travel-related tasks, including shipping training materials or attending off-site meetings?

Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 1.8 is amended to remove shipment of training materials, which will be done by the agency, as needed. All travel will be performed in support of a PWS task.

19 Can contract resources primarily work remotely, with travel limited to specific requirements?

The solicitation does not restrict telecommuting and the contracting officer has not otherwise made the determination at FAR 7.108(a) to limit telecommuting.

20 Are there specific criteria or approval processes for allowing remote work?

See Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 1.7.1. The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) may approve telework.

Generally, the COR will approve telework from any location within the contiguous United States and Puerto Rico.

21 Which of the contract resources will be required to travel for this contract engagement?

Any contractor employee may require travel.

22 What hardware/software will the government provide, and what are the contractor's

See Attachment 07, Government Furnished Equipment, and Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 3.4. The laptop computers responsibilities for tools like the PIEE/GFP Module?

will be imaged with agency standard configuration administered by the agency Global Help Desk.

23 What is the detailed scope of clinical services expected from the Clinical Nurses?

See Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 5.6 and subparagraphs.

Nurses perform administrative and oversight tasks and do not provide clinical services.

24 How many and which programs and projects will the Clinical Nurses and Dental Professional be assigned to?

See Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 5.6 and subparagraphs.

25 What government, commercial, and clinical software systems will Clinical Nurses and Dental Professionals be expected to use?

Clinical nurses and dental professionals do not use clinical software systems.

26 What are the specific deliverables and expectations for the Clinical Nurses and Dental Professional?

See Attachment 01, PWS paragraphs 5.6 (and subparagraphs) and 7.2.

27 What metrics or reports will be required for quality assurance and performance evaluation?

See Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 7.1, Performance Requirements Summary

28 Can you provide examples of metrics or reports required for similar contracts?

The successful offeror will be given access to agency files of previous metrics and reports. Sample metrics and reports will not be provided with the solicitation.

29 Will the contractor be required to develop governance documents, operational policies, or system manuals?

The successful offeor will provide expertise to and assist the agency in edit of manuals and developing governance documents.

30 What is the process for ensuring contractor access to government systems, networks, and facilities?

The successful offeror will submit requests for Common Access Cards for each employee requiring system or facility access. As these are issued, the COR wil assist the contractor with standard administrative procedures and forms for access.

31 Are there additional requirements for personnel to access Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or other secured systems?

Contractor employees will require background investigations necessary for Public Trust access to agency information systems.

32 What specific types of data analysis and reporting are expected from the Analyst role (e.g., healthcare metrics, TRICARE program data)?

Attachment 01, PWS specifies numerous tasks and deliverables anticipated to be performed by analysts.

33 Will the Analyst need to work on integrating data from multiple systems (e.g., TRICARE, MHS databases)?

Yes, analytical work may include integration of data from multiple systems.

34 Are there specific analytic tools or software required (e.g., Tableau, Excel, Python)?

See response #16.

35 Will the Analyst support specific programs/projects or provide cross-functional support to all TRICARE initiatives?

Services may relate to TRICARE initiatives. These initiatives are transitory and are not individually identified in the PWS.

36 What systems or databases will the Analyst need to access to perform their duties?

See response #16.

37 Will the government provide the required system access and training?

The agency will provide on-the-job training for systems specific to TRICARE Health Plan program.

38 Who will the Analyst collaborate with internally (e.g., Clinical Nurses, Program Manager)?

Yes, services may require collaboration between contractor employees.

39 Who will the Administrative Assistant work with and support daily?

Administrative assistant services will support the Deputy Assistant Director, Healthcare Operations, and Director, TRICARE Heath Plan.

40 What is the scope of administrative tasks (e.g., scheduling, correspondence, file management)?

See Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 5.3 and subparagraphs.

41 Will the Administrative Assistant handle internal contractor-related tasks or government-specific needs, or both?

The solicited effort specifies only the agency's requirement for services. Offerors may choose the direct labor mix that best suits an approach to providing these services.

42 What scheduling or administrative tools, commercial and government software systems are expected (e.g., Microsoft Office, Teams)?

See response #16.

43 Are there specific clearance or access requirements for the Administrative Assistant or other contract resources?

See response #32.

44 Is this a new requirement, or, renewal of an existing requirement? If an existing requirement being renewed, is there an incumbent performing the work? If there is an incumbent, will you advise on who the incumbent is?

See response #1.

45 If there is an incumbent, is the incumbent eligible to compete for the contract award?

The agency takes no position on a hypothetical size protest to the Small Business Administration.

46 Can the government provide clarification on how performance thresholds (e.g., 98% accuracy, 95% timeliness) will be monitored and verified for compliance? Are there penalties for non-compliance beyond thresholds, or just feedback for improvement? Reference: PWS 5.5.1-5.5.8, PRS table.

The solicitation includes no terms for penalties or liquidated damages. Marginal performance may result in adverse past performance reviews.

47 What is the expected duration of the transition-in and transition-out phases? Will the incumbent contractor assist with knowledge transfer during the transition-out phase? Reference: PWS 1.6.1.1, 1.6.1.2.

Durations of the transition-in and transition-out CLINs are anticipated at 15 calendar days, each.

48 Will all required Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Government Furnished Services be in place at the start of the performance period, including network access and software tools? Reference: PWS Part 3.

The agency maintains an inventory of laptops and generally can issue them within a few days of receiving inprocessing paperwork. Each laptop will be configured for an individual contractor employee's profile. See also, response #30.

49 The PWS references 3-day processing times for manual changes, with faster timeframes for high-priority changes. Can the government clarify what constitutes a high-priority change and provide examples?

Reference: PWS 5.5.1.

The agency will notify the contractor of a high priority change.

50 TRICARE Encounter Data (TED) Monitoring performance reports, what tools and systems will the contractor use to run and analyze TED monitoring data? Will training be provided for these systems? Reference:

PWS 5.5.4.

Government subject matter experts will provide training for the TRICARE Encounter Data system.

51 For DEERS-related tasks, will the government provide sandbox environments for testing interface changes before implementation? Reference: PWS 5.5.6.

The successful offeror will access DEERS and assess the agency's use of DEERS but will not perform any changes to or testing of interfaces.

52 Are there any specific emergency services or contingency plans outside normal business hours that the contractor should be aware of?

How will such activations be communicated?

Reference: PWS 1.7.4.

The military services conduct an annual exercise which agency offices may or may not participate. In real-world emergencies, TRICARE Health Plan may respond. For example, the agency may waive point of service requirements for beneficiaries displaced by natural disasters. The COR will communicate any need for contract support of an exercise or contingency to the Contract Program Manager. Historically, contractor support has not been required for every exercise or contingency.

53 Will telework be permitted for all positions outlined in the PWS, or are certain roles restricted to specific Government facilities?

Reference: PWS 1.7.1.

The solicitation does not restrict telecommuting and the contracting officer has not otherwise made the determination at FAR 7.108(a) to limit telecommuting.

54 Can the government confirm whether the contractor will need to support urgent tasks on Federal holidays or during emergency closures? Reference: PWS 1.7.2.

See response #52.

55 For Monthly Progress Reports (MPR), are there any standardized templates or dashboards required, or can the contractor propose a format? Reference: PWS 5.1.1.

Solicitation instructions and evaluation criteria do not require offerors to propose a format for Monthly Progress Reports. The successful offeror may follow an existing template or may create a new report format.

56 Is the government allowing for self-certification, or are they requiring SBA EDWOSB certification?

52.219-1 SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

REPRESENTATIONS (DEVIATION 2024-O0002) (FEB

2024) ALTERNATE I (FEB 2024) requires Small Business Administration or approved third party certification to meet the definition of economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB). EDWOSB representation, however, is not a material requirement where the solicitation is set aside for small business.

57 Based on the language presented in [instructions], and [evaluation criteria] of the solicitation, it appears that the government is open to considering relevant past performance from named subcontractors...

Will the government please confirm?

Addendum to 52.212-1, (n)(5)(ii) is amended to clarify that offerors may submit past performance references from proposed subcontractors. For each proposed subcontractor providing a past performance, the offer must include the consent form at Attachment E.

58 HT001125R0001 M.5.I: In accordance with the flexibility permitted under FAR 15.305(a)(2)(i), will the Government consider expanding the acceptable timeframe for relevant past performance references from three years to five years? Allowing up to five years of past performance would enable a more comprehensive assessment of an offeror’s sustained capability, consistent service quality, and long-term performance trends.

No, the agency specifies 3 years from the date of the solicitation as cut-off date for recent performance.

59 HT001125R0001 M.5.II: Will the Government accept CPARS in place of PPQs?

No. Although the agency intends to seek other sources of past performance information, these do not substitute for past performance questionnaires.

60 HT001125R0001 M.5.II: Will the Government review CPARs in addition to the

Yes, the agency intends to seek other sources of past performance information, including CPARS reports, and recognizes that Government points of contact are

PPQs, in case the government POC is unresponsive?

sometimes unresponsive to requests for past performance questionnaires.

61 HT001125R0001 M.6.IV: Will the Government provide a list of historically applicable SCA labor categories (LCATs) and their corresponding standard occupational codes, or otherwise clarify which positions are subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards before proposals are due?

The agency's estimated level of effort includes only labor categories believed to be exempt from Service Contract Labor Standards. Offerors, however, may proposed a different labor mix which could involve labor by covered employees. US Department of Labor is the Government authority for determining applicability of Service Contract Labor Standards.

62 PWS 1.6.1: Is it the expectation of the Government that the awarded vendor will provide incumbent personnel the right of first refusal?

The solicitation includes no terms requiring right of first refusal for incumbent employees. The agency makes no representation as to the availability of incumbent employees for work under a follow-on award.

63 PWS 1.6.1.2: Please confirm that transition practices, as outlined in the PWS, will be followed, and all transition-out planning and information will be provided to the awarded vendor in advance of work start.

The agency's solicited scope of work and terms and conditions are fully described in the solicitation.

64 PWS 1.12.1: Will the Government confirm that the Key Personnel position for a Contract Program Manager is billable and on-site?

Yes, the solicitation estimated level of effort anticipates that the cost of labor associated with this position will be allocated to the contract price. The agency intends to provide Government office space, but does not commit to a specific number of seats.

65 please verify that the contract manager referenced in 1.12 is the same individual as the Contract Program Manager referenced in 1.12.1

Yes. Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 1.12 is amended to replace "contract manager" with "Contract Program Manager".

66 PWS 1.12: The list of key personnel provided does not specify the number of personnel required. Will the Government please confirm that only a single candidate is required for each role If multiple candidates are required, please provide a personnel count for key personnel resumes.

See response #7.

67 PWS 1.7.1: If key personnel need to be located across the various performance locations, please confirm which personnel should work in Falls Church, San Antonio, etc.

Offerors may choose any performance location for Key Personnel.

68 To guarantee that proposed Key Personnel will be available to perform on Contract Award Day 1, can the government please confirm that resumes and letters of intent are required for all key personnel, even if they are currently employed by the offeror?

See response #4.

69 To ensure consistency across vendor proposals, can the government confirm that all proposal sections must be single spaced?

Yes, see Addendum to 52.212-1, paragraph (n), "A page is

8.5 inches by 11 inches with 1-inch margins using single lines..."

70 Will the government allow sans serif fonts (e.g., aria, Calibri) no less than 10pt font to ease readability for evaluators?

No, 12 point Times New Roman is the contracting division's typical font for proposals. Serifs will not impair readability of proposals for the purpose of evaluation.

71 Can the government please confirm that the relevant PWS task for Technical section vii (Review literature and Federal Register publications to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of adopting new reimbursement systems and/or changing or updating existing systems.) should be 5.3.12 instead of 5.3.1?

Addendum to 52.212-2, paragraph (n)(2)(vii) is corrected to read, "Review literature and Federal Register publications to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of adopting new reimbursement systems and/or changing or updating existing systems. (PWS 5.3.12)"

72 Can the government confirm that "supplemental pricing information" as described in this paragraph refers to completing the CLIN breakdown tabs in the government provided Attachment A-Pricing Sheet?

Yes, "supplemental price information" refers to the CLIN breakdown tabs.

73 The estimated level of effort indicates that the Project Manager-Advanced Technology labor category is expected to support PWS Task 5.7 but there is no 5.7 in the PWS. Can the government please provide clarification for task 5.7?

Addendum to 52.212-1, paragraph (n)(6)(v), is amended to remove the reference to PWS paragraph 5.7.

74 The CLIN breakdown worksheets contained in the pricing attachment includes a column for a "DES" Labor category and references PWS 7.4.2. Please clarify what the government means by DES labor category as PWS 7.4.2 does not exist.

Attachment A, Pricing Sheet, is amended to correctly reference the labor categories specified in the solicitation.

75 Please confirm that we may modify the attachment spreadsheet to include a column for named personnel to comply with instructions to identify key personnel within the labor categories.

Offerors may modify the pricing sheet and are responsible for assuring correct calculation of prices.

76 Will the government accept Past Performance from teaming partners and/or subcontractors?

See response #57.

77 Is there a ramp up period after the program start date or are all 62 FTEs required Day 1?

A successful offeror will be expected to be capable of full performance on completion of the transition-in period. See also, response #78.

78 Program start date being Oct 8th, curious why such a long time between contract award and program start date?

Attachment 01, PWS 1.6.1.1 is amended to read, "Full performance starts at the end of the Transition-in period."

79 Is there an incumbent contract? If so, who was the contractor?

See response #1.

80 Would the Government consider accepting a Master's Degree in Public Administration and significant healthcare administration experience in lieu of a Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration?

No, a Master's in Healthcare Administration is required.

81 Are more than one (1) person to be submitted as key personnel for Dental Professionals? If so, how many?

See response #7.

82 We recognize that the Solicitation states that staff may telework as approved by the COR (Sect 1.7.1) but can the Government indicate if the specific Key Personnel identified in Sect 1.12 will be allowed to telework or if they must be on-site?

Yes, Key Personnel may telework. However, there may be times where they will be requested to work on-site.

83 Of the five requested past performance references, how many must be from the Prime?

Addendum to 52.212-1, (n)(5)(ii) is amended to require at least one past performance reference from the prime offeror.

84 CLIN Breakdown Tabs account for CLIN

0003, CLIN 0001, CLIN 1001, CLIN 2001,

and CLIN 2003; however these CLINs are denoted differently on each CLIN Breakdown Sheet. For instance, CLIN field (Column A) on the CLIN Breakdown - 0003 TAB is populated as 0001. Please verify which CLIN is assigned to each CLIN Breakdown Tab/Sheet.

Attachment A, Pricing Sheet, is amended to correctly identify CLINs.

85 On each CLIN Breakdown Sheet, there is a data field for "DES LABOR CATEGORY NAME (If applicable, see PWS 7.4.2)" (Column C). PWS 7.4.2 is not included in the PWS. Please provide guidance for populating this data field.

See response #74.

86 Will IDIQ level past performance examples be accepted, or are we limited to Task Order level qualifications?

Each task order under an IDIQ is evaluated as a separate past performance reference.

87 The Estimated Level of Effort table provided in the solicitation merges multiple PWS tasks. Can the Government provide additional clarity on the estimated Level of Effort by individual PWS task?

No, the estimated level of effort is provided to assist offerors in understanding the scope of work and is not a specification of the agency requirement.

88 The table references a task 5.7 but there is no

5.7 listed in the PWS. Can the Government confirm if this task is missing? If the task is not missing can the Government confirm which PWS that LOE aligns with?

See response #73.

89 Under this section the Government states that "The contracting officer has determined that the services to be procured meet the definition of commercial services, so offerors are exempt from the requirements at 10 U.S.C. 3702 and FAR 15.403-3 for certified cost and pricing data" therefore due to the commerciality of this procurement, should offerors disregard the requirement for certified cost or pricing data and other than certified cost or pricing data clause (on Page 35-36) or will the Government remove the clause/requirement in the Solicitation?

No, the provision applies to other than certified cost and pricing data. For example, should the solicitation fail in adequate price competition, the provision permits the contracting officer to request additional price information.

90 Can the Government provide the wage determination document?

See solicitation Attachment 08, Wage Determinations.

91 1) Are any contracted companies currently performing any or all of the scope of work for this requirement?

2) If so, please provide the contractor name(s) and contract number(s).

See response #1.

92 If there is incumbent contractors, has there been any changes (increase/ decrease, etc.) to the scope of work for this solicited effort in comparison to the current contract(s)?

See response #1.

93 1) If there is incumbent contractors, are all contract positions staffed?

2) If not, what positions are currently vacant, as this information will help to prepare the transition process.

See response #1. The agency makes no assertions to the availability of incumbent contractor employees who would be available for hiring under a new contract.

94 As the word "Professionals" is plural, please provide the number of Dental Professionals who are considered Key Personnel.

See response #7.

95 Please provide the physical place of performance for all Key Personnel roles.

See response #67.

96 Which PWS Tasks are performed at which physical DHA locations?

Of the estimated level of effort, 24 percent of the effort supports Falls Church, VA, including administrative assistance and senior leader support; 56 percent of the effort supports Aurora, CO, including manuals, Health Plan Operations, TEDS, and Program Managment Office; 14 percent is remote, including Clinical Nurses, Dental Professionals; and the remaining 6 percent support analyst at San Diego, CA, or San Antonio, TX.

97 Column C refers to "PWS 7.4.2"; however there is no section 7.4.2 in the PWS. Please provide the correct section reference for this requirement.

See response #74.

98 All tabs, with exception of "CLINS TOTAL", use the incorrect CLIN number at top of the sheet as well as in column A. Will the Government be providing a revised Attachment A Pricing Sheet?

See respone #84.

99 The Government-provided Estimated Level of Effort does not include any of the Key Personnel positions listed at PWS 1.12.1-

1.12.6. Please clarify what labor categories

(LCATs) the Key Personnel map to.

See response #7.

100 What does the Government consider to be "proof" of insurance? Is a policy number with effective dates for each Insurance policy sufficient?

Yes, offerors may attest to insurance by identifying the insurer, policy number and dates of coverage.

101 Is there a required period of validity for the proposal response?

The required period of validity is 120 days. See Addendum to 52.212-1, paragraph (c).

102 Please confirm that Subcontractors may submit Past Performance references, as indicated by the Subcontractor Past Performance Consent form at Attachment E.

See response #57.

103 Can the government clarify the required education, experience, certification qualifications for key personnel or LCAT, such as specific healthcare data analytics experience not explicitly mentioned in the

PWS?

See Attachment 01, PWS paragraph 1.12 for Key Personnel minimum qualifications. The solicitation does not specify education, experience, or certification requirements for other than Key Personnel.

104 Does the government expect any specific certifications or licensing requirements for personnel working with DHA systems, particularly for accessing sensitive healthcare data, beyond what is listed?

See Key Personnel requirements for Clinical Nurses and Dental Professionals at Attachment 01, PWS paragraphs

1.12.2 through 1.12.5. The solicitation does not specify certification or licensing requirements for other than Key Personnel.

105 Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing these services?

See response #1.

106 Are the "Estimated Quantity Per 12-month Period" hours correct for the nine LCATs?

The estimated level of effort is expressed in Full-Time Equivalent positions. To convert this to hours, the number must be multiplied by productive labor hours for the company's accounting and benefits structures.

107 There is a Key Personnel (contractor) requirement for a CM and alternate.

However, these they are not listed as an LCAT in 7.2. Please clarify.

The alternate Contract Program Manager is a designation for the individual who stands in when the Contract Program Manager is not available, but is not a Key Personnel position. See also, response #7.

108 The requirements are to build a Project Management Plan (PMP). Will the contractor develop just a one-year plan or would these plans extend beyond the 12-month period?

The PMP is for the entirety of the contract.

109 Would the contractor have access to metrics and data from community/civilian facilities for documentation and/or comparison?

The successful offeror will have access to private sector care data from managed care contractors and US Family Health Plan. The TRICARE Health Plan does not collect metrics or data for healthcare providers that do not participate in TRICARE.

110 Will contractors be granted access to JPSR or JIRA for analysis/review of common issues across MTFs?

Private sector care programs do not use Joint Patient Safety Reporting, Jira software, or Platform One.

111 Are the metrics for perinatal health data already defined or will the contractor be involved in metric analysis and approval?

The private sector care programs do not maintain perinatal health data.

112 Key Personnel listed in this section do not seem to have equivalent roles in PWS Sections 5.0 - 5.6. Furthermore, in the instructions under "(6)(v) Estimated Level of Effort" the list of LCATs does not coincide with the PWS section 1.12. Can the government please clarify if the Key Personnel is in error, or if the LOE is in error?

See response #7.

113 Price Instructions, section (vi) on travel states: "The offeror shall provide a DCMA rate recommendation letter, rate agreement letter, or other evidence of an audited basis for the indirect rate on travel." Could you please provide further clarification or guidance on this requirement?

Offerors choosing to apply indirect burden to travel must provide an audited basis for that rate. For defense contractors with accounting systems approved for cost accounting, indirect rates recognized by defense agencies are typically documented in a Forward Pricing Rate Agreement/Recommendation (FPRA or FPRR) letter issued by the Defense Contract Management Agency. Where this solicitation is Firm Fixed Price and using commercial terms and conditions, offerors are not required to have an accounting system approved for cost accounting. Such offerors may propose an advanced agreement on indirect cost for travel by internal or third party audit following the cost principles at FAR Part 31.