Questions_ _Answers.docx

Questions & Answers

Question #1.

Past performance examples are requested in both Factor 1: Past Performance where “one response is requested per contract” and in Factor 2 Specialized Experience and Technical Competence where we are requested to “Provide information relative to the firm's past experience in the operation and maintenance of secondary wastewater treatment plants. Relevant corporate experience shall be limited to the last five years.” Does the IBWC want project past performance information presented in Factor 1 or Factor 2? It appears the RFP is requesting the same information in both factors.

Answer #1

Past experience relates to whether you have performed similar work in the past. Past performance relates to how well you have performed that work. Factor 1 is Past Performance and Factor 2 is Past Experience.

Section M, Paragraph M.01, Evaluation Factors, b) Factor 2 shall be replaced by the following:

b) Factor 2: Specialized experience and technical competence in secondary activated sludge with aeration tanks wastewater treatment plants operations and maintenance.

1) Offeror shall provide a detailed description of corporate structure to include engineering, management, operations and maintenance, administrative, and scientific. Provide information relative to the firm's past experience in the operation and maintenance of secondary activated sludge with aeration tanks wastewater treatment plants. Relevant corporate experience shall be limited to the last five years. The Offeror shall describe the corporate experience that demonstrates their ability to efficiently perform the tasks required under the contract. Demonstrate how each previous contract relates to the proposed requirement. Discuss the number of years of specialized experience with the same or similar (size and complexity) work. Address the education, experience, and capabilities of your support team. Provide defined lines of authority, responsibility, and communication. Discuss upper management's commitment to the success of this requirement and level of corporate assistance in the event of any problems. Each request in Item 1) must be addressed in the answer. Submit a maximum of ten (10) pages response for Item 1).

2) Offeror shall provide evidence of experience in process instrumentation control used in secondary activated sludge with aeration tanks wastewater treatment plants. Submit a maximum of two (2) pages response for Item 2).

3) Offeror shall discuss their firms capability of developing and implementing a computerized maintenance management system to track and control all maintenance activities, issue work orders, track equipment status, usage and maintenance history, and for inventory of spare parts; a data management system to maintain complete operational records to include provisions for networked word processing, spreadsheet, and database functions; and a plant monitoring program for process control, optimization, and regulatory reporting. Each request in Item 4) must be addressed in the answer. Submit a maximum of two (2) pages response for Item 3).

4) Offeror shall provide evidence of successful experience in process efficiency of secondary activated sludge with aeration tanks wastewater treatment plant system. Submit a maximum of two (2) pages response for Item 4).

5) Offeror shall provide evidence of WWTP regulatory compliance knowledge at State and Federal level. Provide EPA and State audit reports for past three (3) years for plants included in Factor 1 and include response letters. Submit a maximum of (2) pages response for Item 5) with audit reports and response letters as attachments to the response.

Question #2

Under Section M Evaluation Factors you request “a list of all current and past contracts for the same or substantially similar work for the last 3 years”. You also state that we should “Submit a maximum of one (1) page response per contract provided”. Are you requesting that we prepare a 1 page contract for all of the projects included on our list or can we submit a representative sampling of the projects, perhaps 5 project examples for you to review in detail?

Answer #2

Section M, Paragraph M.01, Evaluation Factors, a) Factor 1 shall be updated to include the following opening paragraph for Factor 1:

Factor 1: Past performance of secondary wastewater treatment plant operations and maintenance service contract (s). Submit a maximum of one (1) page response per contract provided with a maximum of five (5) project examples for a total of five (5), one (1) page responses.

Question #3

We request that the Government provide a Subcontracting Plan (document, suggested format or standard form) to be completed by the Proposer which is considered to meet the requirements of the Solicitation documents. This request is made specifically with reference to instructions for the Price and Business Proposal (Volume II), page 31, item "g" - "... submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan consistent with Contract Clause 52.219-9 Alt II."

Answer #3

See FAR 19.704 Subcontract Plan requirements. This section provides the items to be included in the Subcontracting Plan.

The following are the current statutory goals for the federal government and shall be used as a guideline:

· 23% of prime contracts for small businesses

· 5% of prime and subcontracts for women-owned small businesses

· 5% of prime and subcontracts for small disadvantaged businesses

· 3% of prime and subcontracts for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses

· 3% of prime subcontracts for HUBZone certified small businesses

Question #4

Will it be permissible to use an equivalent 12 Point Font, such as an Arial type of Font, in place of the specified Times New Roman font in order to enhance the readability for the document.

Answer #4.

Arial is permissible.

Question #5

We would like to clarify the number of copies that the Government is requesting related to the Technical Proposal and the separate Price Proposal:

a. Page 1 of Standard Form 30, item 9, states that an "original and 4 copies" are to be submitted.

b. Page 29 of the Solicitation documents, Section L.04 - item (f), states that "an original and three (3) copies ... with an electronic copy" are to be submitted.

c. The question is which is correct, i.e., 1 Original and 4 copies of the separate Technical Proposal and Price Proposal; or, 1 Original and 3 copies

Answer #5

The USIBWC is requesting one (1) Original and three (3) copies

Question #6

Attachment 1, Page 25 – Section C.4.11 - As the Administrative Network hardware and maintenance has been conveyed to the contractor, is this Plan required?

Answer #6

Yes, an IT Security Plan for the Administrative Network is necessary. Although we are not going to hold the contractor's system to FISMA compliance, we still need assurances that the system they will be using for the daily administrative and maintenance operations of the plant has standard IT Security controls in place. We need to know how they plan to protect and maintain the system and assurances that contingency and recovery procedures are in place that would allow for the recovery of USIBWC data in case of a disaster or system compromise.

Question #7

Attachment 1, Page 13 – The RFP states “Payment of Utilities: The Government will pay all utility bills, to include: gas, water, telephone, electrical, etc.” Is the reference to ‘gas’ in this section referring to natural gas or vehicle gas or both?

Answer #7

The USIBW will not pay for gas. The Contractor shall pay for all gas to include vehicle gas.

Section C, Paragraph C.3.2.c. (3) Payment of Utilities shall be replaced by the following:

(3) Payment of Utilities: The Government will pay all utility bills, to include: water, telephone, electrical, etc.

Question #8

Attachment 1, Page 3 – References to development of Phase 1 and 2 Workplans appear to refer only to the IBWC IWTP Primary Treatment portion of the facility. Should the Workplan include all treatment equipment, primary and secondary?

Answer #8

The Workplan shall be for all SBIWTP and Facilities and shall be per Section C, Paragraph C.3.1 a. Workplan.

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