Indian_Health_Services_Pre-Solicitation_Q_A_Responses_0001.pdf

Indian Health Services (IHS) Web Support Services Pre-Solicitation Questions & Answers

Q1. Can we use joint past performance (sub past performance) if we had a teaming arrangement or JV?

A1. Yes, teaming arrangements and joint ventures can be included in the past performance, however this can result in an increased risk to the Government and will be rated accordingly.

Q2. How many FTE’s does the current incumbent have?

A2. 18 FTEs

Q3. Does database maintenance/support be a part of this contract? There is mention of different servers and databases. Would we support those? Performance Tuning, Install patches, Maintain security?

A3. Yes, database maintenance and support are a part of this contract. The contractor is responsible for supporting servers and databases used for Web Services. Yes, the contractor is responsible for performing patch installation and security maintenance.

Q4. Who is the incumbent organization?

A4. The incumbent contractor is Wichita Tribal Enterprises, LLC.

Q5. Will there be a transfer of knowledge between the incumbent and the awardee? If so, how much time?

A5. A phase-in will not be included since there are Government employees that run the overall program. The main concern is getting employees hired, getting them equipment, and getting them their Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards. The award of the contract is anticipated to be within enough time to allow the awarded contractor time to accomplish these tasks, so the phase-in was removed.

Q6. We have past performance in this space, but not for a government entity. Is this okay?

A6. Yes. Past performance can include past performance conducted for both Public and Private sectors. Please ensure a Past Performance Questionnaire, Attachment 4, is completed for any past performance that does not have a CPARS available.

Q7. Are there any security concerns we should be aware of? Active Directory Login? Two-factor validation?

A7. There are no security concerns at this time. The IHS.gov website is not integrated with Active directory login and we do not use two-factor validation at the moment.

Q8. Can you provide a link to your test instance? How many pages are in the site?

A8. No, the test instance is not accessible outside of the IHS network. There are approximately 6,000 pages in the site.

Q9. How many concurrent users are anticipated? Website traffic metrics?

A9. On average, there are about 2,000 concurrent users at peak time during the week. There are typically about 17,000 user per day.

Q10. Can companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (Like from India or Canada) A10. This acquisition is being conducted as a 100% Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE) set aside. All companies that submit proposals must qualify as an ISBEE and must submit Attachment 5, IEE Representation Form as a part of their proposal submission.

Q11. Whether we need to come over there for meetings?

A11. There is not an expectation that any contractors attend any meetings in person as all services are to be provided remotely or from the Contractor’s facilities.

Q12. Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? (Like from India or Canada) A12. No, the contractors must be located within the United States.

Q13. Can we submit the proposals via email?

A13. All proposal submissions are required to be emailed to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer listed within the solicitation by the solicitation deadline. The solicitation has been updated to reflect the accurate submission details to include the emails, and the due dates.

Q14. Is the estimated value similar to the current contract?

A14. The Government will not be releasing the estimated value of this contract. The contract will be awarded to the offeror who provides the best value to the Government based on the evaluation criteria set forth within the solicitation.

Q15. Is this an ISBEE set-aside?

A15. Per the documentation provided in the pre-solicitation notice, the Government is soliciting this action as a 100% ISBEE set-aside.

Q16. Is the contract anticipated to be awarded prior to the end of the current contract?

A16. The Government anticipates awarding the contract prior to the end of the current contract, with the period of performance to begin on February 1, 2023.

Q17. What is the process for bidding on RFB?

A17. Proposals shall be submitted via email in accordance with the instructions provided in the Request for Proposal. Our draft Request for Proposal details the instructions starting at the bottom of page 45 – 49. This lays out exactly what should be submitted.

The Government will evaluate proposals in accordance with the criteria and process detailed on pages 49 – 55. All vendors will need to review the final version and comply with those instructions.

Q18. Will there be any opportunity to talk to a person about the project about the role?

A18. No, vendors will have an opportunity to submit questions on the requirement in writing. Any questions asked will be answered and posted to Sam.gov to ensure all interested parties are provided the information.

Q19. Will we be notified why the bid was not accepted?

A19. Unsuccessful offerors will be notified in accordance with FAR 15.503.

Q20. I'm not sure if there is a specific ceiling value the government desires for this opportunity, but it seems like this is a pretty standard recompete so is it therefore fair to assume the ceiling value will be relatively similar to the incumbent? I see a current value of $12.2M. Can we expect a similar value? Or are there any major changes to the scope of work that would alter that value?

A20. There is not a ceiling set for this contract. In regard to the scope of work, there have been additions made to this PWS to include additional duties. How those compare to the current contract specifically, we are unsure. Each vendor should provide their specific staffing details and submit a price proposal consistent with their proposal.

Q20. The SF1449 form does not state what the 100% set-aside is for in box 10.

A20. The SF1449 does not allow for us to reference an ISBEE set-aside, however this is a 100% small business set aside for Indian-owned companies.

Q21. SF1449 and Section 1.1 Period of Performance (page 5): The SF1449 periods are 2/1 to 1/31. Section 1.1 periods differ with 1/4 to 1/3.

A21. This has been fixed to reflect the correct dates in both sections. The Period of Performance for this requirement is 2/1 – 1/31.

Q22. Section 1.0 Table: Please confirm that additional “non-content” pages, such as Cover Page, Table of Contents, and Acronym List, are not included in the Page Limits of Volume II – Technical and Volume IV – Past Performance.

A22. Updated on solicitation documents to reflect updated verbiage.

Q23. Section 1.0 Table and Paragraph under the Table (page 46): Price Volume number should be III instead of II in both places.

A23. Updated on solicitation documents to reflect correctly.

Q24. Section 1.0 (page 46): We understand the desire for 12-point font for easy readability of the narrative text. However, we request that graphics and tables be allowed to have 10-point font in order to feasibly use them within the limited page counts provided.

A24. We have adjusted the page limit to 15 pages for technical but have left the font requirement to 12-point font.

Q25. Section 2.0 (page 46) and Volume I: Section 2.0 states that pages shall be numbered consecutively within each volume. Since Volume I is a consolidation of a several pdf forms in their native pdf formats (i.e., IIE Rep, SF1449, SF30, Reps and Certs), please confirm that it is okay that page numbers do not need to be added to these documents.

A25. We recommend numbering pages to eliminate any confusion but specifically state the Government may exercise its own discretion if there is any ambiguity. Please proceed as you see appropriate for your proposal submission.

Q26. Section 2.2 Factor 1.a Staffing Plan (page 48): Can you clarify “Team Composition” if it means anything more than providing the labor mix/categories, minimum experience, and qualification requirements.

A26. Team composition refers to the overall configuration of a team’s members.

Q27. Section 2.3 Volume III (Page 48): Please confirm that a Microsoft Word or PDF file is to be provided to support the completeness and reasonableness of the proposed price that is input into the Microsoft Excel Pricing Sheet (Attachment 3). Section 1.0 Table and Paragraph under the Table alludes to only providing the Microsoft Excel pricing sheet. We recommend allowing a supporting narrative to support the numbers in the Microsoft Excel Pricing Sheet so that the evaluators can fully understand the offeror’s justification for what is being bid.

A27. A tab (labeled “Narrative”) has been included in the Excel Pricing Sheet to allow offerors to provide their pricing narrative.

Q28. PWS 2.4.c Phase Out (page 5): 2.4.c states that the “incoming” Contractor shall develop a phase-out plan to affect a smooth and orderly transfer of contractor responsibility to a successor.

Shouldn’t this state that the “outgoing” Contractor shall develop the phase-out plan?

A28. The outgoing Contractor is developing a phase-out plan IAW with their current contract and PWS. The Contractor that is awarded the contract for these services will be responsible for providing a phase-out plan for this contract that will be enacted when/if they transfer to a new contractor.

Q29. Would you kindly confirm if this is an entirely new effort or is there an incumbent currently providing these services? If so, would you please provide the incumbent contract details?

A29. This is a recompete. The incumbent contract is HHSI236201700005C, awarded to Wichita Tribal Enterprises, LLC in 2017. This contract had a base plus four options years and was awarded at a value of $10,136,973.00. This value is not inclusive of the Extension of Services which was exercised.

Q30. Is this effort being solicited due to poor contractor performance or due to a need for technology advancements?

A30. This contract is being recompeted due to the previous contract’s impending expiration.