ITS4US Draft BAA Comments and Questions.pdf

Draft 693JJ3-20-BAA-0004 Complete Trip ITS4US Comments and Questions

# Question/Comment Answer 1 We suggest that the impacts of COVID-19 should be considered in the rollout of the BAA due to following:

A practical concern is the potential revenue impacts on the local governments, which in turn affect their ability to afford the local match for the pilot.

Please note that Phase 1 does not require a local match. However, proposal requires an estimate of Phase 2 and 3 with a minimum 20% match.

The 20% match can be met with in-kind contributions, such as labor and infrastructure.

2 There are 47 deliverables shown in Attachment 1, and 14 of those must be 508 compliant. And each document, presumably, would go through a review and edit period with USDOT staff (or their contractors).

On average, this would be one submittal every 5.5 workdays (based on the industry average of 260 workdays in a year). But because several tasks are dependent upon the prior tasks being successfully completed (which isn’t defined clearly enough), we recognize that several of the deliverables will be submitted in batches. As a result, there is extreme sensitivity (risk) in the schedule to any perturbations caused by delayed USDOT reviews, conflicting feedback, or changes in direction, due to market or environmental forces -all of which are beyond the control of the awardee. In short, we don’t believe this is a realistic schedule given the number of documents you wish to have prepared. Either the number of deliverables needs to be reduced, or the schedule needs to be lengthened.

The success of this program requires highly organized teams capable of delivering all deliverables on schedule.

USDOT has demonstrated success with previous deployment programs with similar schedule of delivery.

The USDOT reviewers will commit to adhere to the schedule and provide consolidated comments to the teams.

The government will also provide technical support to the sites throughout the development of each deliverable.

3 Specific to Section 10 (Evaluation Criteria), Subsection A (Technical), Area 3 (Team Qualifications and Partnership Strength). In that area, the second bullet suggests that “the proposed set of deployment partners comprises a strong and qualified team experienced in working directly with the specific populations identified in the proposal and a clear and compelling approach to engage key stakeholders and maintain meaningful engagement throughout all three phases.” We ask the USDOT to consider adding recognition that until Phase 1 is completed it may be premature to confirm (and therefore evaluate) all the potential deployment partners needed for Phases 2 and 3.

The purpose of Phase 1 is to work through many of the potential needs, and over the course of 12+ months a new partner that better meets specific

The USDOT expects that the core team will be in place for the proposal, including key partners and identification of key personnel. However, the USDOT recognizes that teams can adapt throughout Phase 1. Identification of specific products, product suppliers, and other vendors maybe identified through the implementation Phase 1.

needs might be identified that didn’t exist at the time of the initial proposal. The evaluation of partners should primarily focus on Phase 1 at this stage.

4 Deliverable Matrix:

Performance and human use (usability) are critical design aspects for the system. The performance final is due award +35 weeks, the enabling technology is due +38 weeks, and the human use final is +44 weeks, whereas the system requirements final is award +35 weeks. This presents a problem in that the system requirements does not have time to consume any changes on the final input from these three workstreams, which can critically influence and impact the system design and requirements before the system requirements finalize. This can drive costly system redesign. Although the streams will be working in parallel, any change that surfaces as the plans are finalized, would not give the systems team time to validate that they can accommodate the requirement.

A) The recommendation would be the System Requirements final document should be 5 weeks after the performance, enabling technology and human use final is submitted, and thereby to adjust as needed.

As to hold the schedule systems requirements final could be due award +week 40, and performance stays at 35week, but enabling technology and human use must finalize in week 35 if not sooner. Human use and enabling technology teams need to be working collaboratively to insure the right technology enables the usability, and this input will influence both the design as well as the performance of the system.

B) Section 5.9 Participant and Stakeholder Training

It should be made clear that a viable Mock up, MVP or PoC is needed as a part of the deliverables above, to be able to train and get feedback from the participants and stakeholders. (Section 5.9).

They need to experience the look and feel of the conceptual solution, and not purely through powerpoints. This requirement needs to be clear in the deliverables.

A) The BAA deliverable table states that variations to the schedule will be considered, as long as all deliverables are delivered within the 12-month period of performance. Please note Phase 1 deliverables has been updated at the end of Phase 1 and in latter phases. Please see clarifications in the Final BAA.

B) Section 5.9 asks for a plan for

“Participant Training and Stakeholder Education Plan”.

Execution of this plan will be expected in the latter phases.

Please see clarifications in the Final BAA.

The recommendation is to add a separate section in the systems, Section 5.6, that on week award + 37 have an interactive (mock up.mvp, poc) of the system solution, for the participants and stakeholders to be trained on for feedback.

5 Pricing Schedule We recommend that a column be added to identify what type of skill and to estimate how many of that capability. For example - as an estimate. Are data scientists, PM or what is needed to do the task.

Level of Effort estimates may vary depending on scope of each individual offeror’s project. This should be part of the proposer’s price build up.

6 For teams composed of multiple governmental entities, are we required to develop and submit with the proposal, formal Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) or locally adopted resolutions as proof of teaming agreement?

MOUs are not required in the proposal.

Clarification regarding the requirement for Letters of Intent has been added to the final BAA.

7 Are teams required to demonstrate prior experience with developing all the specific plans required in Phase 1?

As per the BAA, the proposed team contains technical staff with a comprehensive set of credentials that includes systems engineering, performance measurement, standards, stakeholder engagement and outreach, IRB/human use approval, accessible transportation, transportation services for underserved communities, partnership agreements, and contracting.

8 Once the Final BAA is released, how long will teams have to submit the proposal?

It is anticipated offerors will have 45 days to submit proposals from Final BAA release.

9 Does subcontractor pricing need to include the same level of detail as the rest of the cost breakdown?

Will loaded labor rates, hours and other direct costs (all by task) be sufficient level of detail?

Yes, per the BAA, a fully detailed cost break-down showing costs by each major cost category, including (as applicable) direct labor, fringe benefits, subcontract costs, other direct costs (travel, equipment, etc.), and indirect costs for the initial phase of the proposed effort.

10 Will the government provide the names of the companies currently performing any portion of this work?

This is a new procurement. There are no current companies providing this work for the USDOT.

11 Draft BAA Section 7 Key Personnel. Will the CDL Key Personnel position be the primary interface with the government Contracting Officer and government Contracting Officer's Technical Representative? And if not, which Key Personnel will have this responsibility?

Please see the Final BAA for language clarifying the roles and responsibility.

12 Draft BAA Section 9 General Proposal Information,

9.2 Proposal Content and Configuration. Will the

government allow the use of an Appendix to demonstrate deployments or solutions in Volume I that are not part of the page count?

No, all technical proposal content should adhere to the page counts described in the BAA Section 9.2.

13 Draft BAA Section 10 Evaluation Criteria, b. Small Business participation. The Government will evaluate proposals to ensure small businesses are utilized to the maximum extent practical. The Government will review the offeror’s small business plan to ensure small businesses are adequately utilized. The Government reserves the right to not award a contract if the offeror’s small business plan is not adequate. What are the requirements to qualify as a Small Business, does it have to have an SBE designation? What percentage of Small Business involvement is considered 'adequate'?

Attachment 4- FHWA Subcontracting Plan has been added to the BAA to help Offeror prepare their Small Business Subcontracting Plans, and will ensure they are adequate.

Small business size is determined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. For this effort, the NAICS code is 485999 - Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation.

The size standard for NAICS code 485999 is $16.5 million. A size standard is the largest that a concern can be and still qualify as a small business for Federal Government programs. The size standards are the average annual receipts of a firm. How to calculate average annual receipts and average employment of a firm can be found in 13 CFR §

121.104 and 13 CFR § 121.106, respectively.

14 Will the government provide the release date for the Final BAA and the due date for responses?

The final BAA will be posted on June 18, 2020 and proposals will be due August 3, 2020.

15 Will the government provide the expected award date and start date of Phase I?

All contract awards will be made by September 30, 2020.

16 Section 10 Evaluation Criteria, (A) Technical - the government stated the 3 components are of equal value. Will the government provide the level of importance from most important to least important for (A) Technical, (B) Small Business Participation and (C) Funds Availability?

This procurement is being controlled via the process as described in FAR 35 Research and Development Contracting and not FAR 15. Therefore, a BAA does not require the same relative importance for evaluation factors required in FAR Part 15. All evaluation factors are important in the ultimate selection.

17 Draft BAA, Section 4 Program Description, Will the government indicate in sections 4.3 Populations and Challenges and 4.4 The Complete Trip Segments and Challenges, which are mandatory, desired or preferred, and optional.

This program expects to fund needs driven deployments. The deployment should address the specific travel challenges for the underserved population(s) based on the local needs.

18 In regards to cost sharing and matching, would in-kind contributions (labor, infrastructure, etcetera) in the order of several million dollars be partially or fully eligible to an extent, including those that may slightly precede and/or coincide with the timing of the Complete Trip ITS4US Deployment Program?

Yes, in-kind contributions are allowable to satisfy the cost share. Cost share must comply with 2 CFR 200.306, Cost sharing or matching.