N00173-17-R-DH02_Q&A.pdf

N00173-17-R-DH02

Question & Answers

07/19/2017

RFP Reference Question Answer

1 Section C, Page 4, C-1

Section F, Page 7, F-2(b)

States “The specific work to be carried out shall be further described in orders issued under this contract”. Further in

F-2(b) it states “Each task order will specify the period of performance”.

Will the Government please provide further information about the planned or expected orders and their period of performance to assist offerors in developing a basis of estimate?

This solicitation is posed to establish an IDIQ contract vehicle with a duration of five (5) years.

The Government does not have specific information on the number of new task orders or when each new task order will be issued since each task order will be for specific requirements, and their period of performance length will vary depending on required tasks. The Government will issue task orders as work is identified.

2 Section F, Page 7, F-2 (b)

Section G, Page 12, G-9

Section F-2(b) and G-9 refers to task orders whereas the SOW paragraphs 3.1 through 3.10 refer to Technical

Instructions. Are task orders and

Technical Instructions one and the same?

a) Task Order is the means used to place orders against a contract.

b) Technical Instruction is communicated between COR and the contractor. In addition, it answers questions, provides technical clarification, establishes technical direction, and priority on tasks included in a SOW.

3 Section H, Page 19, H-6(b) States “The total level of effort for performance of this contract shall be

Insert Number”. As written, the RFP does not specify a required Level of

Effort. Will the Government please specify required hours or other information in order for offeror to estimate a level of effort?

a) Please see Amendment 0001, pages 2-4, Section H-7 ONR 5252.216-9706 – Level of effort (DEC 88). The total level of effort information is included in this section.

b) The instructions numbering after Instructions

H-3 were updated due to the addition of H-3

Labor Categories.

4 Section H, Page 19, H-6(b)

States “… shall be expended at an average rate of Insert Hours per month”. Will the Government please clarify how the average rate of hours will be determined based on the offerors bid in the absence of specific tasks and periods of performance?

Please see Amendment 0001, pages 2-4, Section

H-7 ONR 5252.216-9706 – Level of effort (DEC

88). The total level of effort information is included in this section.

5 Section I, Page 26, I-6 (b)

The Government lists total maximum estimated cost and fixed fee of

$10,000,000. Is this value the maximum for a single task order as suggested in paragraph I-6(b) on Page 26, or is this value the ceiling on the IDIQ contract?

The contract ceiling value is $10,000,000 whether the Government issues a single task order or any combination as stated in the RFP

Page 26.

6 Section M, Page 58, Factor 3:

Cost/Price (b)

a) Will the Government please describe how cost/price will be meaningfully and equitably compared between offers in the absence of specificity about the level of effort compared?

(b) Will the Government provide or describe the Level of Effort that was used in developing the IGCE?

a) The Government has included the level of effort for each labor category. Please see

Amendment 0001, pages 2-4, Item K for additional information.

b) Please see Amendment 0001, pages 2-4, Section H-7, Item K for additional information.

7 Section L, Page 46, L-10-

Proposal Organization (2)

Indicates that offerors should

“maximize the use of double sided copying.” Would single-sided printing be acceptable for the unbound

ORIGINAL of each volume?

Yes, single-sided printing would be acceptable for the unbound original copy of each volume.

8 Section L, Page 46, L-10(6)

Proposal Organization

Paragraph (Table L-1)

Would the Government consider establishing a separate page count of 10 pages for the Quality Control Plan versus including it in the 50 page limitation for the Technical volume?

No, the Quality Control Plan is part of the technical evaluation and should be included within the 50 page limit of the technical proposal

9 Section L, Page 48, L-10 (24) Will the Government please confirm that proposals may be hand-carried to the submittal address in Section L-10

(24)?

a) Yes, proposals may be hand-carried.

b) Please refer to added instructions in

Amendment 0001, Pages 4-5, Section L-10-

Proposal Organization, items (25-30) regarding hand delivered proposals.

10 Section L, Page 48, Volume I, Solicitation, Offer and Award

Document, and Section K, Representation and

Certifications L-11(1)

Would the Government please clarify which labor categories are required to be proposed by offerors in response to the solicitation? Additionally, are offerors free to bid additional labor categories along with corresponding personnel qualifications (e.g. for additional oversight or administrative personnel), if the offeror feels that doing so would be in the best interest of the Government?

a) Please refer to added instruction in

Amendment 0001, Page 2, Section H-3- Labor

Categories regarding labor categories.

b) The Government added the labor categories and hours required to be proposed by offerors under H-7 ONR 5252.216-9706- Level of Effort

(DEC 88). For reference, please see Amendment

0001, pages 2-4.

11 Section L, Page 48-49, Volume I -Solicitation, Offer and Award Document, and

Section K, Representation and

Certifications L-11(1)

Will the Government please clarify whether offers are to propose their own skill mix and hours to meet the requirements of the SOW, or propose to a Government-provided Level of Effort

Breakdown, to be provided in an amendment to the solicitation?

Please see Amendment 0001, page 2-4, Section

H-7, Item K for additional information regarding the Level of Effort.

12 Section L, Page 48, L-11-

Volume I, Solicitation, Offer and Award Document, and

Section K, Representation and

Certifications L-11(2)

Will the Government accept a valid digital signature in the PDF version of the SF-33 (and printed in hard-copy versions of the proposal) for meeting this requirement, or is a “wet signature” on the original hard copy necessary?

Yes, the Government will accept a valid digital signature in the PDF version of the SF-33 and

SF-30.

13 Section L, Page 49, Volume

II-Technical Proposal, L-12-

Volume Technical Proposal, Sub-factor 1.2: Contractor

Qualifications and Experience

States: “Key personnel resumes shall be submitted.” Would the Government please confirm that resumes will not count against the Volume II, Technical, 50-page limit?

Key personnel resumes will not count against the

Volume II, Technical page limit.

14 Section L, Page 49, Volume

II-Technical Proposal, L-12-

Volume Technical Proposal, Sub-factor 1.2: Contractor

Qualifications and Experience

Would the Government consider allowing key personnel resumes to be placed in an appendix, outside of the stated page limitations for Volume II?

a) Yes, the Government will accept Key personnel resumes to be included as an appendix.

b) Key personnel resumes will not count against the Volume II, Technical page limit.

15 Section L, Page 50, Volume

III-Past Performance

Information, L-13(2)

Please confirm that there is not a page limit for an individual Attachment L-02

PPI.

There is no page limit for an individual

Attachment L-02 PPI.

16 Section L, Page 50, Volume

III-Past Performance

Information, L-13(3)

States, “The offeror shall provide a list of the proposed respondents with two points of contact, current e-mail address and phone numbers in their Past

Performance Volume.” Please confirm that this list is not counted against the page count for the past performance volume.

The Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ)

(Attachment L-03) will not count against the page count for the Volume III-Past Performance.

17 Section L, Page 51, Volume

III-Past Performance

Information, L-13(7)

States, “The past performance report which is available electronically in full text at http://heron.nrl.navy.mil/contracts/4335

_1.pdf is to be provided to the contracting organization for this purpose.” Would the Government please confirm that solicitation

Attachment L-03, Past Performance

Questionnaire, was provided for this purpose, obviating the need to download a Past Performance Report

Form from the web?

a) The Government removed from L-13, page 51, item (7) the statement "The past performance report which is available electronically in full text at http://heron.nrl.navy.mil/contracts/4335_1.pdf"

b) The Government replaced the instruction above with "The past performance report

(Attachment L-03 – Past Performance

Questionnaire) is to be provided to the contracting organization"

c) Please see Amendment 0001, page 6 for reference.

18 Section L, Page 51, Volume

III-Past Performance

Information, L-13(7)

States, “The Offeror's past performance volume shall contain copies of the first page of the Customer's Questionnaire and the transmittal letters.” Will the

Government please confirm that the required PPQ transmittal letters and

PPQ cover pages do not count against the stated 20-page limit for Volume III?

The required PPQ transmittal letters and PPQ cover pages do not count against the page limit for Volume III-Past Performance.

19 Section L, Page 51, Volume

IV-Cost/Price, L-14

Will the Government please describe their expectations for offerors to estimate hours by LCAT in the absence of specific Technical Instructions and other information regarding the overall level of effort?

a) The Government revised Attachment 1- SOW, page 3 to correct the “Technical Instruction” reference included as “Section H” under item 3.0

- Technical Requirement. “Section H” was a typographical error, and it was replaced to read

“Section G.”

b) Please see Amendment 0001, page 2-4, Section H-7, Item K for additional information regarding the overall level of effort.

http://heron.nrl.navy.mil/contracts/4335_1.pdf

20 Section L, Page 51, Volume

IV-Cost/Price, L-14(1)

Would the Government please clarify if the contents of the Excel Pricing

Workbook (EPW, Attachment L-04) must be printed and included in the hard-copy proposal volume?

Yes, the Excel Pricing Workbook (EPW, Attachment L-04) must be printed and included in the hard-copy proposal volume.

21 Section L, Page 51, Volume

IV-Cost/Price, L-14(1)

Would the Government consider removing the requirements for major subcontractors to propose in accordance with the CLIN

Structure in Section B? Certainly, the

Prime will propose in accordance with the

CLIN Structure in Section B, however any subcontractor will not have direct relationship to the CLIN funding and management at the Government to Prime level. Additionally, all major subcontractors will complete and submit the EPW for ease of the Government evaluation and assessment of cost reasonableness and realism.

No, the Government will not remove the requirements for major subcontractors to propose in accordance with the CLIN

Structure in Section B

22 Section L, Page 51, Volume

IV-Cost/Price, L-14(1)

Will the Government confirm that offerors may submit price by Contract Year and not

Contractor Fiscal Year (CFY)? If the offeror’s fiscal year is different from the

Solicitation’s contract year, are offerors permitted to provide a prorated cost based on the CFY and corresponding contract year?

Please see RFP, Section L-14 Volume IV-

Cost/Price, Item 1, Page 51, paragraph 5 in which is stated: "The offeror must include proposed cost and fee, by Contractor Fiscal

Year (CFY) and detailed by Contract Line

Item Number (CLIN). The offeror must define its CFY (for example January – December)."

23 Section L, Page 52, Volume

IV-Cost/Price, L-14(3)

States “benchmarks” will be used to assess reasonableness and realism of proposed direct labor rates. Will the Government please provide the benchmarks?

a) The offeror shall submit a cost proposal with supporting information for each cost element consistent with the offeror's cost accounting system.

b) Offerors should submit approved DCAA rates or DCMA forward pricing rates with their cost proposals since these rates will be utilized when evaluating cost proposals.

Should rates be used in the proposal which are not DCAA approved, the offeror shall provide complete documentation and the rationale for their use at time of proposal submission.

c) Please see Amendment 0001, page 6-7, Section L-14, Item (h) for additional information regarding approved DCAA provisional billing rates and/or DCMA forward pricing rate agreements.

24 Section L, Page 54, Volume

V- Small Business

Participation Plan, L-15

Based on the nature of the tasking in this solicitation and the lack of small businesses available to meet all requirements, will 0% goals in the Small

Business Participation Plan be acceptable if the plan has proactive steps to identify

Small Business candidates on future task orders?If not, will the Government remove the Small Business Participation Plan requirement based on the lack of small businesses meeting the technical capability, experience, and security clearance required to perform the SOW tasking and maintain NRL’s current level of research?

a) The Government did not include percentages in the Small Business

Participation Plan requirement.

b) The Government will not remove the Small

Business Participation Plan requirement.

However, offerors should present their Small

Business Participation Plan requirement as best represents their intended effort.

25 Section L, Page 54, Volume

V- Small Business

Participation Plan, L-15

Would the Government please confirm that because independent contractors operate for profit and are defined by FAR

19.001 as a “business concern,” that agreements with independent contractors will qualify toward Small Business

Subcontracting Plan goals?

Yes, agreements with independent contractors will qualify toward Small Business

Subcontracting Plan goals.

26 Section L, Page 54, Volume

V- Small Business

Participation Plan, L-15

Would an independent contractor have to be registered in the System for Award

Management (SAM) as a government contractor to be able to count as a small business subcontractor on a government contract?

Yes, an independent contractor has to be registered in SAM as a government contractor to be able to count as a small business subcontractor on a government contract.

27 Section L, Page 54, Volume

V- Small Business

Participation Plan, L-15(a)

The Government indicates a sample format is available at a “web site”. Will the

Government please provide the web citation?

a) Please see Amendment 0001, page 4

Section J-6 and Section L-15, page 7, Item (a) in which Attachment 5- Small Business

Participation Template is included.

b) The Small Business Participation template has been upload as Attachment 5.

28 Section M, Page 56, M-2, Subfactor 1.1 Technical

Approach, Item (c)

The RFP states the Technical Approach sub-factor will address “the extent to which the offeror’s technical proposal to the SOW demonstrates a sound and feasible response that can be reasonably achieved within the time constraints.”

Would the Government please clarify the

“time constraints?”

Offeror’s proposed approach will be evaluated for feasibility and how the approach satisfies the needs of the Government.

29 Section M, Page 57, M-2, Subfactor 1.2 Contractor

Qualifications and

Experience, Item (a)

The government will assess the relevance and breadth of “the offeror’s experience, proposed personnel and documents.”

Would the Government please clarify what

“documents” the Government will assess and confirm that it will only evaluate proposed Key Personnel?

The word “documents” refers to information presented in vendor's technical proposal under the subfactor 1.2 supporting their experience.

30 Section M, Page 57, M-2, Subfactor 1.2 Contractor

Qualifications and

Experience

Would the Government please confirm that the key personnel resumes will be evaluated against the education and experience requirements in Attachment 3 –

Personnel Qualifications rather than areas listed in M-2 Subfactor 1.2? Also, is there a maximum page limit for an individual resume?

a) The Government will evaluate the key personnel resume against education and experience requirements in Attachment 3, Personnel Qualifications.

b) In addition, the government will evaluate the key personnel resumes against the areas listed in M-2 Subfactor 1.2.

31 Section M, Page 57, M-2(3)

Factor 2: Past Performance, Item (b)

Would the Government please clarify how the content that meets the requirements in the PPI will be evaluated? May the offeror revise the PPI to include the evaluation criteria listed in Section M-2?

a) The information received on offerors’ Past

Performance Information forms will be evaluated based on the criteria included in the solicitation.

b) No, offeror may not alter the template information to include the evaluation criteria listed in Section M-2.

32 Attachment 1 – SOW, Page

1, Paragraph 1.0

SOW Introduction states, “Tasks will be performed at the contractor's facilities, NRL-DC, NRL Chesapeake Bay

Detachment at Chesapeake Beach, MD, and at other field sites.” Will the

Government confirm that the offeror should submit rates for contractor site and

Government site? Will the Government also revise the pricing template to reflect the locations that need to be priced?

a) The vendors should submit rates for both

Government and vendor sites.

b) The vendors can alter Attachment L-04

EPW template to include the listed sites.

33 Attachment 1 – SOW, Page

3, Paragraph 3.0

SOW states that “The Government will assign specific projects in accordance with the clause in Section H of the solicitation entitled “Technical Instructions”. There is no clause in Section H with the title

“Technical Instructions”. Will the

Government please clarify?

The Government revised Attachment 1- SOW, page 3 to correct the “Technical Instruction” reference included as “Section H” under item

3.0 - Technical Requirement. “Section H” was a typographical error, and it was replaced to read “Section G.”

34 Attachment 1 – SOW, Page

3-7, Paragraph 3.10

The SOW requirements for 3.1 RF

Systems Engineering are identical to 3.10

General RF Systems Engineering.

Additionally, the sequential numbering for

3.10 includes 3.1.13 through 3.1.24. Was the Government intent to have the same requirements in two separate SOW elements?

The only difference between the sections is the level of classification of the work. Section

3.10 has been change to Unclassified General

RF Systems Engineering in the SOW.

35 Attachment 1 – SOW, Page

3-9, Paragraph 3.1 - 3.10

SOW lists the subject matter expertise the contractor shall provide. It further states

“Technical Instructions may be issued for the execution of projects that include, but are not limited to …” Since Technical

Instructions(s) are not provided in the RFP or the SOW, will the Government please describe their expectations with regard to offerors developing a level of effort for the proposal?

a) The Government revised Attachment 1-

SOW, page 3 to correct the “Technical

Instruction” reference included as “Section H” under item 3.0 - Technical Requirement.

“Section H” was a typographical error, and it was replaced to read “Section G.”

b) Please see Amendment 0001, page 2-4, Section H-7, Item K for information regarding the overall level of effort.

36 Attachment 1 – SOW, Page

2-3, Paragraph 2.3.4

SOW Section 2.3.4 states that a Draft

Contractor’s Management Plan (CMP) is to be delivered with the proposal.

However, there is no reference to a requirement for a CMP in either the proposal preparation instructions (Section

L) or evaluation criteria (Section M). Will the Government please clarify whether a

CMP is to be submitted along with the proposal, and if so, where it belongs in the proposal structure? If required, may the

CMP be provided as an appendix outside of any stated page limits?

a) Please see Amendment 0001, page 6, Section L-12 for additional information regarding the CMP.

b) Yes, a CMP should be submitted with the offeror’s proposal; three copies of the complete version shall be submitted 30 days after contract award to the KO and COR

c) The CMP should be included as an appendix under Volume II- Technical proposal.

d) Offerors must be aware that the CMP draft has a limit of 10 pages.

37 Attachment 3 - Personnel

Qualifications, Page 1, paragraph 11

The proposed Program Manager is required to be DAWIA certified Level III in both program management and business, cost estimating and financial management. Only current or former senior Government civilians and military members can earn DAWIA Level III certification. This requirement excludes other exceptionally well qualified candidates from consideration. Would the

Government consider Program

Management Professional (PMP) certification in addition to or lieu of

DAWIA certification

The Program Manager’s required DAWIA certified Level III has been removed from

Attachment 3- Personnel Qualifications.

38 Attachment 3 - Personnel

Qualifications, Page 1, paragraph 11

Attachment 3, Page 1, Program Manager, Paragraph 11: An individual achieving

DAWIA Level III certification in both PM and Business, Cost Estimating and

Financial Management is highly unusual because these are separate and distinct career paths within the Acquisition

Community. This requirement further excludes exceptionally well qualified candidates. Would the Government consider modifying the requirement to read “or” instead of “and” for these qualifications?

The Program Manager’s required DAWIA certified Level III has been removed from

Attachment 3- Personnel Qualifications.

39 Attachment 3 - Personnel

Qualifications, Page 1, paragraph 11

Would the Government allow substitution of an additional 10 years of relevant management experience in lieu of a

Bachelor’s Degree in the Program

Manager position?

No, the Government will not allow substitution of an additional 10 years of relevant management experience in lieu of a

Bachelor’s Degree in the Program Manager position?

40 Attachment 3 - Personnel

Qualifications, Page 1, paragraph 11

Would the Government accept a

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical

Engineering, Mathematics or Physics plus

14 years of relevant experience in the

Senior Radar Engineer (Signal Processing) category, as is the case in all the remaining

Senior Engineering labor categories in

Attachment 3?

Yes, the Government will accept a Bachelor’s

Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics or Physics plus 14 years of relevant experience in the Senior Radar

Engineer (Signal Processing).

41 Attachment L-01- Key

Personnel Resume Template

RFP Section L, Page 50, L-

12 Volume II-Technical

Proposal, Subfactor 1.2

The RFP instructions do not seem to call for submission of Attachment L-01, “Key

Personnel Resume Template”, nor do they indicate where within the proposal structure it is to appear. Will the

Government please clarify whether this attachment is to be completed and supplied as a part of the offerors’ proposal responses, and if so, where it is to appear within the proposal, and whether it is subject to any volume page limitations

a) Please see Amendment 0001, page 4, Section L-12, Subfactor 1.2 Contractor

Qualifications and Experience for updated instruction regarding Attachment L-01-Key

Personnel Resume Template.

b) This attachment should be part of the volume II- Technical Proposal.

c) No, Attachment L-01 is not subject to page limit.

42 Attachment L-01- Key

Personnel Resume Template

Would the Government please confirm that only Key Personnel should be listed in the Template? Also, there is a blank column in the Template. Please confirm that the offeror may remove this column

a) Yes only Key Personnel should be listed in

Attachment L-01, Key Personnel Resume

Template.

b) Offerors may remove the blank column included in the template.

43 Attachment L-04- Excel

Pricing Workbook

RFP Section J, Page 29, J-9

Attachment L-04- Excel

Pricing Workbook

Will the Government allow for modification to Attachment_L-04_-

_EPW_17-R-DH02? Offerors may need to accommodate for subcontractor costs on tabs L-04 (b) Labor Rates and L-04 (c)

Year 1-5 Burdened Rate.

a) Yes, offerors may modify Attachment L-04 to include subcontractor cost on Labor Rates

Tab (b) and Burdened Rate Tab (c).

b) Offerors must ensure that prime and subcontractor labor rates and burdened rates are properly segregated and reflected in the

EPW.

44 Attachment 4 - Requirements for Onsite Contractors

Will specific Attachment 4, Requirements for On-Site Contractors requirements be deleted from the awarded contract if they do not apply to the contract work?

No, Attachment 4 will remain as part of the base contract.

45 Attachment 4 - Requirements for Onsite Contractors

Does NRL expect any work to be

Radiation Work requiring medical examinations in accordance with

NAVMED P-5055?

No, NRL does not expect any work to be

Radiation Work requiring medical examinations.

46 Attachment 4 - Requirements for Onsite Contractors

Will any contract work be considered

Confined Space Work? If so are the NRL confined spaces appropriately marked by

NRL?

No, NRL does not expect any work to be considered Confined Space Work.

47 Attachment 4 - Requirements for Onsite Contractors

Does NRL expect any work to require medical examinations in accordance with

BUMEDINST 6470.23?

No, NRL does not expect any work requiring medical examinations.

48 RFP Extension In light of the fact that hours were apparently not included in the initial

Section H Level of Effort Breakdown, would the Government please consider a two-week extension in the closing date for the solicitation to allow either analysis of a government LOE provided in an amendment, or to develop an appropriate estimated LOE independently?

a) Yes, the Government is issuing an additional two (2) week extension to the current RFP proposal deadline of July 28.

b) The new RFP proposal deadline is August

11, 2017 at 1PM EST.

c) Please see Amendment 0001, page 2 for reference.

49 RFP Questions Is there a deadline for additional questions to RFP# N00173-17-R-DH02?

a) Yes, any additional questions must be submitted no later than July 20, 2017 at

12:00PM EST.

b) Please see Amendment 0001, page 7 for reference.