Questions and Answers.pdf

Questions and Answers

1. Sections B and F show Option Line Item 2001 (Labor) with a quantity of 12 months. FAR 52.217-

9(c) caps the total contract duration at 30 months, and Section L establishes $17,500 as the Option

Year II travel amount, both consistent with a 6-month final option period. Please confirm CLIN 2001 covers 6 months and that quoters should price 6 months of labor.

a. See revised solicitation.

2. PWS paragraph 5.4 states the Government's estimated LOE is 12 FTEs. The anticipated labor mix table sums to 11.0 FTEs. Please confirm which figure reflects the Government's estimate.

3. Please confirm the two Past Performance Information Forms count toward the 5-page Volume I limit, and whether quoters may complete the PPIF in native format with fields condensed to fit one page per reference, provided all required fields are included.

a. The Past Performance Information Forms are included in the 5-page limit. Adhere to the requirements for style and page limitations as prescribed in Section L of the solicitation.

4. The attachment set does not include an Excel pricing template (Attachment 3 is the Contract

Administration Plan). Please confirm quoters should construct their own unlocked Excel workbook presenting loaded FFP rates, hours, and burden rates by CLIN and period, or provide the

Government's template if one is intended.

a. Construct your own.

5. With performance established at 90 percent contractor facility and routine PII/PHI access, will the

Government furnish GFE (for example, NMCI laptops) for off-site personnel, or should quoters price contractor-furnished equipment with CAC-enabled card readers per PWS 5.6?

a. Government will provide GFE.

6. PWS Section 6 states that deliverables must be prepared according to an attached DD Form 1423

Contract Data Requirements List. We did not locate the CDRL in the solicitation package. Will the

Government provide the applicable DD Form 1423?

a. See revised solicitation removing this language.

7. The PWS requires 11 Monthly Analytics Report Cards and 11 Monthly Progress Reports beginning in the second month of the performance period. Because Option Period II is only six months, will the

Government clarify the number and schedule of monthly deliverables required during that option period?

a. First one is 11 allowing 1 month for onboarding. The last option period will require 6.

8. Will the Environmental Scan, Analytic Strategy, and Force Development Plan each be required during the six-month Option Period II? If so, please provide the applicable due dates.

a. Yes, will need to be provided before the end of the option period.

9. PWS Section 5.4 states that the proposed staffing plan will be evaluated for realism and alignment with the quoter’s methodology. However, Section L identifies only two specific Performance

Approach topics. Should Volume I include the proposed labor mix, hours, staffing structure, and allocation of personnel across the PWS work areas?

10. QASP Section 3 refers to inspections of “Tier 1.5 Help Desk operations,” SAP configurations, and custom code. These activities do not appear to be included in the N10D PWS. Does this inspection language apply to this task order, or will the Government issue a revised QASP removing requirements that are not applicable?

a. See revised QASP.

11. PWS paragraphs 4.1.12 and 4.1.13 are identical ("Implementation Plans: Develop phased implementation plans detailing timelines, milestones, stakeholder impacts, and resource requirements"). Please confirm whether this is a duplication error or whether a distinct requirement was intended for one of these paragraphs.

a. See revised solicitation

12. Section 6 of the PWS lists several deliverables with due dates that appear to reference a single ordering period (e.g., the Monthly Analytics Report Card and Monthly Progress Report each require

"11 submissions... due NLT the 10th of the month beginning the second month of the PoP," and several other deliverables state "1 annual submission required"). It is unclear whether these frequencies apply to the Base Period only, or to each ordering period (Base Period, 12-month Option

Period, and 6-month Option Period) individually. Specifically:

For the Monthly Analytics Report Card and Monthly Progress Report — the stated 11 submissions appear to align with a 12-month period of performance. Please confirm whether 11 monthly submissions are required for each ordering period separately (i.e., 11 for the Base Period, 11 for the 12-month Option Period, and a prorated number for the 6-month Option Period), rather than 11 submissions total for the life of the contract.

For deliverables designated "1 annual submission required" (e.g., Environmental Scan, Analytic Strategy, Force Development Plan) — please confirm whether one submission is required for each ordering period (i.e., one for the Base Period, one for the 12-month

Option Period, and one for the 6-month Option Period), or whether these are one-time deliverables for the life of the contract.

a. Deliverables are required for each option period, individually.

13. Section 6 – Deliverables: What is the goal of the Analytics Report Card to be delivered monthly?

a. An update of Navy Medicine Readiness data monthly.

14. PWS 5.4 states that the proposed staffing plan will be evaluated to ensure it is realistic and aligns with the quoter's proposed methodology. Section L, Volume I identifies only Performance Approach and Past Performance and does not separately request a staffing plan. Please clarify where the

Government expects quoters to describe their proposed labor mix, staffing levels, and hours, and whether that information is subject to the five-page Volume I limitation.

15. PWS 5.5.7.1 states that the Senior Medical Compliance Analyst must possess at least three years of direct, hands-on EDIS experience, including site compliance assessments and mapping system data structures. Will the Government evaluate compliance with this qualification at the quotation stage? If so, are quoters required to identify the proposed individual and provide a resume or other qualification documentation in Volume I?

a. Needs to be provided within the quote.

16. Does the Government require quoters to identify or submit resumes for any other proposed personnel or labor categories listed in PWS 5.4/5.5? If so, please identify the required personnel and clarify whether resumes count toward the Volume I five-page limitation.

a. No resumes will be evaluated.

17. Section L III(a)(1) refers to “Medical Evaluation Board/Disability Evaluation System (MED/DES),” whereas the PWS uses MEB/DES terminology. Please confirm that “MED/DES” is intended to mean

MEB/DES.

a. Yes, see revised solicitation.

18. For the 90% contractor-facility / 10% Government-facility performance ratio, should quoters apply the ratio separately to each labor category, or may the ratio be achieved in aggregate across the proposed workforce?

a. Achieved in aggregate is fine as long as the vendor can meet the needs of the government.

19. For contractor personnel performing primarily off-site, will the Government provide GFE, CAC/network access, and necessary system accounts? Given that performance begins approximately

15 days after award, please clarify whether the Government anticipates personnel requiring system access to possess current favorable investigations/CACs at award or whether account and credential provisioning may continue after the performance start date.

a. The government will provide GFE, CAC, and system access. To improve the start-up/onboard process it is in favor for personnel to possess favorable investigations.

Existing CACs will need to be transferred in record within MPICAM by Security.

20. Please identify the principal Government systems and authoritative data sources anticipated for performance of PWS 4.2, including IMR, LIMDU, MEB/DES, EDIS, and suitability analytics, and indicate whether access to those systems/data sources will be Government-provisioned after award.

a. The awarded vendor will be provided with access to the appropriate systems.

21. For performance of PWS 4.2, does BUMED currently maintain applicable Data Sharing

Agreements/Data Use Agreements for the anticipated N10D data sources, or should the contractor plan to initiate new DSA/DUA requests following award? If new agreements are required, will associated approval timelines be considered in establishing performance expectations for analytics and automation deliverables?

a. New DSAs are only required for data not owned by BUMED personnel. If any delays are due to DSA then the associated timeline will be adjusted.

22. Is the requirement currently being performed under an existing contract/task order? If so, please identify the incumbent contract/task order and whether Government-furnished transition materials, existing analytic products, metric definitions, dashboards, data dictionaries, process maps, or training products will be made available to the successor contractor.

a. This is a new requirement.

23. Can the Government confirm that no fee or profit may be applied to the Travel CLINs, and that the

NTE amount represents the ceiling for actual, reimbursable travel costs only?

a. The solicitation is clear on its face. PWS 5.8 Travel – states “not including applicable indirect costs).

24. Should offerors apply their indirect rates (e.g., handling, G&A) on top of the $35,000/$17,500 NTE amounts, or are indirect costs expected to be absorbed within the stated NTE ceiling?

a. No.

25. For the Firm-Fixed-Price labor CLINs, will monthly invoicing be based on equal fixed installments

(e.g., 1/12 of the FFP labor value) regardless of actual costs incurred, and how does the deobligation process reconcile with a true FFP payment structure?

a. Invoicing for FFP labor CLINs shall be submitted in equal monthly installments (e.g., 1/12th of the annual CLIN value) upon acceptance of monthly deliverables/performance, without regard to the Contractor’s actual incurred costs. Deobligations occur only if work is formally descoped, services are unperformed/reduced via bilateral modification, or upon final contract closeout.

26. Since the anticipated labor categories (e.g., Policy Analyst, Program Manager) appear to be professional/exempt positions rather than Service Contract Act labor categories, can the Government confirm whether a Department of Labor Wage Determination applies to this requirement, and if so, which one?

a. Wage determination does not apply.

27. What annual productive hours per FTE should offerors use as the basis for pricing labor under the

Firm-Fixed-Price CLINs, to ensure a consistent basis of comparison across quoters?

a. 1 FTE equivalent in hours is 1912

28. Given the government’s specified compressed start time, will there be allowances for staggered start dates to accommodate the provision of all of the required documentation/authorizations for all FTEs up to Section H’s specified 30 day window?

a. Interim access will be provided as stated in Section H.

29. Will the government consider excluding Past Performance "PPIF" attachments from the Non-Price

Quote 5 page limit? If not, will the government consider extending the page limit to 7 pages?

a. A: No.

30. Please confirm it intends the Project Manager LCAT as a more Senior level III, with a Program

Manager LCAT as a less senior level II?

a. Yes

31. Will the Government provide the complete CDRL/DD Form 1423 package, including required formats, content, review/approval periods, distribution, and data-item instructions, and confirm that the deliverable-summary references to Sections 5.1-5.5 are intended to refer to PWS Sections 4.1-

4.5?

a. See revised solicitation removed CDRL and revised deliverable summary. Deliverables should refer to PWS sections 4.1-4.5.

32. QASP. Please define the deduction base, monthly and aggregate caps, whether deductions may be cumulative for the same event, and any correction or cure period. Please also define major revision, 100% accuracy, and the data-quality controls used for acceptance, including treatment of

Government-caused delays or unavailable systems/data.

a. The QASP is a matter of contract administration. If any performance issues arise during the period of performance the government will address those issues at that time in accordance with the applicable FAR and DFARs authority.

33. Can the government clarify if they intend to leverage existing analytics platforms for

BI/visualization requirements (Power BI, Tableau, Qlik, etc.) or if the offeror can propose new platforms.

a. No new systems/platforms. Must use existing.

34. Section L requires submission of an unlocked Microsoft Excel pricing spreadsheet, but no

Government pricing workbook was included in the solicitation package. Will the Government provide a pricing workbook, or may quoters develop their own workbook? If an offeror-developed workbook is acceptable, please confirm the required columns, periods, and level of labor-rate detail.

a. Construct your own.

35. PWS §5.8 states that the $35,000 estimated travel cost does not include applicable indirect costs.

Section L establishes $35,000, $35,000, and $17,500 as common evaluated travel amounts, while

Section B identifies the travel CLINs as cost-no-fee NTE CLINs. Please clarify whether applicable indirect costs must be included within the stated NTE amounts, added above those amounts, or included elsewhere in the price quote.

a. The solicitation is clear on its face. PWS 5.8 Travel – states “not including applicable indirect costs). Section L under 2. Volume II – Price Quote states: “The Price Quote in

Volume II shall include the solicitation pricing pages completed by the quoter and a complete and detailed breakdown of the quoter's Firm Fixed Price (FFP) inclusive of the

Loaded FFP Rates plus any discount provided. The quoter shall provide a total firm-fixed-price consisting of the total of all CLINS for the ordering period. That total proposed price shall represent the quoter's firm-fixed-price for performance of all of the solicitation's requirements. A firm-fixed-price is not subject to any adjustment on the basis of the contractor's cost experience in performing the contract. If the award date or start of performance is delayed, it shall not entitle the contractor to a price adjustment.”

36. Section L states that travel will be reimbursed in accordance with PWS text entitled “Reimbursement of Travel Costs”; however, no provision with that title appears in the PWS. Please provide the referenced reimbursement requirements, including allowable indirect costs, authorization procedures, and documentation requirements.

a. See revised solicitation. “In accordance with PWS text entitled 5.8 Travel.”

37. Please identify the anticipated position-sensitivity and IT-access designation for each labor category, including whether each position will require T1/NACI, T3/T3R, or T5/T5R eligibility.

a. T3/T3R.

38. Section X.2 states that interim approval of clearances is not authorized, while the subsequent Interim

Access provision permits the Command Security Manager to authorize a CAC and interim unclassified network access following favorable preliminary checks. Please clarify which requirement governs this task order and whether personnel may begin performance with interim

CAC/network access.

39. Performance is scheduled to begin 15 days after task-order award, while security documentation is required at least 30 days before an employee’s start date. Please explain how the Government intends to reconcile these requirements. Will the Government authorize a phased transition, expedited onboarding, or delayed start for personnel awaiting adjudication without assessing performance deductions?

a. Interim clearances will be allowed.

40. PWS §5.4 states that the proposed staffing plan will be evaluated, but Section L does not identify a separate staffing-plan requirement. Please confirm whether Volume I must include the proposed labor mix, FTEs, hours, organizational structure, and staffing methodology.

a. A: See revised solicitation.

41. The Site Visit After-Action Report is stated to be due three business days “following the BUMED submission of AAR to chain of command.” Please confirm whether the contractor’s AAR is instead due three business days following completion of the site visit or three business days before

BUMED’s submission to its chain of command.

a. 3 business days after the site visit.

42. For deliverables described as “one annual submission,” please confirm whether one submission is required during each contract period, including the six-month Option II, or only during each full 12-month period.

a. During each option period whether 12 or 6 months.

43. Several AQLs require “greater than 95 percent” compliance even where the number of deliverables may be too small to calculate a meaningful percentage. Please explain how the AQL will be calculated and whether each deliverable will be assessed individually on a pass/fail basis.

a. They will be evaluated individually.

44. The QASP references evaluation against the contractor’s Quality Control Plan “if required by the contract.” Please confirm whether a Quality Control Plan is required and, if so, whether it is a quotation submission requirement or a post-award deliverable. Please provide its required due date and contents.

a. Would be provided post award and it will need to be provided at the contract kickoff so the government is aware how the vendor will quality check the work products being submitted.

45. Please identify required core coverage hours and clarify whether every team member must be available throughout the 0600–1800 period or whether the contractor may establish staggered schedules that collectively provide coverage.

a. Staggered based on the needs of the government but core performance hours is expected between 0800-1630

46. The included Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) states a "deduction from the associated deliverable line item" for non-compliance. Can the Government please clarify how such deductions will be assessed in the context of the proposed monthly fixed price, where deliverables are otherwise not separately priced?

a. The QASP is a matter of contract administration. If any performance issues arise during the period of performance the government will address those issues at that time in accordance with the applicable FAR and DFARs authority.