N00421-15-R-0011-0002_ETS_QA.docx

N00421-15-R-0011 AIR 5.4.3 Engineering Technical Support Services Questions & Answers

10. QUESTION Regarding Question and answer number 1:

Section L, Part B, Section 3.0 Past Performance, Paragraph 3.1, May the Offeror submit up to 3 past performance references for itself, and also 3 for each principal subcontractor and critical team member? Or is the total number of past performance references (covering both prime and subcontractors) limited to 3?

The Government responded to the above question stating that both the prime and subcontractor should provide summaries, and all references should be for prime contracts. Please see the Amended Solicitation 0001 for details.

This answer and the wording in section L can be interpreted two ways. The first is that the prime and the principal subcontractors and critical team members can submit only 3 past performance references TOTAL and not three for the prime AND three for EACH principal subcontractor and critical team member. This would result in the offerors proposal only containing three past performance references.

A second interpretation is that the prime can submit three and each principal subcontractor and critical team member can submit three which, depending on how many principal subcontractors and critical team members are on the team, could yield a number significantly higher than three past performance references. Could the government please review the intent of how many references it is expecting and provide a definitive answer that has no chance of misinterpretation?

ANSWER:

The Prime Contractor must submit three of the summaries out of the five. The remaining two summaries are efforts that were performed by the principal subcontractor and /or the critical team members. The Principal Subcontractor can submit one or two summaries or the critical contractor can submit one or two summaries. It depends on the discretion of the Prime Contractor on who should submit the remaining two summaries. The Prime Contractor can also choose to submit five or four summaries where the effort was performed or is currently being performed by the Prime.

11. QUESTION Regarding Question and answer number 5:

Section L, Part B, Section 3.0 Past Performance, Paragraph 3.2: If an Offeror has received recent CPAR evaluations on a past performance reference, is completion of the past performance questionnaire still required?

The Government responded to the above question stating that the Offeror is permitted to submit copies of their recent CPAR evaluations.

On numerous other NAVAIR contracts wording is included that clearly states that if CPARS is less than 12 months old, that a PPQ is not required. For this solicitation there is no such wording and based on the original question asked, it is still unclear if a PPQ is required regardless of the existence of CPARS. For example if CPARS is greater than 12 months old will submittal of a copy of CPARS suffice and no PPQ is needed? Also is it unlikely that a subcontractor would provide a copy of their CPARS to a prime to be included in the proposal. If the point could be clarified whether a PPQ is required if a recent CPAR exists? And what constitutes “recent”.

ANSWER:

The Government will provide language stating that CPARS that are more than 12 months old, than Past Performance Questionnaires are required.

12. Question: (Reference: Attachment 2, Personnel Qualifications)

Many senior engineering positions require an “MS or MA degree in xxx discipline from a school where the Accreditation Board accredited the specific curriculum for Engineering and Technology (ABET).” Although there are 547 schools with accredited bachelors-level engineering programs, there are only 36 with accredited masters-level programs. Many top schools (e.g. Princeton) and schools serving the Patuxent River market (e.g. Florida Institute of Technology (FIT)) do not have ABET-accredited masters-level programs. Therefore, many highly qualified local candidates do not satisfy the criteria for these positions. The ability to substitute additional years of experience for the Master’s Degree may result in candidates who are over-qualified (and more expensive) than the Government requires.

Would the Government amend the labor category descriptions for the senior engineering positions to read “MS or MA degree in xxx discipline”, removing the requirement that the program be ABET accredited?

ANSWER:

ABET Accreditation for Masters Programs could be dropped, but not for Bachelor’s degrees. Almost all people will qualify for the senior position through with the substituted extra four years of experience (for 14 years total).