RFP_QuestionsAnswers_Part_4.docx

Questions & Answers posted on 3/29/2019

1. We respectfully request a follow up to Question #1 in the set answered on 3/19/2019 regarding Attachment P3 Past Performance Information Form. The PDF template provided, though it allows offerors to type into the Contract Effort Description box, any text beyond the first few lines placed does not appear when the document is printed nor readily appear when viewing the PDF file. A plus sign (+) appears indicating there is additional text but it is not visible on the screen and when printing the document does not print the text (it only prints the + sign). Given offerors are required to provide print copies of our proposal we are requesting the use of Microsoft Word to provide the contract effort descriptions. Furthermore, given that the entire Past Performance Volume is limited to 25 pages versus page limits per reference, offerors are not able to show compliance with this requirement using separate PDF files for each reference. We request the ability to use MS Word to supply all of the same information on the P3 and provide one consolidated version of all references within the 25 page limit.

A Microsoft Word version has been added.

Questions & Answers posted on 3/28/2019

1. In Section C/3.4.6 of the Solicitation, the degree table (p.20) specifies that a Bachelor’s Degree plus 4 years additional work experience may be substituted for a Master’s and that 6 years’ additional work experience may be substituted for a Bachelor’s Degree. Could a high school diploma and 20 years of relevant experience, therefore, substitute for a Master’s and 10 years?

No. Please refer to Section C paragraph 3.4.6 of the SOW to determine which experience/education level aligns with your example.

2. It is not clear to us whether we would have to acquire security clearance at the time of the award or would we need sponsorship by another firm. If the security clearance is required prior to the bid, do we start the process for obtaining security clearance by submitting a DD Form 254?

If referring to the Facility Security Clearance then yes, that clearance is needed prior to award of the contract. If referring to the individual employees, the IDIQ will be in place at least 30days prior to the first task order (work will be performed at the task order level not the IDIQ level) providing time for the contractor to begin coordinating/initiating background investigations with Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and obtain at least an interim access approval to begin work. The DD254 doesn’t have anything to do with either the facility clearance or the personnel being cleared. The DD254 is the government's document advising the contractor of the security requirements of the contract and what they must adhere to. Please refer to Section C, paragraph 3.2.2.

3. Is the requirement covered under any Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)?

The requirement itself is not covered under a CBA, however SCA labor categories comply with the DOL Wage Determination for the locality.

4. Kindly provide an extension to the due date for all small businesses to provide a technically sound and competitive proposal.

Yes, the Government will extend the proposals due date to 22 April 2019 at 14:00 EST. This has been updated in Section L, part A, paragraph 4.0 in Amendment 4.

5. Please advise which PWS tasks are covered under each of the current contracts.

All of the PWS tasks in the SOW are covered under the current contracts.

6. Please provide the number of personnel for each labor category issued on current task orders.

The number of personnel for each labor category on the current orders is as follows:

General Clerk II - 1 Project Analyst - 1 Program Manager (part-time) - 4 Accounting Clerk III - 2 General Clerk III - 2 Accounting Clerk II - 10 Claims Review Agent - 13 Help Desk Analyst - 8 Program Manager (full-time) - 1 Authorization Review Agent - 2 Project Support Specialist - 3 Documentation Specialist - 1 Word Processor III - 1 Computer Systems Analyst - 1 Senior Business Systems Analyst - 1 Junior Systems Administrator – 1

Please note for this requirement as stated in Section L, Part C, Paragraph 4.7.2, a work-year is defined as 1920 hours exclusive of holidays and leave. All offerors are to propose the LOE stated in Section L, Part C, Section 1.0, paragraph 4.7.2, Labor Hours.

7. On the current contract, are all positions filled?

The majority of the positions are filled on the current contracts. There are positions under task 3.3.2 and 3.3.5 that are not currently filled and are planned for potential growth in the future.

8. As per Attachment P-4, all employee names are to be provided in the cost summary sheet. With the contract performance start date of 15 June 2020, does the government expect offerors to provide 70 prospective employee names in the cost summary sheet.

The government isn't dictating how offerors propose their staff. If the employees are a prospective hire, please put "Prospective Hire." If they are a Contingent Hire, please identify a name and put “Contingent Hire.” If the employee is a current employee of the company, please provide a name. For further instructions, please see the instructions tab on Attachment P-4.

9. Please advise if FAR 52.222-62 - Paid Sick Leave applies.

Yes. This clause has been added in Section I in Amendment 4.

10. Where are each of the 4 Program Managers located?

The Program Manager for SOW task 3.3.5 should be located on-site with the travel team personnel. All other program managers may be located off-site.

11. The Level of Effort shows a five year program, however Section B only allows for one year. Where do we show the cost of other years, or is Section B the sum of all five years?

This requirement is a 5 year ordering period (there are no option years). Therefore, we have 1 Labor CLIN, 1 Travel CLIN, and 1 Data CLIN and each has a period of performance of 5 years. The cost of each year is broken out in attachment P4. What goes is Section B is the sum of all 5 years broken out by CLIN.

12. Attachment P4 shows 4 CLINs. What is the definition of each CLIN coverage?

There are a total of 3 CLINS for this effort: Labor, Travel, and Data. Only the Labor and Travel CLINs are priced. Attachment P4 is a template and offerors should tailor as appropriate.

13. Is Attachment P1 limited to only key employees?

Yes, Attachment P1 is limited to only key employees. Please see Section L, Section 2.0, Paragraph 2.2.1 for further information.

14. Would the government consider a two-week extension to allow all questions to be answered?

Yes, the Government will extend the proposals due date to 22 April 2019 at 14:00 EST. This has been updated in Section L, part A, paragraph 4.0 in Amendment 4.

15. Is this opportunity a consolidation of all existing contracts?

This requirement is currently being satisfied via five (5) separate Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) SeaPort-e contracts each with five (5) year task orders. All current contract numbers are listed below in “Questions & Answers posted on 3/15/2019” question/answer 2b.

16. In the Cost Summary Attachment, is it permissible to show only the average Labor cost for each labor category rather than giving the name of each employee?

No. The Government must be able to see the rate of each employee.

17. Has there been any changes to the PWS requirements as compared to the ongoing requirement?

There have been no major changes to the SOW as compared to the ongoing effort.

Questions & Answers posted on 3/19/2019

1. Please provide a Word version (editable format) of the Attachment P3 Past Performance Information Form to allow for the ability to write the contract effort description so that it will go beyond the text box and be visible and print correctly up to the page limit for the entire Past Performance Volume of 25 pages.

The PDF version of this form allows the ability to edit as necessary. One form is to be filled out for each contract action. As Section L, Part B, paragraph 3.0 states, “The Offeror shall complete the Past Performance Information Form, Attachment P3, for each past performance reference performed within five years of the solicitation release date. The Offeror shall submit no more than five Past Performance Information Forms as the Prime Contractor, no more than two forms for each principal subcontractor, and/or no more than two forms for each JV team member.” This should allow ample room to write in the contract effort description text box.

2. Section L, subsection 2.2.3, on page 70 states that “Labor Category Qualifications are included in the RFP in section 3.4.7 of the SOW. The contractor shall be responsible for employing personnel having the minimum levels of education, professional, and technical experience specified in each labor category.” Section L does not provide information on what is to be included in the proposal to address this section (2.2.3) nor a page limit for this section. Please clarify.

Offerors are to employ personnel having the minimum levels of education, professional, and technical experience specified in each labor category. However, the Government will only review resumes of Key personnel to make sure all qualifications are met. By proposing, offerors are confirming/certifying that everything proposed is true. This includes the qualifications of employees proposed who are not considered key. All page limits are specified in the chart on Section L, Part A, paragraph 3.0.

3. Section L, Volume 4, 4.1 Volume Content, page 71 states “The proposed subcontractors are required to submit their cost/price proposal under their prime contractor or under a separate cover via e-mail to the contract specialist/contracting officer.” Further on the page it states “If subcontractors are proposed, they shall provide the same information required for the prime contractor, unless otherwise noted below.” Please clarify if subcontractors are only required to submit their full cost volumes via email or if hard copies and a CD-ROM in a sealed package should also be provided in accordance with Section L, page 66 that states “1 original, 1 copy, and 1 CDROM.”

The subcontractors are required to submit their cost/price proposal under their prime contractor or under a separate cover and provide 1 original, 1 copy, and 1 CDROM. Section L, Part B, paragraph 4.1 has been updated in Amendment 0003 to reflect this.

4. On Attachment P4, IDIQ Summary Tab, should the totals be by CLIN or by Option Year? If by CLIN, should we list the total for all years for CLIN 0001 Labor, CLIN 0002 Travel, and CLIN 0003 Technical Data?

The totals should be by CLIN, and the Contractor shall list the total for all years for each CLIN.

5. In reviewing Section C, 3.4.6 "Experience and Education Level Definitions" on pages 22 and 23 of the RFP, would an Associate's degree and an additional eight years of experience qualify as an acceptable substitution for a Master's degree in the senior labor categories?

No. Please refer to Section C paragraph 3.4.6 of the SOW to determine which experience/education level aligns with your example.

6. What benefits are there to a CPFF contract that lead you to want a CPFF contract instead of a FFP or T&M contract?

The Government has determined that an award resulting in a CPFF contract is the best and most appropriate strategy for this effort.

7. What worries you about this solicitation, potential responses, and the anticipated contract?

The Government has no specific concerns with this solicitation or anticipated contract.

8. Is there a minimum number of past performance references required of the offeror?

No. There is not a minimum number of past performance references required.

9. Can we receive contract numbers for each of the incumbent contractors?

This information has been listed in the Questions and Answers posted on 3/15/2019. Please see below question number 2b.

10. Does each incumbent contract have a different COR?

No, same COR for all incumbent contracts.

11. How many COR’s are represented by the 5 incumbent contractors?

There is one COR for all incumbent contracts.

12. How many current FTEs are providing this support based on the incumbent contracts?

The current level of effort for the incumbent contracts is approximately 51.6 work-years. However, please note that all offerors are to proposed the LOE stated in Section L, Part C, Section 1.0, paragraph 4.7.2, Labor Hours.

13. How many requests (phone, fax, email, or other electronic means) does the Help Desk receive per month?

On average, the Help Desk receives approximately 3,700 calls per month.

Questions & Answers posted on 3/15/2019

1. How are these services currently being performed? Under contract? In-house?

These services are currently being satisfied via five (5) separate Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) SeaPort-e contracts each with five (5) year task orders.

2. If these requirements are currently being performed under a contract,

a. Who is the Contractor?

Please refer to Section L, page 75 for this information.

b. What is the contract number?

The five SeaPort-e contracts and task orders are listed below:

N00178-14-D-7929-M801 N00178-14-D-7929 M802 N00178-14-D-7884-M802 N00178-14-D-7851-M803 N00178-14-D-7875-M803

c. When does the contract expire?

N00178-14-D-7929-M801 expires June 14, 2020 N00178-14-D-7929 M802 expires July 8, 2020 N00178-14-D-7884-M802 expires June 14, 2020 N00178-14-D-7851-M803 expires July 31, 2020 N00178-14-D-7875-M803 expires June 30, 2020

d. What is the current contract value?

This information is not publically available.

3. Could you please clarify the set aside status of Solicitation #N0042119R0038?

On page 2, it states that it is full and open, however on page 73 it states that the requirement is being set-aside for small businesses. FBO also lists at as being a small business set-aside.

This requirement is being set-aside for small businesses. Section A has been updated in Amendment 1 to reflect this.

4. The FBO announcement indicated that the requirement is Set Aside for Small Business. Page 73, item (h) of the RFP indicated that the requirement is Set Aside for Small Business; but Page 2, Section A of the RFP indicated that the acquisition is a Full & Open competition. Which one is correct. Please clarify.

This requirement is being set-aside for small businesses. Section A has been updated in Amendment 1 to reflect this.

5. Why are you soliciting on a CPFF basis instead of a T&M basis?

The Government has determined that an award resulting in a CPFF contract is the best and most appropriate strategy for this effort.

6. On page 4, some labor categories are indicated to be Service Contract Act labor categories. Have the positions been finally determined to be appropriately in those categories, or is there a risk that the Government (i.e., Dept of Labor) will change those determinations and apply the changes retroactively?

The categories listed on page 4 are the categories covered under the Service Contract Act. Please refer to the Department of Labor website (https://www.wdol.gov/sca.aspx) if you need additional information regarding their determinations.

7. On page 5 there is a term, "(c) In the event that less than one hundred (100%) percent of the established level of effort of the contract/order is actually expended by the end of the performance period, the Government shall have the option of: ...", and then it continues with options. How are you measuring level of effort? Are all hours equal or is there some sort of weighting involved?

Level of Effort is measured by the number of hours (listed in Section B under FAR clause 5252.211-9503 and Section L) used/expended to perform the contract. All hours are equal.

7.a. If you are measuring level of effort on a basis other than all hours are equal, please discuss the implications of this and the provision at 5252.232-9510, PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE, which begins on page 34.

All hours are equal.

8. On page 5 there is a term, "(d) The contractor agrees that effort performed in fulfillment of level of effort obligations under this contract shall include only verifiable effort in direct support of the work specified. It shall not include efforts such as work performed in transit to or from an employee's usual workplace, work during lunchtime activities, or effort performed at other non-work locations." Why are you biased against direct work outside of an employee's usual workplace? (Some of my own best ideas and work take place outside of my office, so I find the apparent bias to be counterproductive.) (Maybe we can define usual workplace to be planet Earth?)

The language in the RFP shall remain as-is.

9. On page 14, it says "Only U.S. citizens may perform under this contract." Then there is language about a waiver request. It does seem that if only US citizens can perform under this contract, then the request will be denied on that ground. So why have it?

The language in the RFP shall remain as is.

10. On page 15, there is talk of security clearances and not working before they are issued. This seems counterproductive, although I allow that the value the Government gets from this is may be more than is apparent to me. For example, if someone is hired and assigned to the project, but is prevented from working by the government, then the cost of that person is still a direct cost identified with the final cost objective, and billable as such. The value the government gets is the value arising from its prevention. Will the government keep its work prevention protocol?

An employee requiring a Security clearance will be able to work under an interim clearance until the finalized Secret clearance is approved. See SOW paragraph 3.2.2.

11. On page 35, you say "This contract is incrementally funded with respect to both cost and fee." Will you keep the contract well-funded in advance of the potential costs so that personnel assignments, work and invoicing can proceed smoothly?

Yes. However, in accordance with FAR 52.232-22, the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing whenever it has reason to believe that the costs it expects to incur under this contract in the next 60 days, when added to all costs previously incurred, will exceed 75 percent of the total amount so far allotted to the contract by the Government.

12. Are you expecting to receive multiple limitations of funds notices (FAR 52.232-22), such as one every time you add funds and the contractor is still within 60 days of reaching 75% of costs?

Please refer to clause 52.232-22. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing whenever it has reason to believe that the costs it expects to incur under this contract in the next 60 days, when added to all costs previously incurred, will exceed 75 percent of the total amount so far allotted to the contract by the Government.

13. On page 78, is an indication that you are evaluating the workforce. Who are the individuals that you want to see proposed in the workforce?

Please refer to Section L para 4.7.2.

14. Will you please clarify the intended size standard for this solicitation? The announcement on FBO.gov states that the solicitation is a small business set aside. However, Section A, page 2, paragraph (1) states that this acquisition is a full and open competition. Paragraph (2) reiterates small business standard.

This requirement is being set-aside for small businesses. Section A has been updated in Amendment 1 to reflect this.

15. The solicitation indicates that you will evaluate the workforce. Will you evaluate a workforce with active clearances more favorably than you will evaluate an otherwise identical workforce without clearances?

No, we will not evaluate a workforce with active clearances more favorably than we will evaluate an otherwise identical workforce without clearances. Please refer to Section L&M of the RFP for the Evaluation Factors and how we will evaluate proposals.

16. We noticed that you defined labor categories in terms of degrees and experience, not ability to perform the functions of the job. This is exactly the kind of thing that the EEOC fines employers for doing, defining jobs based on qualifications like degrees, instead of ability to perform the functions of the job. Why are you defining labor categories in terms of qualifications?

The labor categories are defined in SOW sections 3.4.6 and 3.4.7. The RFP shall remain as is.

17. In your junior / journeyman / senior classification system, in which class is someone with a bachelor's degree and 11 years of experience? This person would seem to be too experienced to be a journeyman, and lacking a master’s degree, would not be a senior.

Please refer to Section C paragraph 3.4.6 of the SOW to determine which experience/education level aligns with your example.

18. In reference to subject solicitation, Section L, Subsection 2.2 Workforce (bottom of page 69 and top of page 70) states that “If the qualification (i.e. education, experience) does not readily or easily compare to the minimum qualification stated in the SOW, the offeror shall provide an explanation as to the equality of the proposed qualification to meet the minimum qualification” and “Labor Category Qualifications are included in the RFP in section 3.4.7 of the SOW. The contractor shall be responsible for employing personnel having the minimum levels of education, professional, and technical experience specified in each labor category.” However, while section 3.4.7 of the SOW contains a description of duties and responsibilities for each labor category, minimum education and/or experience qualification requirements are not included. Are there any minimum education and/or experience qualification requirements associated with any of the labor categories, whether key or non-key?

Section 3.4.6 of the SOW outlines the minimum education and experience qualifications required for both key and non-key employees, however, we only require resumes for key employees.

19. After checking numerous times, I am unable to locate a required submission date in the subject Solicitation. While Section 4 of the solicitation states that the submission is due by the date in Block 9 on the SF33, that block is blank. I also noticed that Amendment 1 did not address the due date. Will you be sending an amendment?

The submission due by date is 8 April 2019 at 14:00 EST. This has been updated in Section L, part A, paragraph 4.0 in Amendment 2.