VI_Q&A_2.docx

Questions and Answers 2 N32205-19-R-2001 10/18/2018

Question 1: Is there an incumbent contractor? If so, who? What is the current annual contract value?

Answer 1: No. This is a new requirement.

Question 2: Are the positions required full time employees? If not, how many hours per year are they required to work?

Answer 2: Any contractor employee onboard the MSC vessel is required to be on-call at all times. The work detailed in the PWS will take place only during incidents that require the VI Specialists’ attention.

Question 3: Is there a VI Specialist permanently assigned to each ship?

Answer 3: Once a VI Specialist is assigned to a vessel, MSC does not expect changes to VI Specialist’s ship assignment during deployment. If the MSC vessel is in port for longer than 2 weeks at any time, travel should be coordinated with the MSC COR to either provide travel for the VI Specialist to locate to another MSC vessel location or back to their home.

Question 4: How many trips per year do each of the ships make?

Answer 4: MSC vessels which would require VI Specialists are active and underway about 60 percent of the time. For long periods of in-port time (such as maintenance periods), the VI Specialist is not needed on that vessel. The expectation is the VI Specialists would move from one MSC vessel to another to support underway periods.

Question 5: What is the duration of the trips?

Answer 5: Underway periods vary between the ship classes. Most vessels operate with about 2-3 weeks underway followed by a 3-5 day in-port period. Several vessels operate underway for 4-6 weeks with an in-port period following that underway period.

Question 6: Does the government provide an office for the Contract Manager?

Answer 6: No. The contractor employee is not required to be located on a Government facility.

Question 7: Is the contractor required to pay additional benefits such as sea pay or per diem during the time the ship is underway?

Answer 7: Offerors shall include all costs to provide the VI Specialists in the pricing quote. All CLINs are firm-fixed price.

Question 8: What additional duties will the “VI Specialists” have while onboard the ship?

Answer 8: The VI Specialist are only required to perform work detailed within the performance work statement (PWS).

Question 9: Are the contractors covered under a Status of Forces Agreement or a Visiting Forces Agreement? (This may include issues such as entry and exit into the country, tax liabilities, postal services, or employment terms for host-country nationals, but the most contentious issues are civil and criminal jurisdiction over bases and personnel. For civil matters, SOFAs provide for how civil damages caused by the forces will be determined and paid. Criminal issues vary, but the typical provision in U.S. SOFAs is that U.S. courts will have jurisdiction over crimes committed either by a service member against another service member or by a service member as part of his or her military duty, but the host nation retains jurisdiction over other crimes.)

Answer 9: Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) or a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) coverage can be broad, ranging from immunities from criminal and civil jurisdiction to exemptions from taxes and fees. It may also include a wide array of administrative and regulatory provisions, and access arrangements affecting services or facilities that support operations of U.S. forces. Coverage will vary depending on the language of the particular SOFA/VFA.

SOFA/VFA coverage for Defense contractors, i.e., individuals or entities providing supplies or services to the Department of Defense (DoD) but not as U.S. Government employees, however is rare and determined by the agreement with the relevant country. Contractors are not covered in the NATO or Partners for Peace SOFAs or in the other earlier SOFAs with major allies. Prospective bidders should not count on having SOFA/VFA protections.

SOFA/VFA protections normally extend to uniformed service members and to civilian employees of Defense organizations working in the host country. Dependents are typically given special immigration status and, depending on the specific agreement, other SOFA/VFA protections may apply.

Question 10: Are the contractors covered by reciprocal health care agreements? If yes, which countries are part of these agreements? What is the course of action for those countries that are not part of these agreements?

Answer 10: VI Specialists are required to provide their own health care both in CONUS and OCONUS. The vessel can assist with emergency requirements, but the costs will be borne by the contractor.

Question 11: How long will the VI Specialists onboard rotation be? Will it mirror the CIVMARS schedules of approximately 4 months on, 4 months off?

Answer 11: Please see Answers 4 and 5 above.

Question 12: Please describe the living quarters of the VI Specialists?

Answer 12: Living quarters will vary from vessel to vessel. Some vessels will have staterooms which might be single or double, while some vessels may have large group berthing where the VI Specialist may have a Navy rack and locker. They will be segregated by gender.

Question 13: Will the VI Specialists be centrally homeported in Norfolk or will they be homeported in each AOR? Will the government provide transportation from Norfolk to each embarkation port or should these expenses be accounted for in the contractors’ proposals?

Answer 13: VI Specialists will not be homeported. They will be given a vessel name, port and date of embarkation. They will be expected to arrange travel to meet that vessel. The VI Specialist could live anywhere provided they can meet the travel timelines to meet the vessels as required.

Question 14: How will messing and billeting for the VI Specialists be handled? Are they expected to buy into the mess and pay monthly bills; will they be billed per meal obtained; or are the meals provided?

Answer 14: They will be expected to pay monthly mess bills. Their meals will not be provided free of charge. All costs associated with the offeror providing the VI Specialists shall be included in the firm-fixed price pricing proposal.