QA for NC-NA0000-23-01213.pdf

1. Is this a new requirement? If not, can the government please provide details about the incumbent contractor (name, contract number, and value of the contract)?

• Yes, this is a new requirement.

2. Are incumbents eligible to re-bid for this RFQ?

• N/A

3. Does the government expect only a Price Quote (Pricing information) and Completed Past Performance Reference form?

• The requirements for submission are listed in the RFQ package.

4. What is the proposal validity?

• Quotes should be valid for at least 30 days

5. What is the maximum ceiling value of the project?

• Not at liberty to provide IGCE.

6. Can the Govt. share the level of effort (No. of Key personnel and Position names)?

• Expected labor is equivalent to 1 FTE for the performance period. Position correlates to a Management & Program Analyst with experience/subject matter expertise in federal human resources management as outlined in the contract.

7. Does the offeror need to submit resumes for Key Personnel?

• Short (no more than 2 page) resumes are requested for key personnel.

8. Is the Key Personnel permissible to work remotely?

• Yes.

9. What is the expected number of hours for each CLIN?

• The priority of projects and division of labor between projects will depend to some degree on the timing of the award. However, over the course of the period of performance, it is anticipated that roughly 50% of hours will be devoted to each project (staffing plan and org changes).

10. Sam states that “A written solicitation will not be issued” however; what are the submission requirements for the RFQ ( page limit, # of volume and their content, font size, functional areas to address etc.)?

• Submission requirements are listed in the RFQ attachment.

11. What are the labor categories need to perform within the guidelines of the contract?

• Position correlates to a Management & Program Analyst with experience/subject matter expertise in federal human resources management as outlined in the contract.

12. What does the abbreviation "JB" stand for in the context of the unit of measurement provided for the HR support services described in the procurement details?

• Job.

13. Are vendors required to submit the pricing as well? If yes, could you please clarify the format for providing the pricing?

• Yes; quotes will not be considered without a price. Please read the RFQ for instructions.

14. Will multiple vendors be selected for this event?

• No, this is anticipated as a single award contract.

15. Are you looking for itemized cost based on the listed items in the CLIN?

• Cost should be identified in the same format provided in the RFQ (1 price per

CLIN given); this is FFP and is requesting 1 price for the 1 CLIN stated.

16. The RFQ mentioned the submission deadline of August 24, 2023 at 11am, what is the bid open date?

• The bid has been open since posted on ConOpps; it’s been published since

8/9/23.

17. What % of travel do you anticipate for the Contractor and staff?

• None

18. Does NOS do its own recruiting, staffing and classification?

• NOS works with the NOAA Office of Human Capital Services, which retains the delegated HR authority, to perform actions. However, NOS is responsible for developing packages and providing managerial oversight for actions.

19. If not, what organization performs these services?

• N/A

20. With respect to Task 1 (Assists with execution of the FY24 Workforce strategy/staffing plan process), is it the intent of the NOS to:

a. have the contractor design, report and make recommendations regarding the competency framework; or,

• Yes

b. also have the contractor assist in implementing the competency framework (building a people focused, skills-based organization with performance objectives aligned to the skills/knowledge/attributes/attitudes/values required for success; assessing employees in comparison to the skills; and creating paths for employees to achieve the skills needed for the future)?

• This is beyond the scope for this contract.

21. With respect to Tasks 1 and 2, is it the intent of the NOS to:

a. have the contractor to make recommendations for; or,

• Yes, to include communicating the recommendations to leadership.

b. also have the contractor assist in guiding employees and leaders through change, including socializing the impact, and assisting in managing the change process including leading activities designed to promote team building, enhance communication, create efficiencies, and foster collaboration and alignment with organization goals?

• No, this is beyond the scope of this contract.

22. The SOW references “call order” requirements. Please clarify what is meant by “call order”. Is this a single fixed price project, or are there separate call orders?

• This is a single fixed-price order.

23. The section of the SOW addressing Government-Furnished Equipment discusses “the on-site portion of Contactor services”. Please clarify which portion of the work is to be on-site at a Government-provided facility, with the workspace, equipment, and supplies furnished by the Government, and which portion of the work is to be conducted at a contractor facility.

• The contractor will not be required to be onsite. However, office space is available if the contractor elects to work on-site. GFE will be provided by the government.

24. If the work is to be conducted at a Government facility, please confirm that this is at 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

• Yes, Confirmed.

25. Will free parking be provided at this facility for contractor personnel?

• No

26. The progress report requirements indicate that reporting of labor hours is required, “broken out between Firm, Fixed Price and Time and Materials personnel”. Please clarify the contract type and which personnel are to be Firm, Fixed Price vs. Time and Materials.

• This is fixed-price.

27. How many work hours per year should bidders propose?

• 1960

28. Are there costs for equipment purchases, travel, or other direct costs that bidders should propose, and what assumptions should they make about these expenses?

• No.

29. Does responding to this solicitation require the use of any bidder’s GSA schedule or other contract?

• No; this is being solicited open-market on SAM (ConOpps).

30. What evaluation criteria will be used to determine whether a proposal is or is not technically acceptable?

• Successful track record of company in performing similar or related services.

Level of experience and demonstrated qualifications of the key personnel proposed.

31. What information should be provided in the technical proposal, if any?

• No more than 2-page resume of proposed key personnel. Information on relevant prior experience performing services.

32. Please identify the number of resumes required for this work, and the anticipated labor category or categories.

• Minimum of 1. Scope of contract labor may be performed by 1 or more individuals.

33. Must past performance be with NOAA to be considered “the same or similar”?

• No. “same or similar” refers to the scope.

34. What is the size of the workforce that NOS oversees including any commentary on the 8 program offices in terms of size, complexity and staff composition?

• NOS has roughly 1,100 federal employees and more than 700 contractors and affiliates. Program offices vary in size from 20 to 250 federal employees.

35. For the FY24 Workforce strategy/staffing plan creation

a. Is there an existing process or guideline of working from a business strategy -> talent strategy -> talent forecast -> talent plan (quarter/month)?

• Yes, NOS has a process in place for workforce planning and developing annual staffing plans. The contractor would be responsible for using this existing process and proposing/assisting with implementing improvements/enhancements.

b. Are there distinct skills that are captured or resource planning only done by location/level?

• NOS’s 8 program offices have distinct missions and some skillsets and occupational series are only found in a particular office. For example, the National Geodetic Survey hires geodesists. Staffing plans for a given office do need to reflect the specific challenges and needs of that organization.

c. Is there a staffing model where people are assigned/rotated to different work programs/projects or does staffing in your RFQ indicate hiring/recruitment?

• Staffing is the overall plan to fill vacant positions, which includes some degree of internal movement but also captures the organization’s overall plan to identify and procure talent.

d. What is the agencies definition of predictive analytics in the element of workforce planning? Are there any automated tools or platform that capture plans and provide comparators?

• We don’t have an internal definition of predictive analytics. However, predictive analytics is the field of using analysis of past and current trends in order to predict future rates of attrition, challenges in hiring, or other unknown variables that may impact the organization’s business operations.

e. Development of Competency framework-“are there any more details of work done or expected? This can be a multi year program depends on the scale.

• The contractor will be responsible for supporting development of a framework through labor hours rather than delivering a finalized framework at the end of the project.

f. How will the agency plan to measure “collaborate to improve NOS-wide human capital program”?

• The contractor will be expected to participate in and support NOS activities that contribute to the broader agency HR goals. This may include devoting labor hours to collaborative initiatives or providing data or analysis that is rolled up and incorporated into NOAA efforts.

36. Organizational changes and realignments support

a. Will this be separate from the FY24 Workforce plan?

• Yes, although programs should reflect planned organizational changes in the staffing plan a reorganization requires a formal package and approval process.

The contractor will be expected to support these efforts from a technical perspective.

b. Are these reorganizations efforts pre-determined for 2024 or is meant to be a generic framework to support any future causes? Is there a known financial or headcount outcome supporting these intents? What is the business preamble to this scope?

• NOS currently has two reorganizations underway and several that are still in the initial planning phase. However, the scope of the work will be for the contractor to support any changes that are proposed or underway during the performance period. The scope of expected work is outlined in the SOW.

c. Workflow review and revision of structures, staffing model- when was a similar exercise done prior? Will it be expected to conclude prior or in consonance with any reorganization efforts?

• NOS does not currently have guidance on this process. The NOAA Level guidance was recently revised. The contractor is expected to develop NOS internal procedural guidance that aligns with the NOAA guidance to qualitatively improve reorganization processing.

37. Are there SOPs defined for the current Workforce related processes?

• Yes, there are currently several SOPs on position management and staffing planning.

38. What are the current annual/quarterly hiring/staffing statistics of the client? What type of hiring is done – only contractors/full time / interns / immigrant visa holders? Are there any restrictions?

• NOS’s FY23 staffing plan reflected 126 vacant federal positions. Staffing plans do not include contractors or affiliates. All NOS federal employees must meet federal hiring requirements, which include US citizenship. Vacancies may be filled through a variety of hiring authorities, including delegated examining, merit staffing procedures, special hiring authorities, etc.

39. What is the budgeting/financial management tool that the client is currently using?

• NOS currently uses a NOAA internal system called FMDS for labor plans.

40. What documentation is expected to be prepared by the contractor? What is the current documentation (ex: process detail documents, workflows) that is currently available for review?

• The contractor will be expected to review and advise on currently implemented SOPs and expand on them and develop proposed workflows. NOS has approved SOPs for position management and draft guidance on data elements and table of organization maintenance.

41. What core competencies/skillset are deemedrequired/desirable while hiring resources in your organization?

• This varies widely by the position. Our most populous series are 1301, 343, 301, 2210, 401, 1370, 1372, 1001, 1360, 340. NOS uses the OPM MOSAIC competency framework and is working to develop additional technical competencies for our positions.

42. Will cross-functional teams support us in this project as well? (some of the Departments of interest with respect to this engagement being HR, Finance).

• There may be some engagement with other teams. For example, the NOS IT community is working to develop standardized PDs and the NOAA CFO community has a similar career pathing effort underway for financial management positions. These groups would be available to share resources and collaborate.

43. What Organizational Change Management Framework is currently being used (Ex;

PROSCI ADKAR)?

• This is beyond the scope of this contract.

44. Is the contractor expected to have knowledge in database management / SQL?

• No, this is not a requirement. However, the contractor should be adept at advanced use of Excel, at a minimum. Familiarity with Google Analytics is helpful.

45. What are the data analysis and reporting tools that the client is currently using?

• We use a wide range of reports from the National Finance Center’s Report Center and Insight databases. Analysis is primarily done in Excel and the Google suite.

46. Is the client looking for a single resource, or a team of resources? If a team, what is the expected no. of resources in the team?

• One or more individuals; FTE should correspond to one individual full-time over the period of performance.

47. What technology and functional trainings will be provided to the contractor? Will the trainings be provided on-site, in virtual mode, or hybrid?

• The contractor is expected to provide an individual who is familiar with the technical concepts of federal workforce planning and development. Training will be limited to NOAA/NOS systems, tools, and processes. Federal resources will be available to assist the contractor with onboarding and organizational acclimation. This can be done on–site, virtually, or hybrid as the contractor prefers.

48. Any specific functional (ex PMP) or technical certifications/credentials that the client is expecting the contractor to have?

• No.

49. Are there any specific human resource certifications/credentials (ex: CHRP) that the client is expecting the contractor to have?

• No. Federal HR knowledge is primarily the result of work experience rather than certifications.

50. What are the workforce management tools that the client is currently using?

• NOS uses the National Finance Center’s payroll database and reporting systems, Excel, and the google suite, including Google sheets and analytics.

51. Is there currently a succession plan in place or will the contractor be required to assist the CFO/CAO in plan development?

• NOS executed an initial succession planning effort last year. The results of this effort will be available for the contractor to analyze.

52. Will the coordination with NFC and NFC data analysis require a dedicated finance specialist?

• No, the contractor’s interaction with NFC will be limited to information on the current and past workforce and not include access to NFC financials. The intent of this position is not primarily financial, although improving labor forecasts would be beneficial.

53. Can you provide the number of MBO offices seeking reorganization?

• Two are currently underway in the planning stages. It is likely that two others will initiate during the period of performance.

54. The SOW requires the contractor to be “technically and topically” competent. What is defined by “topically competent”? I.e. knowledge of or competency in NOAA type of work and terminology?

• In relation to federal human resources, such as familiarity with the GPPA, Guide to Data Standards, payroll systems and data elements, technical aspects of workforce design, and federal payroll and personnel system processing and management.

55. Will there be an investigation level or Security clearance other than a NACI needed to support this NOAA RFQ?

• The work of this position correlates to public trust moderate risk.

56. Will staff be able to complete necessary cyber/IT training prior to reporting?

• Cyber/IT training can be completed following IT account creation, which can be prior to reporting.

57. The instructions do not provide a required font or size, will the government allow for Times New Roman size 12 as standard text? And specifically for tables, allow for Times New Roman size 10?

• Yes.

58. The instructions do not provide a requirement in terms of page limitation for the past performance forms or pricing? Please confirm that there is no page limitation for the past performance forms and the pricing volume (which would be used to accept all terms and conditions and include the signed SF-30).

• Pages are already included for pricing and past performance. Please use the templates already provided for these.

59. Given that this contract is fixed firm price and LPTA can the Government provide the specific number of human resource staffing plans required, how many offices will be doing realignments, and what job series competency frameworks are required; as this will provide vendors with the level of effort required?

• The government is seeking a full-time FTE to support these efforts and not evaluating the contractor based on the number of reorganizations or realignments completed.

60. Can the Government please confirm that no technical approach or company overview is required as part of the submission?

• Yes, these are not required but may be included to demonstrate the technical sufficiency of the proposal.

61. Under Qualified personnel, the RFQ states: "NOS is a customer-focused organization that will rely on the contractor personnel to represent the government externally to customers and coastal stakeholders. It is critical that the workforce provided by the contractor be technically and topically competent with full support within their work environment." Please clarify the nature of this outreach:

• The contractor will need to engage with program office personnel across the organization in order to complete their work. Such interactions must be professional in nature and reflect a high level of customer service, that includes proactively following up on inquiries and responding to questions, developing strong working relationships, and achieving buy-in and collaboration. This will be critical to successfully communicating and having recommendations adopted.

62. How many trips to stakeholder communities and to which locations?

• None required.

63. Are these interactions limited to HR/organizational discussions, or will NOS-specific scientific knowledge be required?

• The contractor will need to become familiar with NOS’s organizational structure and table of organization in order to make effective recommendations. However, scientific knowledge is not required.

64. How many NOS employees are there and where are they located?

• There are roughly 1,100 NOS federal employees. Approximately 2/3rds of NOS employees are located in Silver Spring and the rest are across the United States and territories.

65. Does NOS expect all contractor resources to be full-time?

• No, however, FTE should be equivalent to roughly 1 full-time position.

66. How many employees does NOS currently have? - How many does it anticipate at the end of the contract Base Year?

• Roughly 1,100 to both questions.