Questions_and_Answers_for_Solicitation_NIHCC-R-002023.pdf

Solicitation NIHCC-R-002023 - Questions and Answers

1. How many entities responded to the previous solicitation?

Answer: The previous solicitation has been cancelled in its entirety; this information is no longer available.

2. Did all of them get a complete review before the need to re-issue the solicitation became necessary?

3. In the new solicitation you have specifically stated that the contractor should be able to perform at least one activity from each category. This brings in an assumption that more than one person can undertake the newly worded solicitation and that sub-contracting activities are a possibility?

Answer: A prime contractor may use a subcontractor to perform this work; a strong preference will be given to Offerors who provide these skill sets with the fewest number of subcontractors.

4. Are redacted job descriptions still acceptable?

Answer: If the word redacted is meaning that critical element examples cannot be provided because of security reasons; no it is not acceptable. Some examples must be provided that would allow reference checks, if needed.

5. Will the new set of offerrors be able to access the previous responses to the solicitation?

6. Please upload the entire solicitation in word.

Answer: The solicitation will remain a PDF document.

7. Would you be receptive to electronic submission by Feb 20th?

Answer: The original response date was February 20, 2014, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The solicitation has been amended to extend the response date to: February 28, 2014, 4:00 p.m.

8. Please describe the types of clinical programs anticipated during the solicitation period? This will help me identify suitable people with knowledge of those particular therapeutic areas.

Answer: Assigned projects pertinent to any of the numerous clinical programs of the hospital that include both adult and pediatric behavioral health, oncology, surgery, infectious diseases, critical care, endocrine and neurology. The hospital also has a program to study rare diseases that largely encompasses genetic research.

9. Please help understand what stage of facility renovation is ongoing. For example is the building fully commissioned and needs program manager to understanding the execution of a fully validated building; or does the program manager need to facilitate the very design and building of the renovation that needs to be then brought into commission?

Answer: Minor renovation is ongoing in the building; Contractor support will be asked to work with the construction and/or activation team and may simply serve as a support person to help with documentation important to the project or may be asked to serve as the team leader responsible for helping the team meet milestones, regulatory issues and budget constraints. Additionally, the hospital will be adding a new wing for 5 supporting departments (surgery, radiology, laboratory medicine, PET, and transfusion medicine) in the near future and the formal process of doing the design/planning phase, construction, activation, commissioning, and close out will occur. The Contractor support would be expected to serve in a more senior level to monitor and lead all efforts pertaining to this initiative.

10. Please describe the type of therapeutic area for which procedures and protocols need to be written?

Answer: There are two types of policies and procedures (not research protocols) that are required for the Contractor support to be able to write. The first are operational documents for the Space and Facility Management office that describes how work is to be accomplished and defines responsibilities for various activities the facility managers are responsible for. The content will be provided by the experts but the Contractor would be responsible for translating this information into a standard policy or procedure format that will be provided. Secondarily, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer has different types of documents to be written that include white papers, executive briefings of meetings or subject research, and responses to Congressional data calls. In summary, the type of writing varies from the simple to the complex and the topic ranges from pure facility ‘how to do’ to the strategic level type of documentation at the executive level.

11. Preference that the Contractor is familiar with working in a hospital and research setting and the specific requirements in Section K of the SOW document appear to be internally inconsistent. Is the Government targeting Offerors with Clinical Center experience only?

Answer: No, the Government is not targeting Offerors with only Clinical Center experience.

12. Which industry standard style manuals should the Offeror be familiar with? If such a reference exists, is it internal to NIH only?

Answer: It is expected that the Contractor support is aware of what type of standards and regulations are required in a hospital settings and has basic understanding of standard building codes. These are not unique to NIH but applicable to any hospital facility requirements.

13. What standard Project Management methodology does NIH adhere to?

Answer: In general, the Project Management skills speak to great group process skills (i.e. developing meeting outcome focused agendas, leading meetings, dealing with conflict, and assuring involvement of all key stakeholders is included) to managing renovation/construction schedule milestones and budgetary allowances.

14. The title of the revised solicitation calls for a "Project Manager"; however, body text refers to the position as "The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a need to procure a Technical Writer with

Project Management skills at the senior executive level". Please clarify, as these roles are distinctly different.

Answer: The solicitation is for Contractor support services that do both aspects: writing AND project management/group process skills. This is challenging because it is fluid; projects may swing so that it is required to meet both skill sets in the same day.

15. Is this a new or follow on requirement? If it is a follow on, please let us know the current contract number and contract value?

Answer: The previous contract number is HHSN269201200134P, and the award amount was $172,260.00 (A 1 year base plus, one 6 month option period).

16. Who is the incumbent? Is it still eligible to bid as a prime for this contract?

Answer: MAVS Research & Support is the incumbent. Yes, the incumbent is eligible to provide a response to this requirement.

17. My question pertains to NIHCC-R-002023. Along with wanting to know if we could present a subcontractor of our firm for this opportunity?

Answer: A prime contractor may use a subcontractor to perform this work; a strong preference will be given to Offerors who provide these skill sets with the fewest number of subcontractors.

18. Could you also please tell me if one FTE who is both a technical writer and a project manager can be used to meet the requirement of this solicitation; or does it have to be 2 distinct individuals, one technical writer and one project manager?

Answer: See the response to question 3 and 17.

19. Is there an incumbent? If yes, what is the name of the company?

Answer: See the response to question 15.

20. If there is an incumbent, are you happy with the performance?

Answer: NIH will not share past performance information on an incumbent Contractor.

21. On page 14 under “Questions Deadline” Section, what do you mean by “Companies that submitted proposals may do so again.”?

Answer: Those Offerors who submitted proposals for the cancelled solicitation number RFQ120413, will need to resubmit a proposal under the new solicitation requirements with solicitation number NIHCC-R-002023 in order to be considered for this requirement.

22. Will you accept alternative proposals from the same company?

Answer: Yes, if the requirements outlined in the SOW are met for each proposal.

23. How many past performances would you like from company?

Answer: In the solicitation, see section ‘I’ under Technical Approach and Qualifications of Personnel.

24. Please confirm that you want one work sample from proposed resource of the following which will equal 4 total work samples: a) Policies and Procedures; b) Presentations; c) White Papers or Executive Briefings and d) Standard Operating Procedures Answer: Yes, one work sample from proposed resource of the listings above in question 24 will total the 4 work samples.

25. Do you want work samples included in 50 pages Technical Proposals or can it be in an additional attachment which would not count towards the 50 pages of technical proposal? Please clarify how you would like to receive the work samples.

Answer: The attachments/work samples would not count towards the 50 page proposal request.

26. Does the level of required writing and editing efforts require a senior technical writer?

Answer: The SOW stated the Contractor support must have at least a college degree with masters preferred. The writing skill expectations would be congruent with someone graduating from a masters program that requires a thesis type document for graduation.

27. The solicitation specifies that the technical quote shall not exceed 50 pages. Is this limit for Volume I only? If yes, is there any limit for Volume II?

Answer: Yes, not to exceed 50 pages is only for Volume I, and there are no limits for Volume II.

28. Are these follow-on requirements? If so, could you please provide the incumbent contract numbers? If not, are these new requirements?

Answer: See the response to question 15.

29. Category One: Are we to submit an actual hard copy sample of a, b and f, within the proposal itself?

Please elaborate if we misunderstand what you would like to receive in the proposal.

Answer: Yes, electronic samples of the documents are required. Also see the response to question 25.

30. Category Two: You would like an actual hard copy of an orientation and training materials or manual to be included within the proposal? Please elaborate if we misunderstand what you would like to receive in the proposal.

Answer: Electronically, a Table of Contents and 2-3 sections of an orientation manual would suffice.

The entire manual does not need to be provided. This also pertains to other samples of documents requested. It is preferred that the samples come from a diversity of both organization and style.

31. Category Three: You would like us to write detailed descriptions of c, d and e? Please elaborate if we misunderstand what you would like to receive in the proposal.

Answer: See the response to question 30.

32. Category Four: You would like us to write detailed descriptions of a and b? Please elaborate if we misunderstand what you would like to receive in the proposal.

Answer: See the response to question 30.

33. Please let us know the name of the incumbent contractor and their contract number.

Answer: See the response to question 15 and 16.

34. Please let us know if the incumbent contractor is eligible to bid on this effort.

Answer: See the response to question 16.