Answers to Questions RFP 9_13_11

Solicitation # NIHOD2011269 Attachment #1

1) The following estimated not to exceed travel rates in section I, Pricing Schedule, of the Solicitation, pages 1 through 4 is revised to the following:

Estimated Not to Exceed Travel Cost for each year:

**A blank pricing schedule template has been included

Response to the following questions:

1. Is there a page limit and/or special requirements for figures, drawings, etc? Is there a page limit for the technical volume? Does the cover page, table of contents, and resumes count against the page limit?

There does not need to be a page limit, however we expect you to be succinct in your explanations.

2. Will the government detail the estimated FTE quantity for this program?

Each job description in the RFQ is equal to one FTE for this program. We would like the perspective contractor to explain how they are going to do the work.

3. The RFQ lists 5 job descriptions and associated hours with each. Is this the total for the program or will there be multiple people in each position?

It is up to the contractor how to fill each job description and the associated hours. Multiple people are acceptable except for the Project Manager and Principal and Senior Associate.

4. Does the Project Manager have to be a current employee of the prime contractor?

No, as long as they meet the qualifications as stated in the contract. They would also have to submit a signed Commitment Letter.

5. Does the Prime require a current facility security clearance certification at the time of award, or will a subcontractor’s facility clearance suffice?

Either company holding a facility clearance will suffice.

6. Can you clarify if a Top-Secret Facility Clearance is required for this effort or if Secret is sufficient?

We want two contractor staff members to hold a Top Secret clearance (Level 6: Public Trust High Risk), the rest can be at a Level 1: Non-Sensitive.

7. The RFQ specifies a NAICS code of 541690 and the small business standard size is $6.5 million. The SBA identifies a small business size of $7.0 million for the same code. Please verify the small business size standard for this solicitation.

Small business size for NAICS code 541690 is $7.0 Million.

8. Understand that between the Project Manager, Principal and Senior Associate, two of the three will be on-site on a daily basis. Can the two on-site personnel rotate amongst the three individuals, or does the NIH require the same two individuals to be on-site, as the principal and Sr Associate are not bid at full time?

The three positions can rotate to provide the necessary coverage.

9. Will the work of the project be managed by individual task orders?

No, the contractor will be provided assignments as they arise.

10. Is there a minimum level of effort for each year of the project?

No, the contractor will be provided assignments as they arise.

11. Will the government provide office space and computers for all members of the contractor team or just the two (three during crisis) required on-site positions, and if so, do they each require a top secret clearance?

The government will provide space and IT equipment for the on-site contractor personal.

12. In the event of a National, regional, or local crisis/emergency, will the contractor be required to provide staffing for 24/7 operations in the support of the EOC and how many contractors will be expected to support these operations?

24/7 staffing will be necessary during a crisis/emergency depending on the severity of the crisis. Up to three contractors may be needed to support the operation.

13. With the exception of a National, regional, or local crisis/emergency, is the expectation that the two on-site individuals will normally work Monday-Friday for a 40 hour work week during normal duty hours?

On the days they are assigned to work, the contract staff will be expected to report to the DEPC office area in Building 45. At times there may be travel involved to another NIH location, either locally or out of state. Since the DEPC is responsible for emergency recover operations, telework is not an option. Also, some positions may not be 40 hour positions based on how the contract company decides to align their staff. If the workload requires (writing a white paper, designing and facilitating an exercise), they may be asked to work additional hours to meet the increased workload. I expect the Project Manager to be onsite Monday thru Friday, so that I can meet with and direct them as required.

14. Does “establishing emergency communications within the NIH Emergency Operations Command Center” include a requirement for the contractor to provide emergency communications equipment?

No, the government will provide the necessary equipment at the EOCC.

15. Would you please further explain, “provide assistance associated with classified communications activities.” What capabilities is the contractor required to provide?

The contractor is expected to be able to assist with the handling of classified documents, transmission of material using COMSEC equipment.

16. Security Clearances: Page 6 of the RFQ makes a specific reference to “National Security Top Secret Clearances;” does a Department of Defense Top Secret Clearance meet the NIH requirement?

Yes. HHS cannot issue a contractor a clearance so having them already completed through DISCO in DoD. We can verify the clearance in JPAS during the badging process. You would also have to submit proof on a clearance/and investigation to us when you begin work.

17. Since travel is on a cost-reimbursement basis, do you require the submission of a proposed travel budget? Is so, how many members of the contractor team do you anticipate travelling and for how many days to each of the satellite sites?

No, we don’t require a budget ahead of time, they travel based on our requirements. See changes to the pricing schedule attached. Use this new schedule in submitting your business proposal.

18. Does the prime need to work 51 percent of the value or hours? Is that percentage on an annual basis or contract wide basis?

Prime has to do at least 50% cost of labor.

19. Will the contractor team or a part thereof spend the majority of their time on site at a government facility, even in the absence of a disaster or threat?

It is expected that the contractor will have two people on site for the majority of their time during the normal work week, Monday through Friday.

20. On page 6 of RFQ_COOP20116_11(3)(2) it states that the "Contract must hold a current Facility Security Clearance Certification." Does this apply to both the prime and any subcontractors? Or can it be either of the teaming partners to meet this requirement. I ask this because not many small businesses have this certification.

Either of the teaming partners could meet the requirement. However, there still needs to be two individuals onsite with a TS clearance, covered by this Facility Security Clearance Certification

21. The Pricing Schedule beginning on page 1 of 25 includes an estimated annual quantity of hours for each of 5 labor categories. The table of key personnel on page 11 of 25 lists all five labor categories as key. Section II. Evaluation of Options on page 23 of 25 states that the “Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement….” Does the Government prefer that offerors price the estimated hours provided for cost comparison purposes, or may we propose a different mix of labor categories and hours?

You have to propose the number of hours by the job category we have listed in the solicitation. You may submit an alternate proposal with different mix of labor categories and hours.

22. The RFP makes no mention of any anticipated other direct costs (ODCs). The range of tasks on pages 6 of 25 includes the development of plans, procedures, and other documents, and the implementation of the test, training, and exercise program. Does the Government expect contractor support with the production of multiple copies of any deliverable documents, or any other support that might require ODC expenditures? If so, will the Government detail those requirements for pricing purposes, or alternatively, provide a not to exceed ODC amount for inclusion in our total annual price?

The contractor shall be paid in accordance with the fixed loaded hourly rates with all costs including ODC, except for travel which is on a cost-reimbursement basis.

23. Are the examples of experience for labor categories provided on page 7 of 25 meant to be guidelines or mandatory qualifications for the various labor categories?

Minimum mandatory qualifications.

24. The note beneath the key personnel table on page 11 of 25 says “Two of the following senior staff members, who will be onsite on a daily basis need to have Top Level Security Clearance. That could be the Project Manager, Principal, and/or Sr. Associate.” The Pricing Schedule beginning on page 1 of 25 suggests that only the Project Manager (estimated 1920 hours each year versus only 1248 hours each for the Principal and Sr. Associate) will be onsite on a daily basis. Will the Government please clarify?

All three would need to have a Top Secret clearance so that any combination of the three would still provide the Government with two on-site personnel with clearances.

25. The PAST PERFORMANCE section beginning on page 22 of 25 does not define the number of past performance references nor the specific data elements for each reference that the Government would like offerors to provide. Will the government please clarify?

Identify 3-5 contracts and agencies for which experience is claimed for similar work performed within the last three years, and provide brief description of work the for each contract. Include the name of the agency, name of the contracting officer and project officer, address, phone number, email address, contract number and project title.

26. What type of contract will be awarded? Labor, Time & Material, or Firm-fixed Price?

Section 1 – Pricing Schedule indicates that “The contractor shall be paid in accordance with the fixed loaded hourly rates shown below for the number of hours actually incurred in the performance of the work specified herein”, which implies a time and materials contract. Attachment 1, on the other hand, provides invoicing instructions for NIH firm-fixed-price contracts. Please provide clarification on the contract type.

Firm-fixed Price

27. Can you provide an estimated start date for the period of performance?

Section B states that "The period of performance is a base year with 4 option years." Please provide the estimated POP start date.

Approximately January 25, 2012

28. In support of Section D, what is the expected response time for these individuals? What is the expected frequency of such trips?

Section D includes the following requirement: "The Project Manager for the contractor, and up to two additional contract staff, will be made available, at the discretion of the Government Project Officer, during a National, regional or local crisis/emergency."

Response times will vary based on the time of day, extent of emergency, and location that the staff is reporting to. There is not a firm response time fixed by DEPC, as considerations such as distance from site will factor into the individuals’ response.

29. Can you provide information on the estimated duration, number of people expected to attend, and the type of work that will be performed for travel IAW Section H?

According to Section H, travel to satellite locations will occur no more than twice per year.

Travel will typically be to the NIH relocation site in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Travel to this location is typically two days and one night. Work at the sight is checking the computers pre-positioned there, and the connections for the Lan and telephone.

30. Will the government reimburse travel costs above the federal per diem rates for on-call personnel if rapid response times are the reason for the overage?

Please provide an estimate of the frequency and length of such trips (possibly based on historical experience). Is additional funding available if there are more trips or if the trips are longer than estimated by the contractor during the proposal phase?

These types of trips are not anticipated. If a situation does occur where there would be a need for emergency travel additional funds will be made available during an emergency.

31. Can the hours established for the five positions in Section I be redistributed in our proposed solution if we believe we can provide the same quality of support in a more cost efficient manner to the government?

Specifically, the hours allocated for the Project Manager are in excess of what most companies establish as a standard work year for employees…the figure of 1920 only allows for Federal holidays and two weeks of combined annual/sick leave. This could have a negative impact on the government if a Firm-Fixed Price contract is used. The government could possibly get more value if hours were redistributed.

The project manager is expected to be a full time employee. Leave will be granted on an as needed basis.

32. Can you provide project information regarding the current effort, to include the Periods of Performance and actual annual obligated amounts for the most recently awarded contract?

The period of performance for the current contract is 9/27/2006 through 01/26/2012. The total estimated contract amount is $2,888,835.52.

33. Other than the Monthly Progress Report, are there any other specific deliverables for which the government has identified their nature and due date?

Section G states “TO BE COMPLETED AT TIME OF AWARD” for deliverables. Is it anticipated that the government and contractor will work together to establish deliverables and due dates in support of Section D task?

Deliverables will be developed on an as needed basis, throughout the period of the contract.