Revised_Responses_to_RFIs_to_$49M_UNR_IDIQ__17DEC2018.pdf

6-Dec-18 1 Will Physical Security Professional (PSP) meet the qualifications for a RCDD? No.

6-Dec-18 2 Is Registered Architect (RA) suitable qualification for a Planner, if they have a suitable experience background in campus planning?

Yes, they can be a RA, as long as they provide suitable experience justifying their role as a Planner.

6-Dec-18 3 Is Professional Engineer (PE) a suitable qualification for a Construction Manager if they have experience in those duties?

Yes, the firm can propose a PE for a Construction Manager.

6-Dec-18 4 Submission Requirements requires the submission of a Small Business Participation Plan. Is that required for the Technical Proposal or is that “to be required” as part of an RFP response to the firms selected to negotiate.

Yes, the Small Business Participation Plan (SBPP) is required. A small paragraph under Section H can state how the Offeror intends to meet the SBPP goals. Separate from the 125 page count, the Offeror must submit their SBPP goals in a separate envelope.

6-Dec-18 5 Secondary Factor 1 Small Business – If a Small Business Participation Plan is required as part of the Technical Proposal, does that cover the submission requirement for this Factor?

Yes it covers the requirement. Paragraph 3 - Selection Criteria of the Pre-solicitation states that as Secondary Factor 1 the Small Business Participation Plan will be utilized.

6-Dec-18 6 Please clarify, Each firm should only submit one proposal if they would like to be considered for both the TS- FCL and Uncleared?

All firms are authormatically considered for the Uncleared SATOC IDIQ. For Offerors interested in submitting for the TS-FCL, please identify submission as instructed in the synopsis.

6-Dec-18 7 Are the Covers/Tabs; Cover Letter; Part IIs; CPARS/PPQs and SB Plan included in the 125 page limit?

Not included in the page Count -Covers/Tabs and SB Plan (separate submission).

Included in the page count -- Cover Letter, Part IIs, and CPARS/PPQs.

Ref: Factor 2 – Professional Qualifications The solicitation reads “For the TS-FCL contract, the personnel in each key discipline listed above must possess valid current final Top Secret Security Clearances”.

a.) Is it really necessary for the Landscape Architect to possess a Top Secret clearance since all of their work is exterior and visible to the public?

b.) Can the clearance requirement for the Landscape Architect be reduced or eliminated? Extremely few, if any, Landscape Architects have this level of clearance and this requirement will severely restrict the number of competitors for the TS-FCL contract.

6-Dec-18 9

Ref: Factor 3 – Past Performance a.) Please clarify if we should provide copies of our CPARS ratings for each project listed in Section F or whether the Government will retrieve them?

b.) Will the CPARS/PPQ forms be counted in the 125 page limit?

c.) Are we to provide the CPARS/PPQs within the body of Section F after each project, or should we provide in an Appendix?

d.) Can we use previously completed PPQs?

(a) It would behoove the Offerors to provide a copy of the CPARS for all projects listed in Section F, as they are considered to be key projects that relate to the requested technical competancies. With that said, the Government still has the right to pull additional CPARS as they see fit. (b) Yes, it is included in the page count. (c) You can provide them in whatever section you find easiest for the reviewer to follow.

(d) PPQs can be used, but they must utilize the NAVFAC Form. The Offeror can also use "previously used" (PPQs used in prior submissions) PPQs as long as the firm references a project in Section F. Offeror must submit NAVFAC PPQ form to clients to fill out then Offeror will include PPQs when submitting SF330s.

6-Dec-18 10 Factor 1 Specialized Experience & Technical Competence – given the nature of this work and the contract history with in the District, is it acceptable to include projects that are more than 5 years old? Would projects that were completed no more than 10 years ago be considered compliant?

All project provided under this Factor shall be within the last 5 years.

6-Dec-18 11 Factor 2 Professional Qualifications – are we required to submit item E resumes for an entire survey crew, or do you only want to see their names shown on the organization chart in section D of the SF330?

All names of personnel to serve on the survey crew must be provided.

6-Dec-18 12 Factor 3 Past Performance – are PPQ’s acceptable for projects that do not have an CPARS rating? If so, can they be included as an appendix and not count towards the page limit of the SF330?

See answer to 9(d). They are counted in the page count.

6-Dec-18 13 Secondary Factor 1 Small Business Participation Plan – does the District have a desired template for this plan, and is it excluded from the section H page limit? If so, can it be included as an appendix item?

There is no desired template. Each firm should reference under Section H a small statement regarding this. A separate document should be submitted identifying the SBPP goals. See response to Question 4.

7-Dec-18 14 Based on the notice type being identified on FBO as "Presolicitation", please confirm no further solicitation notices are forthcoming other than amendments, and this notice should be treated as a "Combined Synopsis/Solicitation"

No additional solictiation notices will be forthcoming.

7-Dec-18 15 Please identify if there is a preferred format for past performance questionnaires to be provided, and if there is a preferred format will alternate formats be accepted?

CPARS are preferred; however, PPQs, as stated in 9(d) will be accepted.

86-Dec-18

(a) It is not necessary for the Landscape Architect to possess a TS. (b) See answer to (a).

MULTI-DISCIPLINE ARCHITECT/ENGINEER SERVICES FOR MILITARY PROJECTS IN THE BALTIMORE DISTRICT, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS UNRESTRICTED IDIQ w/TS-FCL Date Received Spec Number if provided Question Answer

7-Dec-18 16 Page limits have been identified for section H and Part I of the SF330. Please identify if other page limits exist for components of Part I, including resume and past projects, either individually or combined section page limits.

No other sections have page limitations; however, the OVERALL document must adhere to the total page limit of 125 pages.

7-Dec-18 17

Do past performance evaluations count toward the 125 page limit? Yes.

7-Dec-18 18

Is it permissible to include graphics in the proposal as part of Section H and past projects? If graphics are permitted, does the font size requirement apply to graphics as well?

Yes , it is permissible, but it should be done only if it is pertinent to the requirements of the proposal. Please adhere to the font requirement as best as possible, but understand that it may be difficult for figures (i.e., organization charts), so we will allow leeway for that.

7-Dec-18 19

Would inclusion of an 11” x 17” page for an organizational chart be permitted and, if so, would it count as one or two pages in the proposal submission?

Yes, this would count as 1 page if ONLY the front is used. It would be 2 pages if back and front are used.

7-Dec-18 20 Can section Tabs be used and will they count toward page count? Yes, they can; and no they will not count towards the page count.

7-Dec-18 21 Do all projects submitted in Section F have to be completed by the prime, or can Section F projects include projects from a member of the proposed team, including proposed consultants?

Projects in Section F can be completed by the Prime, Subcontractor, the team, and/or the Joint Venture.

7-Dec-18 22

Please verify equivalent key personnel and consultants will be permissible for task order responses upon award, with COR approval.

Only personnel proposed will be permissible to provide support under the base contract. Any deviations after award will have to be approved by the Contracting Officer.

7-Dec-18 23

Is there a target small business percentage, and would you like to see the plan referenced by total contract value or percentage of subcontracted dollars?

There is no small business percentage target. Please reference by total contract value.

7-Dec-18 24 Please verify a hand delivery submission option is available to the contracting office address. Yes, you may hand deliver your submission. Ensure that it is delivered on time and that a receipt is provided to you for your reccord.

7-Dec-18 25 Please verify the hard copy and electronic submission quantities are total for the entire team submission, with consultants only providing Part II of the SF 330, and any Part I information from consultants shall be included with prime information in Part I.

Hard and Electronic are total for the entire team.

10-Dec-18 26

4 – Submission Requirements states that “The SF330 Part 1 shall not exceed 125 pages (8.5" x 11"), including no more than 10 pages for Section H.” In order to properly respond to all the criteria requested in Factors 1 – 6 and Secondary Factors 1 and 2, will the Corps consider removing the 10 page limit for Section H?

The Government will allow 15 pages for Section H, and no more.

10-Dec-18 27

In the last two paragraphs of the FBO solicitation, it states that one (1) SATOC IDIQ will require a TS-FCL and one (1) SATOC IDIQ will be Uncleared, that all firms will be considered for the Uncleared SATOC IDIQ, and if a firm wants to be considered for the TS-FCL SATOC IDIQ, to identify so with “w/TS-FCL” on the submission. How will the Corps evaluate firms or differentiate between firms for each contract?

a. If a firm identifies that they want to be considered for the TS-FCL IDIQ, will their SF-330 be separated and evaluated independently from firms desiring consideration for the Uncleared IDIQ?

b. How will the Corps rank the firms to differentiate between the Uncleared IDIQ and the TS-FCL IDIQ?

i. Will overall ranking be consolidated onto one list, or will the Corps rank firms onto two lists by category – Uncleared and TS-FCL?

ii. If a single consolidated ranking of all firms is used, how will the Corps award a TS-FCL if the top two ranked firms are Uncleared? Or if the top two ranked firms hold TS-FCL’s, will one firm be awarded the TS- FCL contract and one the Uncleared?

iii. If the approach is to create two ranking lists, one for firms with TS-FCL and one for Uncleared firms, will a firm with a TS-FCL still be considered for the Uncleared IDIQ?

c. How does a firm identify in their submission that they want to be considered for both the Uncleared and the TS-FCL IDIQ’s?

(a) The reason that firms were asked to identify what they wanted to be consdired for is because they will be considered as separate reviews. (b) There are NO rankings in AE evaluations. (i) The USACE will have 2 lists. Again, there are NO rankings. (ii) As stated previously, they will be reviewed separately. (iii) See a. (c) They submit the proposal with the title with the following title: MULTI-DISCIPLINE

ARCHITECT/ENGINEER SERVICES FOR MILITARY PROJECTS IN THE

BALTIMORE DISTRICT, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

UNRESTRICTED IDIQ. The Panel will assume it is for both requirements.

11-Dec-18 28 Page 3 of 7 of the solicitation states “Do not list an IDIQ contract as an example of a completed project.

Instead, list relevant completed task orders or standalone contract awards that fit within the definition above.”

Can you please verify that a “completed project” refers to 100% design complete?

A completed project refers to a 100% design complete.

11-Dec-18 29

Page 5 of 7 of the solicitation states: “Firms shall demonstrate the extent of their participation with small businesses. Offerors will be evaluated in terms of their ability to successfully meet the small business participation target goals through collective small business participation from any type of small business or sub-category small business.” Can you please provide the participation targets including all sub-categories? Can you also verify (and provide) if you have a specific template for the presentation of this information?

There is no Small Business Partcipation (SBPP) template. See response to questions 13 & 23. The SBPP will only be necessary in the event of a tie. It is up to each firm to identify their own SBPP goals.

11-Dec-18 30

Our civil engineers are usually responsible for obtaining permits for both erosion and sediment control and stormwater management plans. Our environmental engineers and scientists are responsible for air quality permitting. Are there any other specific permitting requirement responsibilities other than air quality permitting for the environmental engineer? If erosion and sediment control and stormwater management are included in the permitting experience needed, can a civil engineer fulfill this type of permitting?

The firm should be well aware of permitting requirements for executing work for us.

Yes, a Civil Engineer can fulfill the permitting requirements for E&S and stormwater.

11-Dec-18 31 Would the District consider a registered fire protection engineer (FPE) but waive the requirement for a degree in fire protection engineering from an accredited university?

No, the FPE must come from an accredited university.

12-Dec-18 32

Solicitation # PANNAD-19-P-0000-000593 calls simultaneously for responses to both the SATOC that requires a TS-FCL and the SATOC that is open for non-restricted responses. Our approach to the response for two different contract types would vary based upon TS staff or staff without clearance but more experience. It is unclear how to organize a response to differentiate ability to execute each type of work. Can a firm use two separate organizational methods and designate which applies to each SATOC? If so, how should a firm provide clarification on whose experience should be considered for the TS contract, especially with organizational charts? To present superior submissions while representing qualifications which meet the differing needs of the solicitation our response would differ as well.

It's up to each firm to determine their organizational structure.

12-Dec-18 33 How many resumes per discipline would you like to see? One per discipline will be accepted and reviewed.

12-Dec-18 34 We understand a single firm cannot be awarded both SATOCs. Can a firm submit a proposal as Prime on both SATOCs? If a firm cannot submit as Prime on both SATOCS, can the firm submit as Prime on one and as Subconsultant on the other?

Yes.

12-Dec-18 35 Is it acceptable for the land survey crew and landscape architect to possess SECRET FCL in lieu of TS FCL?

See response to question 8 for Landscape Architect. For Survey Crew, a secret FCL will suffice.

12-Dec-18 36 Is an active TS FCL required of the prime and all key subconsultants? Cleared is required. Uncleared is not required.

12-Dec-18 37 Will an interim TS clearance be considered acceptable? No.

12-Dec-18 38

The solicitation asks for a Small Business Participation Plan to be submitted along with the SF330. Are you requiring a DRAFT Small Business Subcontracting Plan IAW the requirements of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 19.704 and FAR 52.219-9, or can we simply show a Table within Section H to illustrate our Small Business participation plan and submit the full SB Subcontracting Plan when selected for negotiations?

See responses to questions 13, 23, and 29. The Small Business Partcipation (SBPP) as stated in the announcement will only be necessary in the event of a tie. It is up to each firm to identify their own SBPP goals. Eventhough it will only be used in the evnt of a tie, how it's presented/submitted will be evaluated.

12-Dec-18 39 Is there a range in construction cost/value for the Example Projects to be submitted in Section F? Minimum construction value is $5M.

12-Dec-18 40 Can you please clarify the role of Construction Manager? Discipline is involved in Title II services.

12-Dec-18 41

The solicitation states that: “The evaluation of past performance will be based on information provided through CPAR and may include other information provided by the firm,…” Three Questions: 1. Are you requiring the firms to submit copies of existing CPARS for the Example Projects to be submitted in Section F?

2. If we do not have a completed CPAR for the Example Projects submitted in Section F, are we to submit a PPQ with the SF330?

3. To reduce the impact on our government clients, will you accepted a previously completed PPQ to support the Example Projects in Section F?

CPARS and PPQs (including previously completed) will be accepted for all projects in Section F. See response to Question 9.

12-Dec-18 42 The solicitation states that: “firms must demonstrate their ability to meet schedule, scope, and budget on multiple concurrent projects by providing appropriate teams and adequate staff to perform the services required by the IDIQ contract.” Can you tell us the construction value of a typical task order that is envisioned on this IDIQ contract and how many concurrent Task Orders you anticipate awarding?

See response to question 39.

12-Dec-18 43

RFP Tie Breaker Factor 1, Small Business Plan states, “…Firms shall demonstrate the extent of their participation with small businesses.” However, Section 4, Submission Requirements states, “… The SF330 and the Small Business Participation Plan shall each be submitted as separate files.” Is the Government expecting a complete and separate Small Business Plan or only paragraph narrative regarding capability to be included?

See responses to questions 13, 23, 29, and 37. Small Business Participation Plans (SBPP) will be submitted as separate files. All A/E firms responding shall be required to submit a separate SBPP proposing participation goals using their best effort. A small narrative/statement regarding the seperate SBPP file should be mentioned Section H.

12-Dec-18 44

RFP Factor 1 states, “...All projects provided in the SF330 must be completed by the office/branch/regional office/individual team member actually proposed to manage and perform work under this contract.” Does this mean that projects performed by subcontractor discipline leads may be used as one or more of the ten projects required under Factor 1? Please confirm if this interpretation is correct.

Yes.

12-Dec-18 45 Please confirm that for the TS-FCL SATOC contract a TS clearance is not required for the following key disciplines: Cost Engineering, Survey Crew and Land Surveyors, Certified Value Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Environmental Engineer and Certified Industrial Hygienist?

All but the Survey Crew and the Land Surveyors have to hold a TS-FCL.

12-Dec-18 46 Please confirm that we can include 11x17 pages for sections such as D. Org Chart. If acceptable, will an 11x17 page count as one page or two?

Yes, this would count as 1 page if ONLY the front is used. It would be 2 pages if back and front are used.

12-Dec-18 47

Under Factor 5, Knowledge of Locality, Firms must demonstrate knowledge of USACE NAD AOR and the USACE Baltimore District local conditions, but the TS-FCL SATOC will also have “incidental utilization in CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico”. For optimal scoring, please clarify the preferred AOR to reference.

These contracts will be used for projects within USACE’s North Atlantic Division (NAD) geographic area of responsibility (AOR). The TS-FCL A/E SATOC IDIQ will also have incidental utilization in the Contiguous United States (CONUS) and in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

12-Dec-18 48 Under Factor 1, Specialized Experience and Technical Competence, please confirm that for the 10 highlighted projects in Section F, all professional services must be completed within the past five years.

It must be within the past 5 years.

12-Dec-18 49 Given the fact that USACE often contracts separate tasks for a single project (i.e., Code 0, 3, 2, 6), please confirm that the aggregated project description would be deemed acceptable for a single Section F Project. No.

12-Dec-18 50 In accordance with Factor 3, Past Performance, will it be necessary to provide CPARS or PPQs for the Section F projects? If so, to reduce the administrative burden on our clients, please confirm that we can use PPQs drafted for similar DOD SF330 responses? Further, can you please confirm that Part IIs, PPQs and CPARS will not count toward the overall page count of 125 pages, and can be submitted as an appendix?

Section F projects can reference either PPQs or CPARS; The firms can utilize previously used SF330s; All will be included in the page count. See resonse to Question 9.

12-Dec-18 51

In aligning our response for the Secure contract, typical IC facility requirements are different than the traditional DoD facility types comprehensively listed under “Synopsis #2 Project Information” project types.

Please confirm that if we are going to pursue the TS-FCL SATOC, we do not need to include examples of facility types such as community support, troop housing, recreational facilities, and child development. As a follow-on question, for those responses that default to the Non-Secure contract competition, but are focused on providing the classified specialized experience, how will that impact overall scoring for this criterion?

Those facility types are stated clearly in the synopsis, and should be used as project examples in Section F. The proposals are neither scored nor ranked.

12-Dec-18 52 Where do you expect to see the support material showing our experience with the 15 sub-categories listed in Factor 1? Given the limitations for page count on Section H, please confirm you will score relevant introductory material for Factor 1 in Section F, as well as introductory material for Factor 2 Professional Qualifications in Section E, comprised of relevant matrices and tables that tie in to the subsequent material.

It is up to the bidder to determine how they want to present the information.

12-Dec-18 53 Factor 2 indicates to “Provide all clearance information for personnel submitted in the SF330, Section H.”

What clearance information is required? Is simply showing the individuals clearance level adequate? Can this be shown in section E on the resume?

Providing a statement that they hold a clearance is acceptable.

12-Dec-18 54 Even with a reprieve permitting introductory material for Factors 1 & 2 to be scored in Sections E & F, there is a lot of information requested in the solicitation that would typically go into Section H. Is it possible to relax the 10-page restriction in section H?

Yes, 15 pages for Section H is fine.

12-Dec-18 55 The Forecasted FY 19 Workload on the Baltimore District web site lists the contract capacity for each of the two contracts as $45M. The Presolicitation notice indicates the capacity of each contract is $24.5M. Which is correct?

There will be two (2) contracts awarded, each with a total capacity of $24.5M.

12-Dec-18 56 Given all the evaluation criteria listed in the Presolicitation, is a ten (10) page limit on Section H sufficient to enable USACE to conduct a comprehensive evaluation? Is it possible to increase the page limit to a 25 pages to address all Factors/Subfactors effectively?

Please reference Line 34.

12-Dec-18 57

The Presolicitation states “if a firm successfully negotiates and is awarded the Cleared SATOC, that firm will no longer be eligible to negotiate or be awarded the Uncleared SATOC.” Our questions are: 1) Can the firm who successfully negotiates and is awarded as Prime on the cleared SATOC be a subcontractor to another Prime firm for the Uncleared SATOC? 2) Can the same firm that is awarded the Cleared SATOC be a partner in a Joint Venture for the Uncleared SATOC? 3) Similarly, is a firm who is a subcontractor on the team that is awarded the Cleared SATOC eligible to submit as a prime on the Uncleared contract?

1) Yes; 2) Yes; 3) Yes

12-Dec-18 58 Given that this presolicitation is for an IDIQ contract, would it be helpful to the reviewers if our qualifications contained a limited number of IDIQ contracts as an example of a completed project?

Please review the solicitation. No IDIQs should be listed.

12-Dec-18 59 The presolicitation states the SF330 Part 1 shall not exceed 125 pages (8.5” x 11”). Are we able to use 11” x 17” size paper if it is to display a graphic or table?

Yes, this would count as 1 page if ONLY the front is used. It would be 2 pages if back and front are used.

12-Dec-18 60 The presolicitation states that font size shall be 10 or larger. Are we able to use smaller than 10 pt in graphics and tables?

No. It is too difficult to read.

12-Dec-18 61 Given the tight page count of 125 pages total to include 10 pages in Section H, is it possible to add the two secondary factors, FACTOR 1 – SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION PLAN and FACTOR 2 – GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY as an Appendix outside of the 125 pages?

Yes.

12-Dec-18 62 Because of rush hour traffic in the Washington Metropolitan area, would you consider increasing the suspense time of delivery to 2:00 p.m. instead of 12:00 p.m.?

No the submission date will remain 10 January 2019 at 12:00pm EST.

12-Dec-18 63 When do you anticipate answering questions? Now.

12-Dec-18 64 Is there a possibility that you may delay the due date considering the holidays? No extension will be granted. We have taken that into consideration by extending it to the current date that it is due. We can't afford extending it any further. See response to Question 62.

12-Dec-18 65 Does a Certified Estimating Professional (CEP) from AACE International (Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_engineering> ) meet the requirements for certification as a cost estimator?

PCE/A; CEP; CPE; and CCE/A are all recognized.

Sheet1