Responses_to_BASS_Solicitation_Questions.docx

Responses to Questions for Benefit Administration Support Services

PBGC01-RP-14-0015

May 7, 2014

1. Would PBGC consider the use of multiple facilities upon award as long as the work at those facilities was ultimately managed by the same prime contractor?

Response: Please refer to Section C.6, Place(s) of Performance, in the Statement of Work.

2. Would PBGC consider an extension of 3 weeks to the submission date?

Response: The submission deadline is hereby extended to May 22, 2014 @ 1:00 p.m.

3. What is PBGC’s geographic location preference for the facility/facilities? Is there a preferred driving distance from the HQ?

Response: There is no preference with relation to geographic location, provided the requirements in Section C.6, Place(s) of Performance, and Section C.7.6.3, Business Continuity of Operations Plan (if required), are met.

4. During the period of performance would PBGC be receptive to the selected vendor transitioning the current service delivery model to a business process outsourcing model?

Response: PBGC intends to maintain the current service delivery model throughout the life of the contract.

5. Reference Attachment 6: Please confirm the response to the security plan and SOP requirements are to be combined in one (1) document and submitted as a separate document, and is not counted toward the 40 page count.

Response: This is correct.

6. Reference Sect. C.2., NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-53, Revision 3 and accompanying link: The NIST document referenced in section C.2. is out of date, per the notification on the link. Can we assume that current NIST regulations are applicable to this requirement?

Response: NIST Special Publication 800-53, Revision 4 is the current reference. All references in the RFP and attachments are hereby revised to read NIST Special Publication 800-53, Revision 4, and the link can be found here: http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-53r4.pdf.

7. Reference C.7.2.3. Please provide the Benefit Payment Schedule referred to in this section?

Response: A sample Benefit Payment Schedule (for June 2014) is attached.

8. Reference C.7.2.8: Is the Contractor responsible for calculating the changes and updating administration system for benefit payment changes noted in the requirement? If Contractor's responsibility, what are the deliverables expected?

Response: A benefit statement calculation tool will be provided for calculating benefits. If a benefit cannot be calculated using the calculation tool, the contractor will request a calculation from a federal government actuary through an Actuarial Support Request process.

9. Reference C.7.6.2: Is the Continuity of Services plan required in p. 27, Sect. C.7.6.2 part of the 40 page requirement?

Response: No, the Continuity of Services plan does not count towards the 40-page limit.

10. Reference C.7.8.3: Is it required that the LAN Closets be on a separate floor or 100 meters from the LAN Room?

Response: If there is going to be a separate floor, then the LAN closet is the hub for communicating with devices on that floor and the LAN closet is connected back to the LAN room on a different floor.

11. Reference C.7.8.4.2: Please confirm that the "Contractor Program Manager" role is synonymous with Project Manager labor category.

Response: Yes, these two labor categories are meant to be the same. The RFP is hereby revised to change all references from Program Manager to Project Manager.

12. Reference Sect C.8.1 (Table 2). Also, references C.7.2.5, C.7.2.6. Are the Annual Volumes associated with DRO Processing, Power of Attorney, Conservatorship cases embedded within transaction volumes as part of Table 2 on page 33?

Response: Yes.

13. Under this contract, is Contractor responsible for managing the Escheatment process under state guidelines?

Response: Steps for determining beneficiaries or estates are contained in the BAPD Operations Manual (Appendix O V. Common-Law Marriage).

14. Can you provide the percentage of distributions by delivery type (e.g. paper check vs. EFT) to understand the impact on reconciliation breadth?

Response: In March 2014, PBGC issued payments to 785,575 people. 85% of those payments were disbursed electronically.

15. With regard to disbursement process, is contractor expected to reconcile tax withholding and any other deductions relating to the distribution of benefits?

Response: The contractor will be responsible for following established benefit recoupment and recovery processes provided in the BAPD Operations Manual. The contractor will not be responsible for reconciling tax withholdings or other deductions.

16. Reference RFP Section L.7, Page 81 - 12 pitch print or larger, Times New Roman style font Question: Would PBGC consider allowing 10 point font for graphics?

Response: Yes

17. Reference PBGC01-RP-14-0015, Page 21 (of 91) - C.6 Place(s) of Performance … At the request of the Government, the Contractor shall travel to locations within the United States for the purpose of data or record collection, training, performance discussions, or other activities in the performance of this contract. During the set-up of the Contractor’s facility, at the direction of the Government, the Contractor may also be required to perform services at a PBGC facility.

Question: For services performed at a PBGC facility, will the contractor be reimbursed for these travel costs?

Response: Yes, the Contractor would be reimbursed for travel costs to and from the PBGC facility in the event that the Contractor is required to perform services at a PBGC facility.

18. Reference PBGC01-RP-14-0015, Page 37 (of 91) - G.1 PBGC-32-001 SUBMISSION OF INVOICES (LABOR-HOUR) (JAN 2012), (h) Five percent of the total direct labor invoiced will be withheld after one million dollars has been obligated to the contract, up to a ceiling amount of $50,000, unless other terms have been negotiated.

Question: What is the purpose of this withholding and at what point will the withholding be returned to the contractor? What considerations would prevent the Government from returning this withholding to the contractor?

Response: Paragraph (h) of PBGC Clause PBGC01-14-0015 is hereby removed.

19. Reference PBGC01-RP-14-0015, Page 40 and 43 (of 91) - H.1 PBGC-00-001 PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE (OCT 2005), H.6 PBGC-03-004 DISPLAY OF PBGC IDENTIFICATION BADGES (FEB 2013) Comment: PBGC specific clauses on Professional Attire and Display of PBGC Identification Badges have specific requirements for the employees at PBGC facilities.

Question: Does PBGC view the Contractor facility as a “PBGC Facility”?

Response: Yes, for the purposes of the requirement referenced, the Contractor facility shall be viewed as a “PBGC Facility.”

20. Reference PBGC01-RP-14-0015, Page 79 (of 91) - L.6 Proposal Submission Instructions, Proposals shall be submitted in both electronic and paper versions. L.6.5 Late Proposals, Both the hard copy version and electronic version must both be received before the time and date specified for receipt. If either the hard copy or electronic version, or both versions, of the proposal is received at the physical or virtual destination after the time and date specified for receipt, the proposal will be considered late and will be dealt with in accordance with the late proposal provision of FAR 52.212-1.

Comment: It is understandable that the Government requires proposal submission in both paper and electronic versions. However, that is typically accomplished by specifying that the Contractor, when submitting its paper proposal, include an electronic copy on an accompanying compact disk.

Question: Since, to be responsive, the delivery of proposals to two separate points of receipt (4 copies hand carried to the PBGC office and 1 uploaded electronically) prior to the due date and time is not specifically addressed in the FAR, would the Government consider revising the delivery requirements to state that Electronic Submission must be received via the PBGC Secure Proposal Site by the date and time specified for delivery in order for the Contractor to be considered responsive?

Response: No, PBGC will not revise the requirement for delivery of both the electronic and paper versions of the proposals.

21. Reference PBGC01-RP-14-0015, Page 81 (of 91) - L.7.1 OFFERORS WRITTEN TECHNICAL PROPOSAL, A. General Instructions, The written Technical proposal shall include the following sections: (1) Past Performance, (2) Technical Approach, (3) Management Approach, (4) Small Business Subcontracting Plan and (5) Price.

Question: Please confirm that the Written Technical Proposal should not include Pricing information.

Response: PBGC confirms that the written technical proposal should not include pricing information as stated in the last sentence of L.7.1. which reads “No price information is to be included in the written Technical proposal.” The written Technical and Price proposals shall be submitted in two separate volumes, so the evaluation of each part may be conducted independently. Volume I is the written technical proposal [(1) Past Performance, (2) Technical Approach, (3) Management Approach, (4) Small Business Subcontracting Plan] and Volume II [(5) Price] is pricing information.

22. What is the likelihood for a second operation and if so, how soon do you project this will happen after the contract begins?

Response: A second facility would not be required until after completion of the first option period. Please see Section C.7.6.3, Business Continuity of Operations Plan.

23. Who establishes the transition schedule for the current operations to move under the BASS contract?

Response: PBGC will establish the transition schedule in collaboration with the Contractor. Refer to Table 2 in Section C.8.1, Transition In, for an approximate workload projection.

24. What is the estimated timeframe for closing the current COOP?

Response: Please see Section C.7.6.3, Business Continuity of Operations Plan, for requirements related to the COOP.

25. Would PBGC consider scheduling a pre-proposal conference to discuss the specific requirements of this solicitation?

Response: No. PBGC will not consider scheduling a pre-proposal conference.

26. There are participant numbers stated in the solicitation, would you associate these numbers with each current operation for transition purposes?

Response: No, this will be discussed after contract award for the purpose of transition. PBGC will not associate these numbers to specific current operations. Refer to Table 2 in Section C.8.1, Transition In, for an approximate workload projection by option period.

27. How did PBGC arrive at the staffing levels indicated in the solicitation?

Response: Staffing levels were based on Government estimates.

28. Will the agency’s Call Center become part of the BASS contract?

Response: PBGC does not currently anticipate its Call Center requirement being part of the BASS contract.

29. Under paragraph C.7.8, the company is to provide a construction drawing that demonstrates the build-out requirements have been met or how they will be met. Is this drawing to represent how we will use and renovate the current infrastructure to meet the requirements of the solicitation?

Response: Yes, the drawing must represent how the Offeror will build out its work space to meet PBGC’s requirements.

30. Please confirm the government is to provide computers with keyboard and mouse, monitors and phones for contract staff use.

Response: Yes. Please see Attachment 4: List of Government-Furnished Equipment.

31. Reference Section B – Pricing Schedule (Page 9, Paragraph 2). Solicitation Text: CLINs 0002, 0006, 1004, 2004, 3005, and 4005 are Not to Exceed (NTE) CLINs and will be used in calculating the overall price for evaluation purposes only:

· Will the PBGC confirm that Offerors should enter the NTE amounts for each of the NTE CLINs in Section B in order to ensure consistent evaluation? Can an offeror enter a lesser amount?

Response: No—the NTE amounts provided are for evaluation purposes only.

· May Offerors re-create Pricing Schedule B.1 in the preparation of the bid response or are Offerors required to “write/type” into the RFP Section B.1?

Response: Offerors may not re-create the Pricing Schedule B.1. However, a word document of Section B.1 has been provided (see attached).

· Since these NTE amounts are the maximum amounts for Cost Reimbursable CLINs, what does PBGC estimate is the minimum amount of each of these CLINs?

Response: There is not a minimum amount for these CLINs and is for evaluation purposes only.

· Does the NTE CLIN amounts include an allowance for G&A expenses applied by the Contractor?

Response: No, the NTE CLIN amounts do not include an allowance for G&A expenses applied by the Contractor and is used for evaluation purposes only.

· Please clarify why there is a decrease from CLIN 0006 Travel NTE $300,000 to CLIN 1004 Travel NTE $150,000?

Response: The current NTE amounts listed for the travel/ODC CLINs are correct. CLIN 0006 is hereby revised to indicate all Other Direct Costs for the base year and all option years and the word “(Travel)” in each of these CLIN titles is hereby removed.

32. Reference Section B – Pricing Schedule (Page 9). CLIN 0003 Facility Charge: Does this CLIN include office supplies that are related to GFE and/or supplies not related to GFE? Please explain.

Response: Supplies such as pens, pencils, postage, copier/printer paper, toner, etc. are the supplies related to ODC’s (GFE and Non GFE).

33. Reference Section C.3 – Government Furnished Property and Services (Page 20, Paragraph 1). Solicitation Text: “PBGC will provide the Contractor with information technology (IT) hardware and software to perform….”:

Will PBGC confirm that it will be responsible for providing all hardware and software upgrades and refreshes (replacements) over the life of the contract?

Response: Yes.

· Will PBGC confirm that it will be responsible for providing copier machines, postage meters and postage for mailings, printer toner, and related office supplies to be used with GFE?

Response: Yes, PBGC will provide the copier machines. The postage meter, postage for mailings, printer toner and other related office supplies are covered under Other Direct Costs CLINs.

· Please clarify if the internet and telephone services provide bandwidth for teleconferencing?

Response: Yes.

· Please clarify if PBGC’s IT staff will work at the Contractor’s facility and whether or not the Contractors personnel will be required to service/support any GFE?

Response: Yes, the PBGC IT staff will work at the Contractor’s facility. PBGC will service and support the GFE.

· Will PBGC clarify if the Contractor is responsible for maintenance and/or service agreements related to GFE?

Response: PBGC will be responsible for maintenance and service agreements of GFE.

34. Reference Section C.7.6.3 Business Continuity of Operations Plan (Page 28, Paragraph 2):

· Is the optional COOP to be manned by a minimum thirty (30) full-time equivalent (FTE) Contractor personnel within six (6) months of Option 2?

Response: Please see Section C.7.6.3, Business Continuity of Operations Plan, for COOP requirements. The requirements would take effect upon the completion of the first option period.

· Will the COOP also serve as a data storage, backup and recovery site? If so, please provide for details and specifications.

Response: No.

· Will the COOP require Contractor personnel serve in caretaker status instead of full time equivalent of thirty personnel?

Response: Contractor personnel could serve in “caretaker status” for a short period (1-7 days) but would be required to serve as full-time equivalents within 30 days of the COOP event.

35. Reference Section J.1 List of Attachments (Page 69, Item 4) – List of Government Furnished Equipment:

· Will PBGC provide the same or similar GFE every year for the COOP?

Response: Yes.

· Will COOP require 24/7/365 operation at any time? If so please specify.

Response: No.

36. Section C.7.6.3 Business Continuity of Operations Plan (Page 28, Paragraph 2): Are the COOP requirements in the Solicitation Statement of Work over and above your current COOP requirements?

Response: No.

37. Reference:

L.7.1 OFFERORS WRITTEN TECHNICAL PROPOSAL A. General Instructions:

The written technical proposal, excluding the required construction and space drawings, shall use the specific format below. These directions assist in providing a fair and equitable evaluation of all proposals. The Government may determine those proposals not following the directions as unacceptable and may reject such offers from further consideration.

AND Reference

C.7.8 FACILITY AND WORK SITE:

The Contractor must include in its offer the following:

· Construction drawings demonstrating that the build-out requirements have been met or how they will be met; the drawings shall not exceed 10MB and must be in PDF or MS Visio format

· Space drawings indicating the location within the building and floor, space/furniture layout and square footage of entire space, LAN Room and Closet and space provided for PBGC use; the drawings shall not exceed 10MB and must be in PDF or MS Visio format Question: Should the construction and space diagrams also be provided in printed format?

Response: Yes.

Question: If the construction and space diagrams should be provided in a printed format, will 11x17 page size be permitted?

Response: Yes.

38. Reference L.7.1.A, Page 81 - The proposal submitted shall not exceed 40 pages. Cover pages and tabs are not included in the count.

Question: Is the proposer's response Table of Content considered part of the Cover Pages and not included within the page count limitation?

Response: Yes, the Table of Content is considered part of the cover pages and not included within the page count limitation.

39. Reference L.7.1.A, Page 81 - The proposal submitted shall not exceed 40 pages. Cover pages and tabs are not included in the count.

Question: Is the proposer's response Transmittal Letter considered part of the Cover Pages and not included within the page count limitation?

Response: Yes, the proposer’s response Transmittal Letter is considered part of the cover pages and not included within the page count limitation.

40. Reference L.7.1.B and M.2.2, Page 83 and 89 - Section M.2.2 states "The Offeror’s Transition In/Out plan will be evaluated to determine the reasonableness of the approach and likelihood that all tasks associated with the Transition In/Out are successfully completed." Section L.7.1.B Factor 2 states "The plan will be finalized by mutual agreement of the contractor and the Government no later than one (1) month after award."

Question: Is the Offeror's draft Transition In/Out Plan excluded from the 40 page limitation? Additional pages would enable offerors to provide detailed planning activities, mitigation of risks, and other features of the plan would be of benefit to the Government.

Response: Yes, the draft transition in/out plan is excluded from the 40 page limitation. The following language is hereby added to Section C.8 of the RFP:

Response: Yes.

42. Reference C.6 Places of Performance, Page 21: To allow contractors to create an accurate Transition Plan, please clarify, under what circumstance the government would require the Contractor to perform services at the PBGC facility during the six-month Transition and Build-Out period. Do you anticipate requiring all services to be provided during the Transition and Build-Out period or specific services? And if specific services, which?

Response: The Government may require the Contractor to perform services at a PBGC facility for training purposes or in the case of construction/build-out delays. The Government may potentially require the Contractor to provide all described services in this period.

43. Reference C.7.9.2 Security Controls and Attachment 6 - Security Controls Template, Page 31- The Contractor will submit with their offer their plan to address each identified control.

Question: Are the various response elements of Attachment 6 - Security Controls Template (i.e. copy of the proposed Visitor Log and draft of standard operating procedures detailing the Visitor Sign-In process) included within the 40 page limitation?

Response: No, these materials would not count towards the 40-page limit.

44. Reference C.7.9.3 Security Training, Page 32 - Contractor personnel are required to abide by PBGC’s security and privacy policies, which include Directives IM 05-02, PBGC Information Security Policy, IM 05-04, Use of Information Technology Resources, IM 10-02, Safeguarding Tax Return Information, and IM 10-03, Protecting Sensitive Information.

Question: The referenced Directives were not provided with the RFP. Can these documents be provided for review prior to proposal submission?

Response: Please see Section C.2, Applicable Documents—this section contains links to the requested documents.

45. Reference C.7.9.4 Physical Security, Page 32: Can contractor provide these services within a facility that supports other projects as long as the physical security requirements are met?

Response: Yes, provided that the Facility and Works Site requirements described in Section C.7.8 are met.

46. Reference C.7.9.5 Personnel Security, Page 32 - The Contractor shall reference PBGC 03-003 – Suitability Determination Requirements (Jan 2012) for specific instruction and requirements regarding personnel security.

Question: The referenced document was not provided with the RFP. Can this document be provided for review prior to proposal submission?

Response: Please see Section H.5, PBGC-03-003 Suitability Determination Requirements (Jan 2012), on page 41.

47. Reference C.7.9.5 Personnel Security, Page 32: So that we may accurately estimate the time to onboard personnel, what is the average number of days or weeks for PBGC to determine suitability adjudication? Does PBGC grant interim clearances?

Response: PBGC grants interim access once all required form identified in PM-05-1, Section (page 9).

48. Reference Section B, Pricing Schedule, Page 12: What factors are impacting the changes in CLIN travel funding (i.e. $150,000)? Can you confirm that the $150,000 for travel in Option Year 1 is correct?

Response: The current NTE amounts listed for the travel CLINs are correct.

49. Reference Section B, Pricing Schedule, Page 9 - CLIN 0003, 1003, 2003, 3003, 3004, 4003, 4004 specifies “supplies”.

Question: So that we are able to accurately price, please clarify what the government considers “supplies” in this CLIN. Is this reference to basic office supplies such as pens, notebooks, paper clips or does it also include materials for mass printing and mailing activities including paper, envelopes and postage?

Response: No. The reference to “Supplies” in these CLINs is hereby removed. Supplies such as pens, pencils, envelopes, postage, copier/printer paper, toner, etc. are the supplies related to ODC’s (GFE and Non GFE) and is now included in the ODC CLINs, which are NTE CLINs. BAPD provides fulfillment services for letters going to groups of 11 or more people. The contractor is responsible for letters going to ten or less people.

50. Reference Section B, Pricing Schedule, item 0001, Page 3: Noting there is ramp-up over first three years of contract to full production, will Government consider a phased Build-Out that allows Contractors to add contiguous space and furniture as production increases, as this space and equipment acquisition approach may result in more favorable pricing?

Response: Yes, provided that all facility requirements are met throughout the life of the contract.

51. Reference Section G, Payment Terms, Page 37-38: Please confirm that Invoicing for the Firm Fixed Price CLIN’s is on a monthly basis in equal monthly amounts.

Response: Confirmed.

52. Reference Section G, Payment Terms, Page 37-38: Please confirm that payment terms are Net 30.

Response: Confirmed.

53. Reference B.1 Pricing Schedule, Pages 9-17: The travel budget drops from $300k to $150k in Option Year 1, then back up to $350k, $300k, and $300k for the last three option years. What is the reason behind this?

Response: The current NTE amounts listed for the travel CLINs are correct. The NTE amounts for ODCs include anticipated costs for the base year that may be incurred for travel associated with training to a PBGC facility and other direct costs. Anticipated costs may decrease and then increase again after Option Year 2 for the 2nd site to include but not limited to travel associated to training costs and supplies.

54. Reference C.6 Places(s) of Performance, Page 21 - The Contractor shall provide the place(s) of performance, consisting of a single site.

Question: Can the single site change during the performance of the contract within the performance location.

Response: PBGC requires that the single site remain constant throughout the life of the contract.

55. Reference C.7.2.13 Plan Closing Review, Page 25: What audit sample rate is required?

Response: There is no “required” audit sample rate. Existing plan closing reports require an error rate in data of 5% or less in order for the case to be closed and moved to ongoing administration.

56. Reference C.7.8 Facility and Work Site, Page 29:

· Is PBGC expecting build-out and space drawings for the initial staffing in year 1 or for the full staffing level in years 3, 4, and 5?

Response: PBGC expects to see build-out and space drawings for the initial staffing, with a plan/concept provided for future year requirements.

· If for the full staffing in years 3, 4, and 5, is PBGC expecting facility costs in years 1 and 2 to include the additional space needed in years 3, 4, and 5?

Response: The solicitation includes separate CLINs for the facility charge each year. PBGC encourages offerors to propose their own cost estimates.

57. Reference C.7.9.2 Security Controls, Page 31 - The Contractor shall submit with their offer their plan to address each identified control.

Question: Given the size of this chart and the proposal page limitations, can the chart be provided as an attachment and excluded from the page count?

Response: Yes, the plan to address each identified control can be provided as an attachment and will be excluded from the page count.

58. Reference L.7.1.A General Instructions, Page 81 - The Quality Control Plan (QCP), Key-Personnel resumes, constructions and space drawings, and Small Business Subcontracting Plan are not included in the 40-page limit.

Question: Can the resumes be submitted as an attachment since they are outside the page limitation, and for ease of page numbering?

Response: Yes, the resumes can be provided as an attachment.

59. Reference L.7.1.A General Instructions, Page 81 - The Quality Control Plan (QCP), Key-Personnel resumes, constructions and space drawings, and Small Business Subcontracting Plan are not included in the 40-page limit.

Question: Can the constructions and space drawings be submitted as an attachment since they are outside the page limitation, and for ease of page numbering?

Response: Yes, the constructions and space drawings can be provided as an attachment.

60. Reference L.7.1.A General Instructions, Page 81 - 12 pitch print or larger, Times New Roman style font Question: Can the font in tables and figures be smaller (i.e., 9 point)? Can the font in tables and figures be a sans serif font (i.e., Arial Narrow or Helvetica)?

Response: A minimum 10 pitch may be used within tables and figures. Font within tables and figures can be a times new roman font only.

61. Reference List of Government Furnished Equipment, Attachment 4 - LAN room – Normal and Specialized power (Contractor Provided) Question: To more fully ensure potential facility compliance to requirements, can PBGC further delineate the special power requirements to be provided?

Response: The configuration of the LAN Room and the special power requirements completely depends on how the LAN room is proposed and the number of people proposed to staff the site.

62. If a proposal is submitted by a joint venture comprising two entities that have teamed to create a joint venture entity either as a partnership or a limited liability company, would PBGC please clarify and/or confirm our understanding that the past performance of both joint venture members will be considered as the past performance of the proposed prime contractor?

Response: Yes.

63. Reference Section C.7.8 Facility and Work Site - This section requires the contractor/offeror to include with the offer “construction drawings” and “space drawings.” Construction drawings, if they are full mechanical drawings, may require over 60 days to be prepared for modifying space to “demonstrate that the build out requirements ….will be met.” As a result, full construction drawings may not be available to submit with the offer.

Question: May the offeror submit “as is” drawings with annotations/explanations of alterations and changes?

Response: Yes.

64. Reference Section C.7.9.2 Security - “The Contractor will submit with their offer their plan to address each identified control.”

Please confirm that the plans referenced in Section C.7.9.2 are not included in the 40 page limit for Volume I Technical.

Response: Confirmed.